Spencer Hardy-King, a staff nurse for Norfolk Mental Health Care NHS Trust which provides a range of mental health services for all ages.

Mental health nurse

Answers supplied by Spencer Hardy-King, a staff nurse for Norfolk Mental Health Care NHS Trust which provides a range of mental health services for all ages across east Norfolk and north Suffolk.

What does the job entail?
The job is ever-changing as people with mental health problems quite often have complex needs. You must get to know and understand the client and their “illness” and establish what they feel they need to achieve “wellness”. An RN(M), registered mental health nurse, is a carer, facilitator and manager working in a team of many disciplines.

What skills and qualifications are needed?
You must gain a diploma of higher education in mental health nursing or a BSC (Hons) in mental health nursing. Each of these courses are three years and the minimum requirements for the diploma are five GCSEs at grade C or above, the NVQ Care level 3 or VRQ level 3 Mental Health and for the degree course you will require three A-levels grades BCC or above.

What type of person will fit in?
You need to care about others and have a desire to help. Be open minded with a good sense of humour, and enjoy being part of a team.

What are the pluses and minuses of the job?
There are a wide variety of locations and environments, with plenty of opportunities to undertake further education. It is a very diverse job with good holiday allowances and a good pension scheme. The minuses are the unsocial hours at times and sometimes having to work over Christmas and bank holidays.

What opportunities exist for career progression?
After qualifying there are plenty of opportunities to gain experience in different settings and undertake further study. You can then choose to specialise and progress into more senior roles and into management if desired.

What can I expect to earn?
The average basic starting wage for a newly-qualified nurse is £17,083.
Extra money is given to nurses in particular environments. This wage is increased with unsocial hours pay. The top pay for nursing at the moment is approximately £34,000, but there are planned increases for specialist roles in the near future.

Any hints on getting a job in this area?
Contact the University of East Anglia School of Nursing and Midwifery on (01603) 421419 for entrance requirements and advice on courses.