MSc Psychiatric Nursing is an advanced-level master's degree course that focuses on the care of mentally unstable patients. The 2-year long course concentrates more on critical practical situations more than the normal theoretical knowledge.
The candidates who have completed BSc in Nursing are eligible for this course provided they have scored above 55% aggregate marks in their graduation. The candidates must also be medically fit to be eligible for this course.
The admission to MSc Psychiatric Nursing course is mostly granted on the basis of entrance exams. There are college-level and state-level entrance exams for this course. The average annual fees for studying MSc Psychiatric Nursing ranges from 80,000 to 2,00,000. The fees vary between the government and private colleges.
The candidates will not only learn about the treatment and care of mental health patients, but they will also be trained on soft skills, management of hospitals and many other relevant topics.
After completing this course, the candidates will get jobs as Matron, Nursing Managers, Senior Nurses, and many other important nursing positions. The average annual salary earned by these candidates ranges between INR 3,00,000 to 4,00,000, but it will highly depend on the skills of the candidates.
After completing this course, the candidates may go for research-based higher courses like PhD in Nursing. They can also join various courses on soft skills and patient handling which are usually available online.
MSc Psychiatric Nursing Course Highlights
| Course Level | Master |
| Duration of the Course | 2 years |
| Examination Type | Semester |
| Eligibility | BSc Nursing with minimum 55% aggregate marks |
| Admission Process | Entrance-Based Admission |
| Average Annual Fee | INR 80,000 to 2,00,000 |
| Average Starting Salary | INR 3,00,000 to INR 4,00,000 |
| Top Job Areas | Mental Hospitals, Mental Asylum, Medical Colleges, Nursing Homes, etc. |
| Top Job Positions | Matron, Nursing Managers, Senior Nurses, Chief Nursing Officer, Rehabilitation Specialist, etc. |
- The MSc Psychiatric Nursing course is an advanced level master degree course, which tends to develop a deeper understanding of how to handle the mentally unstable patients.
- The course includes a detailed study of different types of nursing therapies. It includes Psycho Social Therapy, Electroconvulsive Therapy, and many other healing therapies.
- Throughout MSc Psychiatric Nursing, the candidates are given both theoretical and practical knowledge of all the nursing therapies.
- The course will focus mainly on practical learning sessions. This will include live practical sessions, internships and viva voce.
- The course encourages the treatment process which involves Behavioural and social therapies. Hence, the candidates will be trained on how to behave with patients, and how to communicate sympathetically.
MSc Psychiatric Nursing: Admission Process
The admission to MSc Psychiatric Nursing course is mostly granted on the basis of entrance exam scores. The detailed admission process is discussed below.
- Step 1: Entrance Exam: The candidates will have to appear in the entrance exams. They will have to qualify in the entrance exam with required cutoff marks.
- Step 2: Registration for Counselling: In many colleges, the seats are allocated through a centralised seat allocation process. So, after qualifying the entrance exam, the candidates will have to register themselves for counselling and seat allocation process.
- Step 3: Seat Allotment: Seat Allotment is done on the basis of ranks of the candidates. The candidates who will get seats will be issued allotment letters. They may also have to pay Seat Acceptance Fee before accepting the seat.
- Step 4: Document Verification: The candidates getting seats will be called for document verification at the college. The candidates will have to show all the relevant documents and submit the required documents.
- Step 5: Fee Payment and Enrollment: The candidates found eligible will be enrolled into the course. During enrollment, the candidates will have to submit the required admission fees in the form of a demand draft.
MSc Psychiatric Nursing: Eligibility Criteria
The candidates applying for MSc Psychiatric Nursing must fulfill the following eligibility criteria:
- The candidates must complete the Bachelor degree in Nursing science from a recognized institution.
- Most colleges demand for candidates with minimum 55% marks in the bachelor degree course.
- The candidates with prior work experience as a nurse in a recognised clinic, nursing home or hospital would always be given preference over others.
