I was wondering if anyone works on a pediatric psych unit. If so, what resources would you recommend, or what sort of things should a psychiatric nurse know going into pediatrics?

I worked at a facility (as a PCA type worker) that had several group homes in the county I lived in. The homes mostly composed of individuals over 18 years of age, but we had one home with children. Working at a LTC facility has it's advantages, as well as it's disadvantages. While you get to know your clients on a deeper level, it can become a problem when things arise that complicate situations.

I remember feeling burnt out rather quickly as a PCA at my facility, but as long as you have passion, a goal in mind, and a willingness to understand and be patient, I think you will succeed in this type of field.

Your biggest issue will always be the parents or guardians of the children you work with. They can interfere with care plans more than anyone else in the business!

Good luck!

Hi there! I'm a pediatric psych RN and absolutely love it, although most of the cases are terribly sad. I find that most of the children don't actually have a mental disorder, but rather have been abused/traumatized and now have severe behavioral issues. Right now I'm reading the book "The boy who was raised as a dog" and it's written by a child psychiatrist. It talks about how severe trauma effects children and it's fascinating. I'd recommend it!

I'd also recommend looking into Collaborative Problem Solving, which is a newer model developed by Ross Greene. It teaches you to see children as lacking the skills to do well and teaching them these skills vs. taking an authoritative approach to interventions. I've been working in child and adolescent psych for 6 years and love it! As long as you can take care of yourself, know your triggers, and separate from the sadness that comes along with the population, it's a truly rewarding job! Many kids have the resiliency to do well, the system just needs to work in their favor to assist them (which is unfortunately the difficult part). Good luck to you!

I agree! Im also new to pediatric psych nursing. The population of children I work with are abused, traumatized and neglected. So far, I enjoy it and learn so much from it. Its very rewarding and challenging at the same time.