Career guide
Registered psychiatric nurse
Ontario does not license psychiatric nurses as a separate profession; mental health nursing is done by registered nurses and registered practical nurses.
- StatusNot a separate profession in Ontario
- Training—
- Pay scaleNot stated in current postings
- Openings now—
A day in the job
You might run a group session, assess a new admission, give medications, help a patient through a crisis, and plan discharge with community teams. Much of the work is talking with patients and building trust.
Where you could work: Mental health units, community mental health, addictions, corrections
How to get there
- To work in mental health nursing in Ontario, train as a registered nurse or a registered practical nurse
Licence and registration
- Registered psychiatric nurses from western Canada should ask the College of Nurses of Ontario which class they could register in
Official starting point: College of Nurses of Ontario (opens in a new tab)
Trained outside Canada?
If you trained as a psychiatric nurse elsewhere, contact the College of Nurses of Ontario about an assessment.
Important: Requirements can change and may differ for internationally educated professionals. CareZelo links to official bodies but does not determine eligibility.