- Many colleges allow only female students to enroll in this course. However, it is not compulsory for all colleges.
MSc Psychiatric Nursing course: Entrance Exams
Some of the top colleges and universities conduct an entrance test for admission to MSc Psychiatric Nursing course. With the help of entrance tests, admission authorities will be able to test knowledge and ability of the student on the basis of which selection takes place.
Some of the top MSc Psychiatric Nursing entrance examinations are discussed below.
- JIPMER PG: This is a national level entrance examination which is usually conducted in the month of June every year, offering admission to students to PG courses in MD & MS, DM, M.Ch. in a wide range of fields.
- AIIMS PG: AIIMS PG is a national level entrance examination which is conducted twice a year for admission to PG courses or some branches of Ph.D.
- INI CET: INI CET is conducted by AIIMS as a common entrance exam for admission to PG courses offered by all the medical colleges of national importance.
| Entrance Exams | Exam Dates |
|---|---|
| AIIMS MSc Nursing Exam | Check Here |
| CMC Vellore MSc Nursing Entrance Exam | Check Here |
| INI CET | Check Here |
| PGIMER MSc Nursing Entrance Exam | Check Here |
| GPAT | Check Here |
| IPU CET | Check Here |
| MET | Check Here |
MSc Psychiatric Nursing: Tips to Prepare for Entrance Exams?
The MSc Psychiatric Nursing Entrance Exams are usually online examinations, conducted by reputed medical colleges. The question pattern and important tips for preparation are discussed below.
- The total duration of the exams are usually 3 hours. They will mostly consist of MCQ questions. However, these exams usually have negative marking.
- The questions are asked from the topics covered in the Bachelor’s degree course, along with some basic aptitude questions.
- The question paper also sometimes contains English and General Knowledge questions.
- The students must make sure that they cover every topic taught at the bachelor's level in great detail.
- They should revise the important topics regularly so that they don't forget any vital information due to lack of revision.
- Candidates should check the previous year question papers, and they should practice them in an exam-like environment.
MSc Psychiatric Nursing: Tips to get Best College
To get admission in top MSc Psychiatric Nursing Colleges, the candidates must keep in mind the following points.
- The candidates must score as high as possible in the entrance exams, as these courses are very reputable courses, and hence the demand for seats are very high.
- The cutoffs in top colleges like CMC, etc are cutthroat. So, the candidates must prepare really well to get a seat in such colleges.
- The candidates should also look to score as high as possible in the Bachelor’s degree, as it may offer them some added advantages.
- The candidates with sufficient work experiences must highlight their experience in their CV. This will help them in getting selected during counselling.
- The candidates must have good communication and Behavioural skills, which may get tested during the counselling process.
MSc Psychiatric Nursing Syllabus
| Semester I | Semester II |
|---|---|
| Nursing Philosophy | Concepts of PsychoBiology |
| Nursing Education | Stress and Its Management |
| Advanced Nursing Practice | Assertive Training |
| Nursing Research and Statistics | Promoting Self Esteem |
| Theories of Personality Development | Women and Mental Health |
| Introduction to Psychiatric Nursing | Healing Therapy |
| Semester III | Semester IV |
| Psycho Social and Physical Therapies | Nursing Management |
| Electroconvulsive Therapy | Nursing Research |
| Psychopharmacology | Viva - Voce |
| Alternative Systems of Medication in Mental Health | Practical Training |
| Therapeutic Communication and Interpersonal Relations | Dissertation |
MSc Psychiatric Nursing: Top Colleges
| College Name | Average Annual Fees |
|---|---|
| Christian Medical College | INR 2,00,000 |
| PES Institute of Medical Sciences and Research | INR 87,700 |
| Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University | INR 1,30,000 |
| Amity University | INR 1,51,000 |
| Hind Institute of Medical Sciences | INR 1,08,000 |
| Yenepoya University | INR 25,000 |
| Indian Academy Group of Institutions | INR 1,15,000 |
| Adesh University | INR 1,39,000 |
| Vinayaka Mission University | INR 51,000 |
MSc Psychiatric Nursing College Comparison
Below given is a comparison between the top colleges offering MSc Psychiatric Nursing in India.
