The role of a mental health nurse
Mental health nurses play a vital role in the care adults and children receive. They specialise in delivering recovery-focused, person-centred care and support to individuals with a range of complex mental health conditions in different care settings.
They naturally excel in enabling people with mental health needs to regain their skills and confidence and make informed decisions about their care so that they can achieve their long-term goals and aspirations.
At Thornbury Community Services (TCS), we recruit and place registered mental health nurses (RMNs) in community-based settings to provide person-centred and outcome-focused care to adults and children with complex mental health needs and conditions.
They play a key part in our clients’ lives, enabling them to build confidence, develop social skills and grow their independence.
What is the role of a mental health nurse in community care?
The role of a mental health nurse in community care is to deliver person-centred care and support to individuals with mental health conditions and enable them to achieve personal goals, learn new hobbies and take trips into the community.
Community mental health nurses will provide care to people with a range of mental health conditions, which may include:
- Schizophrenia
- Eating disorders
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Addictive behaviours
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Neurodevelopmental disorder
Community mental health nurse responsibilities
The responsibilities of a community mental health nurse can vary depending on the needs of the person or people they are caring for and their bespoke clinical and social requirements.
Working as a TCS RMN nurse, you can expect to be caring for one to a few clients, working collaboratively with your support worker colleagues and utilising your clinical expertise to:
- Ensuring evidence-based support is taking place in our client’s care
- Monitoring the client’s physical and mental health
- Completing MAR charts when required
- Being clinically accountable for assessments, planning and interventions
- Conducting medication administration
- Creating and reviewing plans and interventions that reduce harm or risks from happening
- Encouraging the client to carry out tasks and hobbies they can complete safely
Skills and qualities of a community mental health nurse
Working as a community mental health nurse, you will need to demonstrate and develop certain skills and qualities to excel in your nursing career and deliver the best possible care to your clients.
Key skills and qualities a mental health nurse should possess are:
Resilience
Professionalism
Excellent communication
Empathetic
Collaborative
What makes a great mental health nurse?
One of our mental health clinical lead nurses, Natasha, shares what she believes makes a great mental health nurse.
To be a great mental health nurse, I believe you should aim to work collaboratively with the client, their family and wider support networks to encourage effective relationship building and enable recovery whilst enhancing the client’s quality of life through the delivery of person-centred care.
Community mental health nurse jobs
Explore our latest community mental health nurse jobs in your area or learn more about working at TCS and what to expect by clicking the button below.
Community mental health nurse career progression opportunities
There are many progression opportunities when working as a mental health nurse. Let’s look at how you can progress in your nursing career.
Mental health clinical lead nurse
Working as a mental health nurse at Thornbury Community Services (TCS), you have the opportunity to progress to a managerial role as a clinical lead nurse. In this role, you will oversee multiple client care package plans and conduct regular client visits to ensure they receive person-centred care from our team of nurses and support workers.
Continual professional development (CPD) training
Continual professional development training, also known as CPD training, helps registered nurses build their skills, improve their professional practice and contributes to their revalidation. Nurses must revalidate every three years to renew their registration. As part of this they need to undertake the following:
- A minimum of 35 hours of CPD training every three years
- A minimum of 450 hours of practice
- Obtain five pieces of practice-related feedback from patients, clients, carers, students or colleagues
- Complete five written reflections on the NMC code, the registrant’s CPD and/or practice related feedback
- Attend a reflective discussion with another registrant
- Receive confirmation that they have met the requirements
- Acquire a health and character declaration
- Ensure professional indemnity arrangements are in place
Working as a community mental health nurse at TCS, you will gain access to our online portal, Compass, which has a continual professional development (CPD) course library where you can find a range of topical training courses to book relating to your CPD and professional development.
Deliver care to more individuals with mental health conditions
To further expand your nursing skillset, you can take on more shifts working with different individuals with mental health conditions to either upskill or refresh your current nursing expertise.
This also gives you the opportunity to work with more likeminded nurses and support workers and care for adults and children with highly complex mental health needs.
Mental health nurse salary and pay rates
A mental health nurse’s salary and hourly pay rates are determined by the care setting in which you work, the care needs of the people you support, and your employer. This will also dictate whether you receive a salary or pay rates.
At Thornbury Community Services, we pay our mental health nurses’ excellent rates of pay that match other nursing agencies’ pay rates. We also offer an extensive benefits package and opportunities for career progression and development.
View mental health nurse pay ratesMental health nurse FAQs
To learn more about the role of a mental health nurse and how you can join Thornbury Community Services, read our frequently asked questions (FAQs) below.
Mental health nurses work a variety of shifts in community settings. They often work longer hours, such as 12-hour shifts, which ensures the individual under their supervision experiences consistency of care and support.
Working as a mental health nurse at TCS, we offer a range of shifts to our nurses, including:
- Days
- Evenings
- Nights
- Weekends
Mental health nurses can work in a variety of care settings, including:
- Hospitals
- Mental health units
- Care in the home (community setting)
- Community health centres
If you’re considering transitioning from a hospital setting to working in the community and want to know what to expect, read our blog here.
To find your next community mental health nurse job, view our latest roles in your area, or simply register your interest and our team will be in touch.
The main difference between a community mental health nurse and a mental health nurse is the care setting they work in.
A community mental health nurse will provide care in the community to individuals in their own homes. They tend to support one to a few people and focus on care stabilisation, enabling the clients to become more independent, take trips to their local community and develop their social and communication skills.
A mental health nurse will work in either a psychiatric facility, hospital ward, or a mental health clinic, providing medical care and support to many people with mental health conditions focusing on rehabilitation or stabilisation.
Join Thornbury Community Services
Start your career with Thornbury Community Services today and deliver exceptional care to adults and children in their homes.
