Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing; Eligibility, Colleges, Courses

M.Sc. in Mental Health Nursing is all about caring for people of all ages with mental illness or mental distress such as Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Depression and more.
The course is comprised of the topics such as Human Development Counselling Applications, Diagnostic Measuring Tools, Research Methods, Clinical Assessment, Individual Counselling etc.
Specialization options within these programs include forensics, substance abuse, and geropsychiatric nursing. In total, students can expect to spend three to seven years completing required coursework and clinical rotations, depending on their previous training.

Top Colleges

  • Bharath University, Chennai
  • West Bengal University of Health Sciences, Kolkata
  • Saveetha University, Chennai
  • Aditya College of Nursing, Bangalore
  • SCS College of Nursing Sciences, Mangalore
  • Aruna College of Nursing, Tumkur
  • Bharti University, Chennai
  • Al Shifa College of Nursing, Kerala
  • Amala School of Nursing, Thrissur
  • Amrita School of Nursing, Kochi

Highlights

Course level

Postgraduate

Duration 

2 Years

Examination Type

Year Wise/ Semester System

Eligibility

Completed Bachelors level of nursing degree from a University recognized by INC (Indian Nursing Council)

Admission

Direct merit based admission to colleges. Entrance test in some cases.

Courses and Eligibility

Course

Duration

Eligibility

Entrance

M. Sc.  2 Years Completed Bachelors level of nursing degree from a University recognized by INC (Indian Nursing Council) Separate colleges have separate entrance exams

Top Recruiters

  • Hospitals
  • NHS trusts
  • Nursing agencies
  • Community and health centers
  • Charities and voluntary organizations
  • Schools, private healthcare organizations
  • GP practices
  • Residential homes
  • Charities and Clinics 
  • Old Age Residential Homes & Community Units
  • Colleges & Universities
  • Rehabilitation Units

Admission Process

Admission to the course is based on the candidate’s performance in a relevant entrance exam. Students qualifying the exam with the set minimum eligible cut-off score are invited for the subsequent round of counselling, based on which, the final selection is made.
The counselling process (if involved) consists of rounds of Group Discussion and Personal Interview, wherein the candidate’s general aptitude for the course is examined, and a merit list is made, allotting seats to the qualifying candidates.
Some institutes in India also provide admission to eligible candidates based on their obtained merit at the level of graduation.

Syllabus

Year 1

  • Nursing Education
  • Advanced Nursing Practice
  • Nursing Research and Statistics
  • Clinical Specialty I - Psychiatric Nursing

Year 2

  • Nursing Management
  • Nursing Research (Dissertation)
  • Clinical Specialty
  • Medical-Surgical Nursing
  • Psychiatric Nursing.

Skills Required

  • Perseverance
  • Emotional stability
  • Sympathy towards patient
  • Objective approach towards patients
  • Interest in advance practice roles
  • Good communication skills
  • Patience
  • Good listening skills

Top Entrances

  • Pravara Institute PIMS M.Sc. Nursing and MPT Admission Test
  • PIMS AICET ASUG Entrance Exam 
  • NIMHANS Nursing Admission Test
  • ILBS New Delhi M.Sc. Nursing Entrance Exam
  • JIPMER B.Sc. Nursing Entrance Exam
  • DY Patil University All India PG Nursing Entrance Test – AIPGNET
  • KGMU B.Sc. Nursing Entrance Exam
  • JIPMER M.Sc. Nursing, MPH, PhD Entrance Exam
  • TMC Mumbai M.Sc. in Nursing Entrance Test
  • Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University BVDU PB BSc Nursing CET

Career and Job Prospects

Job Profile

Job Description

Average salary in INR

Psychiatric Technician Their responsibility is to perform functions in the health field, such as taking vital signs, monitoring patients, administrating medication and helping with clerical tasks. 2 lakhs
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Rehabilitation Counselor helps people with emotional and physical disabilities live independently. 3.6 lakhs
Mental Health Counselor Duties of Mental Health Counselor conduct Mental Health Assessments, developing treatment plans, running preventative mental wellness classes and making treatment referrals. 7.2 lakhs
Clinical Psychologist Clinical Psychologist meet with the clients to identify problems like emotional, mental and behavioral 3.7 lakhs
Health Psychologist Health Psychologist study various reactions of individuals when diagnosed with particular disease 3.2 lakhs

FAQs

Q: What are the career opportunities after Psychiatric and mental health nursing?
A: 
Applicants can become professionals and practitioners in Hospitals, schools, rehabilitation agencies, clinics, and other mental health agencies. Students can also pursue higher studies in related fields.