| Parameters | CMC Ludhiana | Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | CMC Ludhiana comes under the sheds of CMC Vellore, and is a highly prestigious private health institution. It is one of the few women medical colleges in India. | BVDU is a reputed deemed university offering courses in multiple disciplines including health sciences, engineering, management and many others. |
| Location | Ludhiana, Punjab | Pune, Maharashtra |
| Admission Process | Entrance Based | Entrance Based |
| Average Annual Fees | INR 2,00,000 | INR 87,700 |
| Average Placement Package | INR 6,00,000 | INR 6,00,000 |
| Top Recruiters | The CMC hospital range, other local hospitals and nursing colleges. | Pune government hospital, local nursing homes. |
MSc Psychiatric Nursing: Course Advantages
MSc Psychiatric Nursing is a reputed course with the following advantages for the students.
- The candidates will easily get government jobs in any mental hospital, mental asylum, government medical colleges, nursing homes, health centres, and other government health facilities.
- MSc Psychiatric graduates are paid handsome Salary packages. The starting salary is around INR 3,00,000 to 4,00,000 which rises upto INR 6,00,000 at the senior level.
- The candidates will have multiple opportunities to take on research projects in future. They can conduct their own research in this field as a lot of scope is available for the same.
- The candidates can also be self employed by offering private services to the mentally unstable patients. Such nurses have good demand in the market.
- The candidates will also get opportunities to work in foreign countries like Japan, Russia, China, among others.
MSc Psychiatric Nursing Course Comparison
MSc Psychiatric Nursing and MSc Community Health Nursing are two important nursing courses having their own advantages and disadvantages. The two courses have been compared in the table given below.
Also, Checkout top Colleges offering MSc Community Health Nursing
| Parameters | MSc Psychiatric Nursing | MSc Community Health Nursing |
|---|---|---|
| Full Form | Master of Science in Psychiatric Nursing | Master of Science in Community Health Nursing |
| Domain | Nursing | Nursing |
| Overview | This course focuses on Psychiatric Nursing, and includes therapies, processes and remedies for the treatment of the mentally unstable patients. | This course focuses on community health. In this course, the candidates will learn to treat different types of diseases, give vaccines, take blood samples, conduct different types of tests. |
| Duration | 2 years | 2 years |
| Eligibility | BSc Nursing with minimum 55% aggregate marks | BSc Nursing with minimum 55% aggregate marks |
| Admission Process | Entrance Based | Entrance Based |
| Examination Type | Semester | Semester |
| Top Colleges | CMC Ludhiana, Bharati Vidyapeeth Pune, Amity University Gurugram, among others | Jamia Hamdard University, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, among others. |
| Average Annual Fees | INR 80,000 to 2,00,000 | INR 1,00,000 to 2,00,000 |
| Areas of Employment | Mental Hospitals, Mental Asylum, Medical Colleges, Nursing Homes, etc. | Public Health Departments, Hospitals, Community Organizations, Wellness Centres, etc. |
| Job Profiles | Matron, Nursing Managers, Senior Nurses, Chief Nursing Officer, Rehabilitation Specialist, etc. | Community Health Specialist, Health Care Workers, Wellness Centre Workers, etc. |
| Average Annual Salary | INR 3,00,000 to INR 4,00,000 | INR 2,50,000 to INR 3,50,000 |
The MSc Psychiatric Nursing Candidates are usually recruited by the various local medical colleges and mental healthcare centres. Some of the experienced nurses are recruited in the mental hospitals.
The major job profiles offered to these candidates are listed below.
| Job Profiles | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Rehabilitation Specialist | INR 3,00,000 |
| Matron | INR 4,00,000 |
| Chief Nursing Officer | INR 5,00,000 |
| Senior Nurse | INR 4,50,000 |
| Nursing Managers | INR 6,00,000 |
MSc Psychiatric Nursing Future Scope
After completing this course, the candidates will have the following future scope options available to them.
