Registered Nurses (Mental Health)
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Registered Nurses (Mental Health) provide nursing care to patients with mental health illness, disorder and dysfunction, and those experiencing emotional difficulties, distress and crisis in health, welfare and aged care facilities, correctional services and the community.
Specialisations: Registered Nurse (Child and Adolescence Mental Health), Registered Nurse (Drug and Alcohol), Registered Nurse (Psychiatric Rehabilitation), Registered Nurse (Psychogeriatric Care).
A bachelor degree in nursing and specialist experience is usually needed to work as a Registered Nurse (Mental Health). Some workers have a postgraduate qualification.
Tasks
-
Assesses, plans, implements and evaluates nursing care for patients according to accepted nursing practice and standards.
-
Works in consultation with other health professionals and members of health teams, and co-ordinating the care of patients.
-
Provides interventions, treatments and therapies such as medications, and monitors responses to treatment and care plans.
-
Promotes health and assists in preventing ill health by participating in health education and other health promotion activities.
-
Answers questions and providing information to patients and families about treatment and care.
-
Supervises and co-ordinates the work of enrolled nurses and other health care workers.
Characteristics
- 254411 Nurse Practitioners
- 254412 Registered Nurses (Aged Care)
- 254413 Registered Nurses (Child and Family Health)
- 254414 Registered Nurses (Community Health)
- 254415 Registered Nurses (Critical Care and Emergency)
- 254416 Registered Nurses (Developmental Disability)
- 254417 Registered Nurses (Disability and Rehabilitation)
- 254418 Registered Nurses (Medical)
- 254421 Registered Nurses (Medical Practice)
- 254422 Registered Nurses (Mental Health)
- 254423 Registered Nurses (Perioperative)
- 254424 Registered Nurses (Surgical)
- 254425 Registered Nurses (Paediatrics)
- 254499 Registered Nurses (not covered elsewhere)
-
University
-
Analytical
-
Helping
-
Light
-
Medium
-
Heavy
Outlook
JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Registered Nurses, under the outlook section.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
-
Around 67% of people employed as Registered Nurses (Mental Health) work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is similar to the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 42 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).
Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.
Industries
Main industries
-
Most Registered Nurses (Mental Health) work in the Health care and social assistance industry.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report.
Regions
Employment across Australia
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Employment by State and Territory (% Share)
State | Registered Nurses (Mental Health) | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 31.8 | 31.6 |
VIC | 25.4 | 25.6 |
QLD | 19.1 | 20.0 |
SA | 7.6 | 7.0 |
WA | 11.8 | 10.8 |
TAS | 2.3 | 2.0 |
NT | 0.9 | 1.0 |
ACT | 1.1 | 1.9 |
-
Around 60% of Registered Nurses (Mental Health) live in capital cities, similar to the all jobs average of 62%.
The regions with the largest share of workers are:
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Worker profile
Age and gender
-
The median age of Registered Nurses (Mental Health) is 47 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.
Females make up 70% of the workforce. This is 22 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile (% Share)
Age Bracket | Registered Nurses (Mental Health) | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.0 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 3.6 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 19.2 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 20.7 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 25.7 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 14.6 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 10.9 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 5.3 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 47 | 40 |
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Employment Pathways
Education, training and experience
A bachelor degree in nursing and specialist experience is usually needed to work as a Registered Nurse (Mental Health). Some workers have a postgraduate qualification.
Registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia is required.
Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Registered Nurses (Mental Health) | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 27.3 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 55.6 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 14.5 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 1.0 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 1.2 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 0.1 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 0.2 | 12.5 |
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Skills and Knowledge
Employers look for Registered Nurses who are caring, empathetic, reliable, with strong communication and interpersonal skills.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
64%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
-
61%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
61%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
-
57%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
57%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
57%
SpeakingTalking to others.
-
57%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
-
55%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
55%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
54%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
54%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
-
54%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
52%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
52%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
50%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
48%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
46%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
-
45%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
45%
Systems evaluationMeasuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
-
41%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
98%
Therapy and counsellingDiagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
94%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
83%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
78%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
76%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
73%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
66%
Medicine and dentistryDiagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
-
61%
Philosophy and theologyPhilosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
-
61%
BiologyPlant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
-
52%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
50%
ChemistryChemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
50%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
50%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
49%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
48%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
46%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
43%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
40%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
22%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
20%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
-
68%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
64%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
-
63%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
-
61%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
61%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
-
59%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
57%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
-
55%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
54%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
52%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
-
52%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
-
48%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
-
46%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
46%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
45%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
41%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
-
41%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
-
41%
Perceptual speedUse your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
39%
MultitaskingDo two or more things at the same time.
-
37%
MemorizationRemember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
90%
Helping and caring for othersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
-
86%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
84%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
83%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
82%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
80%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
78%
Giving expert adviceProviding guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.
-
77%
Monitoring people, processes and thingsChecking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
76%
Making sense of information and ideasLooking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
75%
Negotiating and resolving conflictsHandling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
-
74%
Training and teaching othersUnderstanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
73%
Coaching and developing othersWorking out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
-
73%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
71%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
71%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
71%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
69%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
67%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
-
65%
Checking compliance with standardsDeciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
63%
Working with the publicGreeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
Interests and demands
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
95%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
86%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
52%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
33%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
33%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
29%
EnterprisingStarting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
Values
-
81%
RelationshipsServe and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
76%
Working conditionsJob security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
71%
SupportSupportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
-
67%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
67%
RecognitionAdvancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
-
57%
IndependenceWork alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
Demands
-
99%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
-
97%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
-
96%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
-
92%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
-
92%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
90%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
88%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
87%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
86%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
-
86%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
-
85%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
84%
Disease or infectionBe exposed to disease or infections.
-
83%
Consequence of errorWork where mistakes have serious consequences.
-
81%
Physically close to peopleWork physically close to other people.
-
81%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
-
81%
Angry or unpleasant peopleDeal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
-
79%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
-
79%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
-
79%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
-
79%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 29-1141.02 - Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses.
Links and downloads
Research and reports
The Skills Priority List provides a current labour market rating and a future demand rating for nearly 800 occupations nationally. Current labour market ratings are available for occupations at a state and territory level.
Downloads
-
Occupation profiles data are available for download.
The Employment Projections are available for download.