[ronaldson28]

:mortarboard:hi , i just finished my nursing course last april...but i already finished psychology course last 1996.....i would like 2 ask anybody can u give me advise about psyche nursing....im intersted on this field....i would appreciate ur advice ty

[rn/writer]

Originally Posted by ronaldson28

:mortarboard:hi , i just finished my nursing course last april...but i already finished psychology course last 1996.....i would like 2 ask anybody can u give me advise about psyche nursing....im intersted on this field....i would appreciate ur advice ty

Welcome to allnurses.com.

What kind of advice are you looking for? The more specific your questions, the more detailed the answers are likely to be.

Why don't you tell us something about yourself--your educational background, what you're doing now, what you hope to do in the future, and anything else you'd care to share.

What about psych nursing attracts you? Have you had any jobs in this area? What kinds of things can you see yourself doing or not doing in this field?

Again, the more you give us to work with, the better we can tailor our responses to your situation.

We're glad you found us.

[nursing4nena]

I'm a second semester student nurse and when I return to school I'll be working at a Psychiatric Hospital. Can you share any of your experiences with me? I hear there are also people there that have commited various crimes.
Thanks.

[SoxfanRN]

The reality is that people with mental illness have a 3% violence rate which is lower than the 3.5% violence rate of the "normal" population. Your more apt to run into a person who committed various crimes in the med-surg area than psych.

[nursing4nena]

Thanks, I already finished with my Mental Health rotation and I'm actually starting my second semester in Med. Surg.next week. I actually really enjoyed mental health quite a bit.

[nursing804]

I am very interested in the psy field. I would like to spend my career there. I am a new grad about take the NCLEX on Wednesday. I am unsure if I would be able to go straight into psyche or if i will have to work on a med surge floor to gain my 1 year nsg experience. if anyone knows about this, please let me know.

I am also a diagnosed Bipolar pt. I had a rough childhood and my teen years are included in part of a very colorful past filled with bulimia, depression, mania, anxiety and even alcohol abuse. I have also lost a child, and am the daughter of an alcoholic father and a negligent mother. I feel I have a lot to offer many patients on a psychiatric unit, I have also been admitted to at least 5 facilities since the age of 11. I was a runaway and a teen parent.
I wonder if my position as a psychiatric nurse would become compromised if they found out any of this.

Could any of the forementioned issues prevent me from working on a psyche floor? Could anything benefit me? What would happen if they found out, and during an interview if i was to be asked why I think i would be good for the job, of course, I think I would be wonderful for the job, being as that I can relate to most people about anything. I have been on both sides of the unit( nsg clinicals and as a patient myself) I know how anxiety feels and what helps, I know how I coped with having to bury my daughter and I know how I survived an alcoholic abusive father.

I would like to know what I should say in an interview and if I should mention anything about why I feel I am personally qualified for the job.

[SoxfanRN]

Originally Posted by nursing804

I am very interested in the psy field. I would like to spend my career there. I am a new grad about take the NCLEX on Wednesday. I am unsure if I would be able to go straight into psyche or if i will have to work on a med surge floor to gain my 1 year nsg experience. if anyone knows about this, please let me know.

I am also a diagnosed Bipolar pt. I had a rough childhood and my teen years are included in part of a very colorful past filled with bulimia, depression, mania, anxiety and even alcohol abuse. I have also lost a child, and am the daughter of an alcoholic father and a negligent mother. I feel I have a lot to offer many patients on a psychiatric unit, I have also been admitted to at least 5 facilities since the age of 11. I was a runaway and a teen parent.
I wonder if my position as a psychiatric nurse would become compromised if they found out any of this.

Could any of the forementioned issues prevent me from working on a psyche floor? Could anything benefit me? What would happen if they found out, and during an interview if i was to be asked why I think i would be good for the job, of course, I think I would be wonderful for the job, being as that I can relate to most people about anything. I have been on both sides of the unit( nsg clinicals and as a patient myself) I know how anxiety feels and what helps, I know how I coped with having to bury my daughter and I know how I survived an alcoholic abusive father.

I would like to know what I should say in an interview and if I should mention anything about why I feel I am personally qualified for the job.

They say there is a reason we psych nurses get into the field we do. Many of us have had expeirences with mental illness whether through ourselves or with loved ones. But your past is just that: your confidential past. Disclosing your past to anyone is a personal choice. I have seen such disclosures go both ways: the person was lauded for strength and courage or they were stigmatized. I, myself, would only tell people I know I could trust with the information. I do not think I would mention it in my interview. I would probably tell my manager once I got to know them and trust them, especially if I was having a hard time and needed their help either through time off or referrals.
If you can use your experiences to be a more empathetic and caring nurse, then you should do that. Just do not let your experiences cloud your judgement or become rigid to what treatments work or not.
I, myself, went straight into psych from nursing school. I had absolutely no desire to do med-surg. However, I began my career on a research unit where I had to utilize many of my med-surg skills to implement the research, so I didn't really lose much skills-wise. Many RNs that have gone into psych let their med-surg skills slip away. That's fine if you plan on staying in psych. But if you have any inkling that you might want to do some kind of advanced practice, it isn't always a good thing to be pigeon-holed as a "psych nurse." If you want to get into psych, my opinion is to do it. I would, however, really try to keep up my med-surg skills: Get ACLS certified, learn EKGs and cardiac arrhythmias, jump into mock codes, jump into any medical happenings with your patients.
I hope this helps.

[hppynurse2]

I have worked in a long term care psychiatric facility since 1997. First as a CNA then moved up to LPN position. I couldn't imagine ever doing anything different.

I work with chronic mental illnesses like schizo, bi-polar, psychotic, and borderline personality disorders. These clients have been in and out of psychiatric wards for most of their life. They cannot function out in society anymore.

It's not really a physically hard job, but it can be very mentally taxing. But I love it. You do have to deal with delusions from clients daily, and learn what works for each patient. You have to be very compassionate and caring, and very willing to listen to their concerns and fears. When you develope a friendly relationship with them you can learn how to care for each individual theraputically.

for example client 1 is very paranoid. They believe that someone is going to hurt them. I remind them daily that their safe and no one can hurt them. One intervention is to allow them to sit by me. Another is to stay in their line of site often. When I go to lunch I let them know when I will be back. When I get back I stop to tell them I'm back.

Psychiatric care is a great field. Most nurses are afraid of this field, but it;s not that bad. One thing its like OB care. You either love it or you hate it.

[RiiCa]

Hello everyone! Im working in the biggest mental hospital in Finland. I would like to know how r these kind of hospitals in America?

[SoxfanRN]

The state facilities tend to be large campuses for psychiatric patients. Different buildings house and treat different illnesses.