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Mental health is a huge part of patient care, as it helps with symptom management and adherence to treatment plans. However, maintaining good mental health is often overlooked as most nurses focus on physical health.

As mental health issues become more common—and more prevalent in young adults—nurses need to know how to spot and treat them. This is exactly why mental health skills need to be part of ongoing training and used in every area of care.


This is where mental health nursing certifications come into play.

In this article, we’ll go over the best psychiatric nursing and mental health care training programs and why they’re so important for you to complete before you graduate. We’ll also explain how these certifications benefit both your patients and your career.

Related:

Why Mental Health Nursing is a Critical Area of Focus

Mental health nursing, or psychiatric nursing, is about caring for those dealing with mental health disorders and helping them recover and improve their lives. Here’s what a mental health nurse does:

  • Assess and evaluate patients’ mental health
  • Develop treatment plans
  • Work with other healthcare providers on treatment
  • Offer care and psychotherapy
  • Keep accurate medical records
  • Provide support and education to patients and their families

While they don’t prescribe medications like psychiatrists, mental health nurses handle many similar tasks, including diagnosis and psychotherapy. They play a key role in caring for patients with mental health or behavioral issues.

Since mental illness can affect anyone, mental health nurses often work with a diverse range of people from different backgrounds. Without getting the proper mental health nursing certifications, it can be tough to provide the best care for all those different people.

Benefits of Earning Mental Health Certifications as an Undergraduate

So, why should you consider earning nursing certifications for psychiatric nursing before earning your undergraduate degree?

Getting Specialized Early On

As an undergrad, one of the best things you can do is to specialize early. This strategy will set you up for success. Specialized certifications show employers that you’re serious about mental health nursing and ready to dive in. This gives you a better shot at landing a job in the field right after graduation.

Boosting Your Clinical Skills

Mental health care is intense. Mental health certifications teach you specific skills you can use in real-world situations, like how to handle a patient in a crisis or how to recognize the early signs of suicide risk.

Standing Out in the Job Market

The job market is competitive, especially in healthcare. The good news is that mental health nursing certifications make you stand out from the crowd. Employers in mental health settings, like psychiatric hospitals and outpatient clinics, often look for nurses who have specialized training.

Career Growth and Better Pay

One of the best parts about earning certifications is that they can help you move up the career ladder. Specialized nursing certifications can open doors to higher-paying roles or management positions down the line. Not only are you investing in your future job prospects, but you’re also setting yourself up for long-term career growth.

Essential Mental Health Nursing Certifications for Undergraduate Students

There are several mental health nursing certifications out there. We’ve rounded up the ten best ones to start while you’re still in nursing school.

Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification

BLS is essential for all nurses as it covers the basics, including:

  • CPR
  • airway management
  • how to assess patients in an emergency

Mental health nurses often face situations where quick thinking and action can save a life—whether it’s during a suicide attempt or an overdose. BLS prepares you for these high-stakes moments.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Certification

One of the top psychiatric nursing certifications for undergraduates is the MHFA certification. The training covers things like:

  • spotting the signs of mental illness
  • knowing how to de-escalate a tense situation
  • understanding when to get professional help

And the best part? You can get certified in just a few days.

Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) Certification

The CPI is ranked one of the most popular mental health nursing certifications. It focuses on non-violent crisis intervention. It helps you learn how to handle patients who might be a danger to themselves or others without resorting to physical force. It is ideal for students working in inpatient mental health settings.

Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Certification (PMH-BC)

If you want more advanced mental health care certifications for nursing students, sign up for the PMH-BC. An offering from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), it focuses on the skills needed to assess, diagnose, and manage mental health disorders.

This certification is usually something nurses pursue after they’ve graduated, but it’s good to familiarize yourself with it while you’re still in school.

Trauma-Informed Care Certification

Trauma-informed care (TIC) is a big deal in undergraduate mental health nursing programs. This certification educates you on how to treat patients in a way that doesn’t trigger their past experiences. If you want to work with patients who’ve gone through tough life events, TIC is a must.

Suicide Prevention Certification

In 2023, nearly 49,000 people died by suicide—that is one every 11 minutes. This is why Suicide Prevention Certification programs have become popular psychiatric nursing credentials for students.

This program helps you spot the signs that someone might be at risk for suicide and teaches you how to intervene safely. The training also covers post-intervention care. One of the best providers of this certification is the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Certified Nursing Assistant – Mental Health (CNA-MH)

The CNA-MH is also one of the top certifications for mental health nursing students. This training focuses on helping mental health patients with everyday tasks and providing companionship. However, this certification is targeted at students already working as nursing assistants specializing in mental health

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Certification

If you’re drawn to working with younger patients, consider this mental health nursing skills certification. It focuses on the unique mental health challenges faced by children and teenagers and teaches you how to support them effectively. Skills taught:

  • therapeutic communication
  • behavioral management
  • support for young patients with mental health issues

Advanced Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Certification (Post-Graduation)

This certification is for nurses who want to become psychiatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) after they graduate. While this isn’t something you’ll do as an undergrad, it’s helpful to know about it early on if you’re considering this advanced career path.

The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) certification covers:

  • psychiatric care
  • treatment planning
  • medication management

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Certification

CBT is today’s one of the most effective forms of therapy for treating conditions like depression, anxiety, and PTSD. This is the best option if you want to work directly with patients on their mental health recovery. You’ll learn how to help patients manage their thoughts and keep their behaviors in check to improve their emotional well-being.

Where and How to Earn These Certifications

You can earn most of these certifications through organizations like

  • The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) develops health first aid and other training programs.
  • American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) has certifications like the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Certification (PMH-BC).
  • American Heart Association (AHA) offers essential courses like Basic Life Support (BLS).

Many of the best certifications for psychiatric nursing are offered online, making it easy to fit into your schedule as a busy nursing student. But if you want to get more hands-on experience, there are also in-person options available.

Some nursing schools and employers also offer financial support for certification costs, so it’s worth checking with them about any available funding.

Preparing for a Career in Mental Health Nursing

Get ready for a thriving career in mental health nursing. Here’s what you can do:

  1. Get hands-on experience. Try to do clinical rotations in mental health settings like psychiatric hospitals or community centers. It’ll give you real-world experience.
  2. Find a mentor. Having someone to guide you through the challenges of mental health nursing can be super helpful.
  3. Join professional groups. The American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA), NAMI, and other industry organizations can connect you with others in the field and help you stay updated.
  4. Build emotional resilience. Working in mental health can be tough, so developing emotional strength and being aware of your mental health is key.

Conclusion

Mental health nursing is one of the most rewarding areas of nursing, and certifications can set you up for success from day one. By earning these certifications while you’re still in school, you’ll be more competitive in the job market, have specialized skills, and feel more confident in your ability to help people facing mental health challenges.

So, start exploring these mental health nurse training for undergraduates now, and you’ll be well on your way to a fulfilling career.

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