Registered Mental Health Nurses (RMNs)
We place experienced, NMC-registered RMNs across NHS mental health trusts, inpatient services, community mental health teams and specialist services throughout the UK – on locum and permanent contracts, at short notice or planned ahead.
Welcome to Hunter Gatherer Mental Health, your specialist partner for RMN recruitment across the UK.
Mental health nursing is at the heart of what we do. We connect Registered Mental Health Nurses with NHS trusts, independent mental health providers and specialist services – and help services find RMNs who can contribute clinically and work safely in their specific environment from day one. Whether you need urgent inpatient cover tonight or a permanent Band 6 for your community team, we respond quickly and match carefully.
What is Mental Health Nursing?
Registered Mental Health Nurses are NMC-registered nurses who have completed a degree in mental health nursing — qualifying them to assess, plan and deliver care for people experiencing mental health difficulties across inpatient and community settings. Unlike general nurses, RMNs are trained specifically in mental health assessment, risk management, therapeutic relationships, psychopharmacology and the legal and ethical frameworks of mental health care including the Mental Health Act.
RMNs are the clinical backbone of mental health services – the professionals who are present on wards around the clock, who hold the therapeutic relationship with patients day to day, who make real-time risk decisions, administer and monitor complex psychiatric medication, and hold the team together when things are hard. Finding experienced, reliable RMNs is one of the most critical and consistent staffing challenges in mental health services.
Why Services Choose Hunter Gatherer for RMN Recruitment:
- Mental health nursing is our core specialism We are not a generalist nursing agency. Mental health is what we do, and our consultants understand the difference between an acute inpatient Band 5 and a Band 6 CMHT care coordinator, a PICU RMN and a rehabilitation nurse. We match on relevant experience, not just NMC registration and availability.
- Compliance that protects patients and services NMC registration, enhanced DBS, mandatory training, PMVA for relevant settings, relevant clinical experience – all confirmed before a name goes forward. In mental health, who you put in front of patients matters.
- NHS, independent and specialist sector We work with NHS mental health trusts, independent mental health hospitals, secure units, addiction services and specialist providers. Whatever your sector, we can help.
- Locum and permanent placements Urgent shift cover or a permanent addition to your team – we support both.
Need experienced RMNs quickly?
RMN Settings We Recruit For:
We place RMNs across the full range of mental health inpatient and community settings:
- Acute Adult Inpatient Wards – general adult acute psychiatric wards; high demand, 24-hour cover, requiring confidence with acute mental health presentations
- Psychiatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) – higher acuity inpatient settings; PMVA training required, experience with complex risk essential
- Mental Health Rehabilitation Units – longer-stay inpatient services; recovery-focused nursing with a different rhythm to acute
- Older Adults Mental Health – Inpatient – dementia, late-onset conditions, organic presentations, frailty and mental health complexity
- CAMHS Inpatient Units – Tier 4 child and adolescent mental health; enhanced DBS with children’s barred list, CAMHS inpatient experience required
- Eating Disorders Units – specialist inpatient nursing with specific competencies around supervised mealtimes, physical health monitoring and therapeutic engagement
- Low Secure and Medium Secure Units – forensic mental health inpatient nursing; security clearance, relevant risk assessment experience
- Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs) – care coordination, caseload management, medication monitoring and MDT working in community settings
- Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Teams (CRHTs) – intensive community mental health, rapid assessment, alternatives to admission
- Mental Health Liaison Teams – RMNs in general hospitals and A&E providing urgent mental health assessment and brief intervention
- Addictions and Dual Diagnosis Services – nursing within substance misuse and co-occurring mental health settings
- Prison and Forensic Community Services – RMNs in custodial and post-discharge forensic mental health settings
RMN Roles and Responsibilities:
RMNs across inpatient and community settings are responsible for:
- Mental health assessment – initial assessment, ongoing monitoring, Mental State Examination, risk assessment and safety planning
- Medication management – administering prescribed psychiatric medication, monitoring therapeutic effects and side effects, titration support
- Care planning – developing, reviewing and updating care plans in partnership with patients, families and the MDT
