[Pretty in Ink]

Hi everyone, I am a fresh VN graduate and have been looking for a job in a hospital on medsurg with no luck. Everyone wants RNs...and I really don't want to do a nursing home or home health. I applied to Austin State Hospital which is a state run facility for people with mental illness. I interviewed for a position working with children/adolescents and it seems fascinating but I'm worried I'll loose skills such as IVs or foley's stuff like that, that I didn't do alot while in nursing school. I kinda feel at this place its just pushing meds and maybe shot here and there with some wound care. Could someone please tell me some benefits for a new grad working in psych??? What appeals to me is the challenge plus working for the state gives gould benefits but I think I'll be bored.

[Mish56]

This is a common question from new nurses. I've been a psych nurse for 30 years now, so I am biased.
1). There is nothing boring about psych nursing.
2). Med Surg?ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. wake me up when it's over.
3). Adolescents still have hope and a future vs. a 48 year old with schizophrenia. You can actually impact someone's life.
4). last I checked, nothing has changed in 30 years about how to put a foley cath in. same with IV's. You could make sure you draw all the blood work ordered; so you remember how to hit the vein. I currently work with adults; and they have all the usual health problems; and need caths, IV's etc here and there. I work in a "major medical mecca"; psych unit attached to a hospital, so that's a tad different than a state psych hospital.
Good Luck!!

[Marysjrfan]

Originally Posted by Mish56

This is a common question from new nurses. I've been a psych nurse for 30 years now, so I am biased.
1). There is nothing boring about psych nursing.
2). Med Surg?ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. wake me up when it's over.
3). Adolescents still have hope and a future vs. a 48 year old with schizophrenia. You can actually impact someone's life.
4). last I checked, nothing has changed in 30 years about how to put a foley cath in. same with IV's. You could make sure you draw all the blood work ordered; so you remember how to hit the vein. I currently work with adults; and they have all the usual health problems; and need caths, IV's etc here and there. I work in a "major medical mecca"; psych unit attached to a hospital, so that's a tad different than a state psych hospital.
Good Luck!!

Thats what we have here at my local hospital..a psych unit in the local hospital. Mental health issues intrest me,nd I' realsure that I want to go into mental health nursing. Maybe yu can give me some good insights about what I'm really letting myself in for after Nursing school?

[danielleny2cali]

Just found out I passed my boards this week and now I'm nervous all over again. LOL... I feel like I have a passion for Psych nursing yet ideally would like to do it PT and icu/med-surg per diem or PT.. I dont really see how this is possible because of the training and orientation process. I want to be skilled in both. WHAT do I do?