Tina Curtis, Registered Psychiatric Nurse
My Job
Need people skills
People skills are probably the number one skill that I need. Obviously, I must have a good knowledge of mental illness and the various types of treatment but I must also be comfortable around people. They are coming to me with problems and I'm working with them to find solutions.
I also need very good assessment skills. I can determine issues by how a person speaks, the volume of their voice and the way their thoughts jump from topic to topic. It also helps to be calm. I think most of the psychiatric nurses I know are calm and really good in a crisis.