- Therapeutic engagement – building and maintaining therapeutic relationships with patients who may be distressed, reluctant or acutely unwell
- Risk management – making real-time clinical decisions about patient safety, escalating appropriately and contributing to MHA assessments
- Physical health monitoring – vital signs, metabolic monitoring, physical health checks within mental health caseloads
- Documentation – maintaining accurate clinical records in line with NMC standards and trust policies
- MDT collaboration – working with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, OTs and other colleagues
- Mental Health Act – understanding and applying the legal framework for detention, treatment and patient rights
Qualifications We Look For:
Every RMN we place holds:
- Active NMC registration (Mental Health Nursing field) with no conditions or restrictions – verified directly
- Relevant post-qualification experience in the specific setting – most inpatient and community mental health services require at least 6 months of relevant experience
- Enhanced DBS; children’s barred list for CAMHS and mixed-age services
- Current mandatory training including safeguarding, Mental Health Act awareness, BLS, infection control and manual handling
- PMVA or equivalent physical intervention training for inpatient, PICU, secure and acute roles – confirmed during registration
- For community roles: a full UK driving licence is expected for roles involving home visits
Locum RMN Opportunities:
Locum RMN work offers genuine clinical variety, competitive rates and the flexibility to choose the settings, hours and locations that suit you. Whether you want to pick up ad hoc shifts around a permanent role, take on a longer-term block booking in a specific trust, or build a full portfolio of locum work across different services, we’ll find the right opportunities for your experience and availability.
We have active RMN requirements across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Edinburgh and beyond.
Explore our latest RMN opportunities
RMN Pay Rates (2025/26):
Locum Band 5 RMNs typically earn £24–£30 per hour, reflecting the clinical demands of mental health settings relative to general nursing. Band 6 RMNs – the core working grade across both inpatient and community mental health – typically earn £28–£38 per hour, with PICU, secure settings, crisis teams and London placements at the higher end. Band 7 RMNs in team leader, ward manager and specialist roles typically earn £36–£48 per hour.
Night shifts, weekends and bank holidays attract enhancements above these standard day rates. Specialist settings including PICU, low secure and CAMHS inpatient typically carry a premium above standard inpatient rates.
For permanent salaried roles, Band 5 runs from £31,049 to £37,796 (2025/26); Band 6 from £38,682 to £46,580; Band 7 from £47,810 to £54,710.
Our consultants can advise on current going rates for your band, setting and region.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Do all locum RMN roles require PMVA training? Not all – but inpatient, PICU, secure and many acute community roles do. PMVA or equivalent physical intervention training is confirmed during registration and we will not place you in a role requiring it if your training isn’t current.
- Do you place newly qualified Band 5 RMNs? Yes, for appropriate settings. Most NHS trusts and independent providers expect a minimum period of post-qualification experience before accepting locum placements – typically 6–12 months. We’ll advise on what each specific employer requires.
- Do you place RMNs in independent sector as well as NHS? Yes. We work with NHS mental health trusts and independent mental health providers. Mention your preference when you register and we’ll match accordingly.
- Can you provide short-notice RMN cover? Yes – this is one of our most active and time-sensitive services. Once an RMN is registered and compliant, we can respond quickly to urgent shift requirements. Contact us directly for same-day or short-notice needs.
- Can RMNs also work as CPNs through Hunter Gatherer? Yes. Many RMNs work in both inpatient and community settings. We also have a dedicated Community Psychiatric Nurses page for nurses specifically looking for CMHT and community mental health roles.
- What areas do you cover? We place RMNs across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Glasgow, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Sheffield and beyond.
Your future starts here!
Discover our latest opportunities or register with us today to unlock your potential!
Testimonials:
Latest Roles
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Band 5 Depot Nurse – Central Manchester
Are you a Band 5 Depot Nurse (RMN) looking for a rewarding locum role in Manchester? We have an exciting opportunity with great flexibility! Job […]View Band 5 Depot Nurse – Central Manchester job -
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Are you a Band 6/7 Continuing Healthcare Nurse looking for a rewarding locum role in Northamptonshire? We have an exciting opportunity with great pay and […]View CHC Nurse Assessor job