She is now a clinical nurse specialist in psychiatry at Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital. Registered nurses at the basic level work with individuals and families in hospitals, community-based programs, home care programs and local, state and federal mental health agencies. There's a huge nursing shortage in the nation, and psychiatric nursing is no exception. Karen Jenkins, R.N., M.S.N., an African-American nurse who is an instructor at the University of Central Arkansas, explains it's because psychiatric nursing hasn't received the recognition it deserves. In some nursing schools, she says, the instructors teaching psychiatric nursing courses aren't specialists in the field and, therefore, don't convey the passion that specialists would.
Fear is another barrier.
Some people are afraid of working with psychiatric patients. There are a lot of misconceptions out there. Yet demand for psychiatric nurses is acute. Advanced practice nurses are particularly needed to work with patients in community mental health facilities in underserved rural areas and inner city neighborhoods. State and private psychiatric hospitals and large general hospitals are actively recruiting nurses as well.