What is Psychiatric Nursing?: Course Fees 2025, Subjects, Top Colleges, Admissions

Psychiatric Nursing is a specialist branch of Nursing practice that involves the care of patients suffering from mental health illnesses and psychological disorders to help them recover and improve how they live their lives.

A Psychiatric Nursing graduate's primary responsibility is to care for patients with psychiatric disorders, mental health problems, or behavioural issues. A Psychiatric Nursing graduate's duties are comparable to those of a psychiatrist, including diagnosis, treatment, and drug prescription.

To become a specialist, an individual must pursue additional studies and complete the postgraduate course MSc Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing.

Psychiatric Nursing courses are designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care for individuals with mental health issues.

The following are the degrees offered in Psychiatric Nursing courses.

Note: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.

Here are some important documents you must carry during an MSc in Psychiatric Nursing course application process.

• BSc Nursing/BSc Hons. Nursing/Post Basic BSc Nursing 
• A valid photo ID proof (Adhaar/PAN Card/Passport/DL, etc.)
• Passport-sized photographs (at least two)
• Migration Certificate
• Relevant work experience (if applicable).

For a Diploma in Psychiatric Nursing, you would need to be a Registered Nurse (RN) and have a GNM certificate. You can also complete a BSc in Nursing degree course and then apply for a Diploma in Psychiatric Nursing. 
Some colleges may also have an age requirement, often with a minimum age of 17 years at the time of admission.

Of course, there are more than 500 MSc in Psychiatric Nursing college options in India, and many among them offer admission based on the merit system. Some popular MSc colleges offering merit-based admission include Parul University, Amity University, Armed Forces Medical College, SRM Medical College, St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences, etc.

In my opinion, AIIMS PG is one of the toughest exams for MSc Nursing admission. The reason can be its high difficulty, competition, and the prestige associated with securing a seat at AIIMS. Moreover, the AIIMS PG exam has been replaced by INI CET. INI CET is conducted by AIIMS for Master of Surgery (MS), Doctor of Medicine (MD), Master of Dental Surgery (MDS), Doctorate of Medicine (DM), and Master of Chirurgiae (MCh).

Hi, BSc in Psychiatric Nursing is generally not offered in India. You'll need to complete a BSc Nursing (base course) after that you can pursue an MSc in Psychiatric Nursing. Here's a syllabus overview of BSc Psychiatric Nursing in colleges abroad:

Note: The information is sourced from external websites and may vary.

Online Psychiatric Nursing refers to the practice of Psychiatric Nursing delivered through digital platforms, such as telemedicine, online therapy sessions, or virtual consultations. A few institutes abroad offer online Psychiatric Nursing courses:

Note: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.

Around 10 - 15 colleges offer Diploma in Psychiatric Nursing courses at PG and UG levels. Here are some top options among them:

Note: The information is sourced from the official/counselling body of the institute/exam.

Here are some top Psychiatric Nursing colleges in India with affordable fee structure:

Note: The information is sourced from the official/counselling body of the institute/exam.

Yes, Psychiatric Nurses are in high demand. Because of the strong demand for this job profile, psychiatric nurses get to earn really competitive pay in the industry nowadays. They also get provided with the perks of health insurance, dental care, and eye care in many situations.

The salary package of a job role generally depends on the employer, the employee's work experience, expertise, job location, and other factors. However, in the Psychiatric Nursing field, an MSc postgraduate can get a good salary package as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner in a healthcare facility.

In India, the average salary of a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner is INR 9.8 LPA, but can vary depending on your expertise or the employer. Hope you got your answer :)

Here are some essential skills for Psychiatric Nursing:

• Empathy and Compassion
• Communication Skills
• Therapeutic Relationship Building
• Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment
• Crisis Intervention and De-escalation
• Cultural Competence
• Collaboration and Teamwork
• Self-care and Resilience

Yes, it's possible to become a Psychiatric nurse with a Psychology degree, although it may require additional education and training in nursing. If you're interested in becoming a mental health nurse, you'll need to pursue Nursing education. One can pursue a Nursing course. Candidates can enrol for BSc Nursing which provides the education and training necessary to become a registered nurse (RN) and specialize in areas such as psychiatric-mental health nursing.