Registered Psychiatric Nurses provide health care services to patients and clients of all ages many times with particular focus on mental health, emotional health, and/or psychosocial health. Registered Psychiatric Nurses may assess your health status, evaluate your physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, or developmental health needs, work with you to plan and implement health care treatments and plans, review medication history, and share information and resources to promote healthy lifestyle choices.
 

In all settings where Registered Psychiatric Nurses work, the Registered Psychiatric Nurse may assess patients to make a diagnosis, administer oxygen, nutrition, or medications, prescribe certain medications, collect blood or other types of tissue samples, perform wound care, monitor and record vital signs and other care details, assess mental health, discuss mental health and wellbeing treatments and services, and much more.
 

In community and public health settings, Registered Psychiatric Nurses often provide patients and clients with mental and emotional health care and support, prescribe certain medications, refer patients to other health care and social service providers, offer substance use and harm reduction supports, and more.

Registered Psychiatric Nurses provide care and support for patients' physical health as well as their mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Patients may seek the support of a Registered Psychiatric Nurses while in consultation with other mental health care providers to discuss counselling services, medications and treatments, provide updates on mental health status, and more.
 

In hospital emergency departments, Registered Psychiatric Nurses may be present to assess and provide next step options for patients with mental health or combination of physical and mental health care needs.
 

Registered Psychiatric Nurses also promote and provide what is called "psychosocial" health care support. Psychosocial health relates to the combination of mental, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of a person and is a particularly important component of overall health and wellbeing when patients undergo life-sustaining treatments such as cancer treatments, dialysis, transfusions, and others.

Registered Psychiatric Nurses work in many different settings throughout the health care system including in community and public care centres, mental health and counselling centres, private clinics, long-term care and residential facilities, corrections facilities, community projects, emergency reliefs programs, treatment programs, and in emergency, mental health, psychiatric, and intensive care units in hospitals and urgent care centres.
 

In addition to care services, many Registered Psychiatric Nurses work in education, government, policy development, advocacy, management, research, non-profit/not-for-profit organizations, and in the private sector.

To find mental health care providers including Registered Psychiatric Nurses in BC, please check out these resources:

• BC Crisis Line: 1-800-784-2433
• BC Mental Health Support Line: 310-6789 (no area code)
• Canadian Mental Health Association, BC
• BC Child and Youth Mental Health
• Here to Help
• Wellness Together Canada

To find Indigenous mental, emotional, and spiritual care and supports, please check out these resources:

• BC Mental Health and Crisis Support Line for Indigenous Peoples across Canada: 1-855-242-3310
• Hope for Wellness
• Indian Residential School Survivors Society
• Indian Residential School Survivors Society 24/7 Crisis Line: 1-800-721-0066
• KUU-US Crisis Line Society
• KUU-US Adults/Elders Crisis Line: 250-723-4050
• KUU-US Children/Youth Crisis Line: 250-723-2040
• KUU-US Métis Line: 1-833-638-4722
• KUU-US Toll Free Line: 1-800-588-8717

To find substance use supports and information for people living with substance use, those with lived experience, and family and support networks, please check out these resources:

• BC 24/7 Addiction Medicine Clinician Support Line: 778-945-7619
• BC Centre on Substance Use: Drug Checking Project
• BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services
• BC Wellbeing: Drug Checking Services
• Canadian Mental Health Association, BC
• Here to Help
• Lifeguard Digital Health app
• Moms Stop the Harm
• National Harm Reduction Coalition
• National Overdose Response Service
• Toward the Heart: BCCDC Harm Reduction Services
• Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users

Please note that NNPBC is a professional association representing nurses and nurse practitioners in BC, and as such does not employ nurses or nurse practitioners for providing medical care. If you require urgent medical attention, please visit your local emergency department or call 911. If you are seeking medical advice from a licensed professional but do not require urgent medical attention, please call 811.

• BC College of Nurses and Midwives: Registered Psychiatric Nurses - Learn more about the role of RPNs in BC
• Nurses (Registered Psychiatric) Regulation - The regulation outlining psychiatric nursing practice in BC
• WorkBC: Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses - Learn more about the career of an RN or RPN in BC