RMN jobs

RMN jobs: frequently asked questions

Welcome to our RMN jobs page, featuring all the latest roles throughout the UK, as well as frequently asked questions below.

"you’ll need to be an incredibly strong-minded, patient and emotionally resilient person to succeed in this career"

What does an RMN do?

As a Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN), you’ll help patients living with mental health issues.

This can involve everything from assessing their conditions and recommending treatments to helping them build a positive and secure life.

You can work with particular groups, such as children or older people; or within a specific field, such as substance abuse and addiction.

You’ll normally work in a team, supporting psychiatrists, GPs, social workers and many others. The settings can vary too, as you might work in patients’ homes, community healthcare centres, specialist units or hospital departments.

What are the responsibilities of an RMN?

Day-to-Day, Registered Mental Health Nurses carry out all kinds of tasks dependent on their care setting and specialism. But speaking broadly, typical tasks include:

• Building patient assessments and supporting diagnoses

• Creating appropriate care plans

• Applying relevant coping mechanisms

• Administering medication and monitoring results

• Running group and one-to-one therapy sessions

• Updating patient records

• Adhering to legal and regulatory requirements

• Communicating closely with friends and families of patients

• Protecting patients when they become a risk to themselves

Hospital-based NHS RMN jobs operate on a shift pattern, and it’s likely you will work some overnight shifts. Within the community, a more structured 9-5 pattern is the norm.

But working hours and structure can vary between the public and private sector.

How do you become an RMN?

To become an RMN you need to be registered with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC), which requires you to complete a nursing degree.

Three year nursing degree courses are available at universities throughout the UK.

Typically, courses include spending at least 50% of your time working in a clinical practice.

Apprenticeships are sometimes available too, as is part-time study.

Whatever your route into the industry is, you’ll need to be an incredibly strong-minded, patient and emotionally resilient person to succeed in this career.

Can RMNs work as General Nurses?

It is technically possible for an RMN to work as a General Nurse, but normally RMNs don’t meet the job specifications for general nursing positions.

Elderly wards will occasionally make an exception, but it’s relatively uncommon.

However, several shortened courses are available that will allow an RMN to convert their qualification to adult nursing – and this would result in dual qualification within both fields.

How much does an RMN get paid?

RMN pay is in line with the salaries of other professional nurses.

Newly qualified NHS RMNs start at Band 5, and through experience and further qualifications RMNs can. move into Band 6 or 7, and much higher salaries.

On average, this means salaries somewhere between £30,000 and £40,000.

Beyond this, you can become a consultant, researcher or lecturer if you start to focus more specifically on one particular specialist subject.

And Consultant salaries, for example, can rise well beyond £50,000 a year.

The NHS is the biggest employer of RMNs, but private RMN jobs are available within private healthcare companies and mental health charities.

Salaries in the private sector differ more widely, but the NHS benefits package is very hard to beat.

You’ll also have the option to work as a bank or agency employee.

This is great for flexibility and having a work-life balance you can control – and it can offer really good day rates.

But making it work in the long-term is dependent on your experience, so it’s important to carefully weigh up your options first.

Find your next RMN job today

View our latest roles above, or if you can’t find what you’re looking for, create an account and register your CV here and we’ll send you the latest roles as soon as they arise.