What is a CAMHS Nurse?

Surprisingly there are many routes in to a CAMHS career, read on to find out if you've got what it takes.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) are services that support young people who are experiencing problems with their emotions, behaviour and mental health. The role of a CAMHS nurse is to develop a meaningful relationship based on trust and understanding whilst providing specialist care and empowering the young person to identify effective means of managing their own thoughts and feelings so they can lead happy and healthy lives.

These services are extremely busy and challenging but the rewards greatly outweigh the challenges.

So, how can you become a Children's Mental Health Nurse? The journey to become a CAMHS nurse begins with the same three year nurse training as all qualified RMN's (Registered Mental Health Nurse) Some degree courses let you study another area of nursing alongside mental health nursing but it must be approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. If you already have a degree in Psychology, Social Work, Life Sciences or another heath-related subject, you may be able to join a nursing degree during the second year of the course. Full time courses usually take three years to complete.

As far as entry requirements go you'll usually need;

• 4 or 5 GCSE's at grade 9 to 4 (A* - C)or equivalent, including English, Maths and Science
• 2 or 3 A Levels, including a Science or a Level 3 Diploma or access to higher education in Health, Science or Nursing

If you work in a health care setting you may be able to do a degree apprenticeship. This will take around four years as is a mix of academic study and on-the-job training. You must be supported by your employer to take this route

What do CAMHS professionals earn?

CAMHS nurses can make up to £45,000 per year.

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If you're a Registered Nurse with experience in Mental Health or Children's Nursing give a member of our dedicated nursing team a call today to discuss opportunities we have available.

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