心理健康是一个影响全国社区的问题. In 2023, a reported 23% of adults are experiencing at least one mental illness. 更令人担忧的是，同一项研究表明，55%患有精神疾病的成年人没有接受任何治疗.
这种持续缺乏心理健康治疗的情况可能是多种因素造成的, including stigma surrounding mental illness, lack of access to mental health services, or lack of awareness of available treatment options. 这些统计数字突出表明，迫切需要提高认识和获得精神卫生服务，以帮助解决全国各地个人的精神卫生需求.
While mental health is not a new issue, 围绕心理健康获取和护理的对话越来越多. This is an encouraging trend. However, 问题最终仍然是，目前在美国没有足够的医疗服务提供者来满足所有的精神卫生保健需求, 世界卫生组织预测会出现短缺 15 million healthcare workers worldwide by 2030. 除非你和其他未来的专业人士站出来直接战斗 the mental health crisis.
如果你准备好帮助那些与心理健康挑战作斗争的人，a career in nursing could be the opportunity you’ve been looking for.
How Nurses Support Mental Health Patients
Nurses play a vital role in the nursing assessment, 对精神疾病患者的诊断和护理. They work alongside other healthcare professionals, including psychiatrists, 心理学家及社工为病人提供全面照顾. As a nurse, you’ll also administer and monitor medications, manage patients' symptoms, and provide crisis interventions if necessary.
作为一名护士意味着要为那些不能为自己辩护的人辩护, positioning those in need of assistance for a long, healthy and enjoyable life. 除了以评估的形式提供优质护理之外, medication and analysis, 护士有机会提供医疗保健中最具影响力的方面之一:情感支持.
As a nurse, 你将成为病人情感支持的来源，创造一个安全舒适的环境，让病人可以表达他们的想法和感受. 通过治疗性的沟通技巧和积极的倾听, 你将能够为你的病人提供他们急需的同情和理解.
Mental Health Nursing Specialties
护理是一个广阔而有益的领域，为医护人员创造了机会 pursue specializations that align with their interests and talents. 对于那些希望与精神疾病患者密切合作的人, consider exploring the following specializations:
- Addiction Nursing: As an addiction nurse, you will 与正在与药物滥用作斗争的病人密切合作. 你将负责为患者及其家属提供教育和支持, 同时帮助病人发展应对技巧和策略来控制他们的成瘾.
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Nursing: 这些护士与患有精神疾病(如多动症)的儿童和青少年一起工作, anxiety, and depression. As a child and adolescent mental health nurse, you will most likely work in schools, hospitals, clinics, or community health centers.
- Forensic Nursing: Forensic nurses 为经历过创伤或虐待的患者提供照顾和支持, including those who have been victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, or child abuse. 这些护士可以在为有需要的人伸张正义的过程中发挥重要作用.
- Geriatric Mental Health Nursing: 如果你想与老年人合作，考虑一下 specializing in geriatrics. In this role, 你将在医疗机构中与老年人一起工作，以应对心理健康挑战.
- Psychiatric Nursing: Psychiatric nurses 为抑郁症等精神疾病患者提供护理和支持, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other serious mental illness. They often work in a variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinics, and community health centers.
No matter the path you choose to take, Herzing University offers a variety of nursing programs both online and in-person, to provide you with the education, 支持当地社区的资源和经验, especially during mental health crises. 迈出第一步，不仅改变你的生活，也改变无数人的生活.
Learn More About Our Nursing Programs
* Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, 职业就业和工资统计2023 /职业展望手册2022. 劳工统计局的估计不代表入门级工资和/或薪水. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, 你想要工作的地理市场和学位领域, will affect career outcomes and earnings. Herzing既不代表它的毕业生将获得劳工统计局计算的特定工作的平均工资，也不保证从它的幸运28计划毕业后就能找到工作, promotion, salary increase or other career growth.