- The candidates can work for various social organisations working for the betterment of the mentally unstable people. The candidates can also start their own counselling and mental care centres.
- If the candidates wish to pursue higher education, they can join the PhD course in Psychiatric Nursing. The PhD Psychiatric Nursing course is a research based course in which the candidates will get to research on various nursing techniques.
- The candidates need to qualify various entrance exams like UGC-NET, AIIMS PG, etc to get admission to PhD Psychiatric Nursing course.
MSc Psychiatric Nursing FAQs
Ques. Do Psychiatric Nursing courses have good employment opportunities in India?
Ans. Yes, the Psychiatric Nursing field offers quite good job opportunities to the candidates. They have multiple options of government and private jobs along with self employment opportunities.
Ques. Is it compulsory to get a MSc degree in Psychiatric Nursing to get jobs in government mental hospitals?
Ans. The candidates with MSc Psychiatric Nursing degree will have better chances of getting employed in reputed government mental hospitals than those with general nursing degrees. But, it is not compulsory.
Ques. Can a MSc Psychiatric Nursing passout work as a therapist in mental Wellness centres?
Ans. Many mental Wellness centres recruit MSc Psychiatric Nursing Candidates as therapists, but they need to have a good amount of experience in the field of psychiatric therapies.
Ques. Does any government medical college offer an MSc course in Psychiatric Nursing in India?
Ans. Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences and its affiliated colleges do offer an MSc course in Nursing with specialisation in Psychiatric Nursing.
Ques. What is the average salary earned by a Psychiatric Nurse in India?
Ans. The average salary of Psychiatric nurses in India ranges between INR 3,00,000 to 4,00,000. However, it tends to increase with experience.
Ques. What is the average fee for the MSc Psychiatric Nursing course?
Ans. The average annual fees for MSc Psychiatric Nursing course ranges between INR 80,000 to 2,00,000.
Ques. Are only female candidates eligible for MSc Psychiatric Nursing course?
Ans. It is not the case in all colleges, however, many colleges do offer this course only to the female candidates.
![Christian Medical College - [CMC]](https://image-static.collegedunia.com/public/college_data/images/appImage/10343_CMC_New.jpg?h=150&w=320&mode=crop)
![Christian Medical College - [CMC]](https://image-static.collegedunia.com/public/college_data/images/logos/1458024878logo.jpg?h=30&w=30&mode=crop)
![Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research - [JIPMER]](https://image-static.collegedunia.com/public/college_data/images/appImage/1503478867cvr.png?h=150&w=320&mode=crop)
![Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research - [JIPMER]](https://image-static.collegedunia.com/public/college_data/images/logos/1568873405jipmerlogo.png?h=30&w=30&mode=crop)
![Christian Medical College - [CMC]](https://image-static.collegedunia.com/public/college_data/images/appImage/7573_CMCL_New.jpg?h=150&w=320&mode=crop)
![Christian Medical College - [CMC]](https://image-static.collegedunia.com/public/college_data/images/logos/col31656.jpg?h=30&w=30&mode=crop)
![All India Institute of Medical Sciences - [AIIMS]](https://image-static.collegedunia.com/public/college_data/images/appImage/25796_COVER.png?h=150&w=320&mode=crop)
![All India Institute of Medical Sciences - [AIIMS]](https://image-static.collegedunia.com/public/college_data/images/logos/uv25796.jpg?h=30&w=30&mode=crop)
![Indian Academy Group of Institutions - [IAGI]](https://image-static.collegedunia.com/public/college_data/images/appImage/1571903457contactus.jpg?h=150&w=320&mode=crop)
![Indian Academy Group of Institutions - [IAGI]](https://image-static.collegedunia.com/public/college_data/images/logos/1498713815Logo.jpg?h=30&w=30&mode=crop)
Comments