Apart from jobs in Hospitals, Clinics, Nursing Homes, Orphanages, Old Age Homes there is also scope for private practice. Students are also recruited in a different health program that is undertaken by the Government of India.

Psychiatric nurses treat and care for patients suffering from mental and emotional disabilities. They can also be personal nurses and attend specific patients, to provide care, and help them execute their daily tasks. Such patients are weak and need special support to be attended to, at all times.

Such postgraduates can also professionally pursue job positions such as Nurse Head/ Educator/ Manager, or with an increase in experience, Rural Health Family Nurse, who is generally appointed by the State or central government hospitals. They may also become Health Nurse Practitioners or Nursing Administrators.

Job areas for such postgraduates include general or specialized care units, health care centers, maternity homes, public or private hospitals, medical clinics, schools and colleges, home-based care providers.

Q: What is the admission process into psychiatry and mental health nursing?
A: 
Admission to the course is based on the candidate’s performance in a relevant entrance exam. Students qualifying the exam with the set minimum eligible cut-off score are invited for the subsequent round of counseling, based on which, the final selection is made.

The counseling process (if involved) consists of rounds of Group Discussion and Personal Interview, wherein the candidate’s general aptitude for the course is examined, and a merit list is made, allotting seats to the qualifying candidates.

Some institutes in India also provide admission to eligible candidates based on their obtained merit at the level of graduation.

Q: What are the top colleges for studying psychiatric and mental health nursing?
A:
These are the top colleges for psychiatric and mental health nursing:

  • Bharath University, Chennai
  • West Bengal University of Health Sciences, Kolkata
  • Saveetha University, Chennai
  • Aditya College of Nursing, Bangalore
  • SCS College of Nursing Sciences, Mangalore
  • Aruna College of Nursing, Tumkur
  • Bharti University, Chennai
  • Al Shifa College of Nursing, Kerala
  • Amala School of Nursing, Thrissur
  • Amrita School of Nursing, Kochi

Q: What are the top entrances to get into Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing?
A:
The top entrances are as follows:

  • Pravara Institute PIMS M.Sc. Nursing and MPT Admission Test
  • PIMS AICET ASUG Entrance Exam 
  • NIMHANS Nursing Admission Test
  • ILBS New Delhi M.Sc. Nursing Entrance Exam
  • JIPMER B.Sc. Nursing Entrance Exam
  • DY Patil University All India PG Nursing Entrance Test – AIPGNET
  • KGMU B.Sc. Nursing Entrance Exam
  • JIPMER M.Sc. Nursing, MPH, PhD Entrance Exam
  • TMC Mumbai M.Sc. in Nursing Entrance Test
  • Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University BVDU PB BSc Nursing CET

Q: What are the skills required for this course?
A:
The top skills required are: 

  • Perseverance
  • Emotional stability
  • Sympathy towards patient
  • The objective approach towards patients
  • Interest in advance practice roles
  • Good communication skills
  • Patience
  • Good listening skills

Q: Which are the top recruiting areas for the students studying psychiatric and mental health?

A: The top recruiting areas are as follows:

  • Hospitals
  • NHS trusts
  • Nursing agencies
  • Community and health centers
  • Charities and voluntary organizations
  • Schools, private healthcare organizations
  • GP practices
  • Residential homes
  • Charities and Clinics 
  • Old Age Residential Homes & Community Units
  • Colleges & Universities
  • Rehabilitation Units

Q: What is the duration of the course?
A:
The duration of the course is 2 years.

Q: What is the minimum eligibility for the course?
A:
The minimum eligibility of the course is a Bachelor degree from a recognized university.

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