How do I Become a Psychiatric Nurse?

Pass the licensing exam to become a registered nurse. These exams are administered by your state's nursing board. 2Work in a psychiatric setting to determine if you have the aptitude for working with patients who range from fragile to dangerous.

Psychiatric nursing requires communication skills, the ability to manage others, and physical endurance. You can ask for a psychiatric rotation at the hospital where you work, volunteer in a community program or work for a while as a psychiatric aide. 3Get additional training in skills psychiatric nurses need.

You should know how to conduct therapy, work with other medical professionals, deal with difficult patients and administer medication. You can do this by returning to school, or you can learn on the job. 4Take the exam to become certified in psychiatric-mental health nursing.

The exam is administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Your state may not require that you be certified, but you will earn more if you are. 5Work in general psychiatry or specialize in adult mental disorders, children and adolescents, drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders, forensic psychiatry (working with mentally ill people who have committed crimes) or disorders of old age, such as dementia.