Psychiatric Nurse Job Description Template

Psychiatric nursing is a specialty unlike any other. Employees in these departments utilize unique care plans, treatment strategies, and safety guidelines to ensure their patients receive the best possible care. Facility leaders often find it challenging to craft a psychiatric nurse job description that takes the needs and preferences of these specialized employees into account.

We’ve made an example psych nurse job description template that highlights the skills, qualifications, and clinical experience necessary for success in mental health nursing. This template explains what to include in each section of the job description to help you attract high-quality candidates ready for the job.

Psychiatric Nurse

Tips: Begin your psychiatric nurse job description by introducing candidates to your organization and providing basics on the role and patient population you serve. Psych nurses work in a wide variety of facilities, including:

• Outpatient rehabilitation centers
• Acute care hospitals
• Correctional facilities
• Military hospitals
• Therapy and behavioral health clinics
• Trauma treatment centers
• Long-term care facilities

Some psychiatric departments serve both pediatric and adult populations, while others serve niche patient groups like those with chemical dependence or emotional trauma. It’s important to outline the role of psych nurses in your facility to help your nurse candidates understand whether the position is the right fit for them.

There is often debate about whether to call an employee a “mental health” vs. “psychiatric” nurse. Both terms are appropriate and refer to the same style of care, so it’s best to stay in line with whatever term your facility most often uses to reference this care specialty.

Template:

Looking to take the next step in your nursing career? We’re looking for a mental health nurse to serve patients in our inpatient psychiatric unit. We offer patients a variety of behavioral health treatments and provide care to over 4,000 patients a year. A strong candidate for this position is kind, patient, and compassionate and has over five years of previous clinical experience in an acute care psychiatric unit or rehabilitation center.

Here at [facility name], we take patient and employee safety seriously. We require all newly hired staff members to undergo a rigorous eight-week training period where we empower nurses with the tools and resources necessary to provide effective and safe treatment to our vulnerable patients.

We’re looking to eliminate the stigma surrounding behavioral and mental health care. By taking part in community engagement activities throughout the year, our team advocates for our patients and educates the public on the vital services we provide. If this sounds like a team you’d like to be a part of, learn more about our generous benefit package, compensation, and scheduling flexibility below, along with a link to the job application below.

Benefits

Tips: Now that you’ve reviewed the basics of the position, dive right into the benefits and perks offered at your organization. Provide a thorough list of financial, professional, and lifestyle incentives near the top of your psychiatric nurse job description to entice applicants who may be interested in benefits like tuition assistance or better healthcare coverage.

Template:

• Health, dental, and vision benefits
• FSA/HSA options
• 401(k) matching
• $10,000 sign-on bonus after completion of 2-year contract
• Generous paid vacation/holiday/family leave
• Free access to continuing education (CE) courses
• Annual scrub and non-slip footwear stipend
• Tuition reimbursement of up to $4,000 per year
• Employee discount program for gym memberships, restaurant certificates, travel packages, and more

Duties and Responsibilities

Tips: Mental health facilities differ by size and population served. The specific responsibilities detailed in a psychiatric nurse job description will vary in accordance with each organization’s particular treatments and services offered.

In this section, explain the role and qualities of mental health and psychiatric nurses at your facility. Provide clear expectations of the position, outlining any facility-specific responsibilities your company may require.

Template:

Many of our patients access mental health care for the first time at our facility, and may not be used to taking medications of any kind. We pride ourselves on streamlining the patient admission process and helping ease patients into the treatment process.

Psychiatric nurses at our facility are expected to perform the following duties:

• Conduct admission assessments and interview patients and their family members to obtain a thorough medical history
• Administer psychoactive medications and monitor for side effects
• Order and perform diagnostic tests (TAT, MMPI, WAIS-R, etc.)
• Provide education to patients and their families on community resources available to them
• Attend treatment team meetings and develop goals of care with other multidisciplinary care providers (psychologists, psychiatrists, behavioral health therapists, pharmacists, dieticians, etc.)
• Engage in crisis intervention to help stabilize and manage the care of acute patients
• Use a person-centered approach to communicate with patients and provide teaching and problem-solving training in a collaborative way

Compensation and Schedule

Tips: You may think that being vague about salaries and scheduling requirements evokes curiosity and encourages nurses to apply. However, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Most nurses expect — and appreciate — transparency about the pay and hourly requirements of the position. Outlining expectations early in the hiring process can prevent confusion and frustration later in the process.

Template:

• Our psychiatric nurse salary starts at $80,000, with adjustments subject to education level and relevant leadership experience 
• Overtime, holiday, and incentive pay available
• 8-week paid orientation period
• Three scheduled 12-hour night shifts (7p-7a) per week
• Bi-weekly pay periods

Mental Health Nurse Qualifications and Skills

Tips: What does it take to become a psych nurse at your facility? List behavioral traits and skills that may set a candidate apart from the rest. Provide required and preferred qualifications, making sure to note educational degree expectations, licensure requirements, and clinical experience needed.

Template:

Required Qualifications:

• Active and unencumbered RN license
• ADN required, BSN or MSN preferred
• BLS, ACLS, and PALS certified
• 3 years of experience working in an acute care psychiatric setting
• Notable compassion, patience, and empathy to treat our vulnerable patients
• Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) de-escalation training certificate needed upon hire

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous leadership experience as a charge nurse, team lead, or resource team nurse
• Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Certification (PMH-BC) Certified
• Bilingual in English and Spanish

Call to Action

Tips: It’s important to finish your psychiatric nurse job description with a call to action. Help guide interested nurses straight to the job application using a “Join Our Team Now” or “Apply Here” button. Provide any contact details for your company’s human resources department or hiring manager in case applicants have questions or encounter any technical problems.

Template:

Ready to join our inpatient psych team as a mental health nurse? We’ll help you grow your career and find purpose every day. Start today by clicking “apply now” — we look forward to seeing your application!

Find High-Quality Psychiatric Nursing Staff to Optimize Patient Engagement

Writing a high-quality psychiatric nurse job description is the first step to hiring an exceptional nurse — but you may have additional staffing needs demanding your time and energy. Let IntelyCare help relieve some of the burden by matching top-tier health care professionals to your vacant nursing positions.