Any psych nurses out there? What’s your advice? Finding it’s hard to start when places want psych experience

State Hospitals will hire with no experience in mental health. Use your psych. rotation as experience. Volunteer as an intake worker at a local hospital or shelter. I miss the work environment, after 35 years being a psych. RN. Stay out of the nursing station. Off your phone
and talk to the patients. Computers have ruined healthcare. Find a 12-hour job that can only mandate you for four hours.

Hello, that seems strange but may also depend on the location. Are you a new graduate that is interested in psych? If not, what other specialties have you worked in as a nurse? If you’re a fresh graduate and having challenges in working as a psych nurse, I’ll suggest picking up other areas of interest first and then, working your way back into psych, especially in a facility that has psychiatric unit. Being in other specialties first would be an added value or plus in psych. If you have the time and resources, you can write the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Certification (PMH-BC) which can also enhance your job opportunities in the labor market. God’s favor and speed.

Oyewole Ogunnaike, MSN APRN PMHNP-BC

Look at your resume very carefully.
1. Take CME classes, additional college courses or seminars on psychiatric nursing to show that you are dedicated to working in this area.

2. Are there any facilities or groups (no matter how small) where you can volunteer to again show you are dedicated to working in this area with this fragile population.

I am not a Psych nurse but as the mother of a suicide I have taken so many classes as I was working with Veterans and they are very fragile. Was a great help.

Good Luck...Do not give up on your dreams. Louanne