Competencies and roles of community mental health nurses

Community mental health nurses practice in a range of behavioral health care settings, including community mental health centers, detoxification centers, group homes for individuals with mental retardation or serious mental illnesses, and residential substance abuse treatment programs. As the population for whom they care grows and ages and with an increase in comorbid conditions, different skills may be needed or different roles may require emphasis. This can present challenges related to role competencies and nursing preparation and to the allocation of their time. The overall purposes of this project were to compare the competencies of basic and advanced practice nurses with accepted psychiatric-mental health nursing competencies and to assess the nurses' roles and division of work time among various roles. The findings support the need for changes related to nursing roles and job descriptions. Specific recommendations have been implemented based on the findings.