Nursing Degree

• Mental health nurses can be licensed practical nurses with about one year of education, or they can be registered nurses. Registered nurses have either a two-year degree (an associate's degree in nursing or ADN) or a four-year degree (a bachelor's degree in the science of nursing or BSN). Some mental health nurses have graduate degrees in nursing. Nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists have master's degrees in the science of nursing (MSN).
  
  

Course of Study

• All nurses receive some information about mental health nursing during nursing school. For instance, nurses earning a bachelor's degree in the science of nursing at the University of Cincinnati take courses in both psychology and mental health care. Nurses who attend graduate school have the opportunity to specialize in a particular field of nursing. For instance, graduate nursing students at the University of Cincinnati can become psychiatric nurse practitioners or psychiatric clinical nurse specialists.
  
  

Specialization and Certification

• Many nurses without graduate degrees specialize in mental health nursing. In addition, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) certifies registered nurses in psychiatric and mental health nursing. The ANCC certifies nurse practitioners in adult psychiatric and mental health nursing, family psychiatric and mental health nursing. They also certify clinical nurse specialists in adult psychiatric and mental health nursing, child and adolescent psychiatric and mental health nursing. Nurses do not have to become certified to work in the field of mental health, but those that do may have more job opportunities.
  
  

Continuing Education

• All licensed nurses must attend a certain number of continuing education hours to maintain their licenses, although the number of hours varies from state to state. For instance, in Iowa nurses need at least 36 hours of continuing education every three years. Mental health nurses can attend continuing education programs related to mental health nursing to satisfy their licensing requirements.
  
  

Available Classes

• Many organizations offer continuing education programs for nurses that focus on mental health nursing. For instance, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association offers training in things like dementia and depression and safety on inpatient units. The Emergency Nurses Association offers training in psychiatric emergencies.