psych RN advice......

Nurse2bSandy · Apr 8, 2003

You might try asking this on the psych nursing board. Sounds like fun to me! I think I want to work psych!

MrsK1223 · Apr 8, 2003

i worked psych and it was a good experience....the experience should do you good if you're at all interested in it....and if you try it and don't like it...you can go somewhere else. Psych is definitely a different kind of nursing but one that is needed. Good luck.

happystudent, RN · Apr 9, 2003

sorry guys, didnt know there are speciality forums, thanks to you who replied

have a happy day

NsgTiger · Apr 9, 2003

Happynurse,

For the past year I have worked as a student nurse on a psych unit. Once I got the job, I found out that it is a geriatric psych unit. This actually turned out to be a good thing.

I have an interest in psych so it worked for me. This job has allowed me to become much more comfortable around "mental" patients. Even when on the medical floors, it is good to have some psych experience. You can always find psych pts on the medical floors! So you need to be familiar with the techniques of theraputic communication anywhere you go.

If you're worried about not having psych experience yet, I would not sweat it. Mainly my job as a student is to assist the clients and to maintain a safe environment. With the geriatric clients, safety is really not much of an issue.

If you have any specific questions just ask and I can try to help!

karbyr · Apr 9, 2003

I agree with nsgtiger- I worked two years on psyche and it added a whole new dimension to my nursing care

igloorn93 · Apr 10, 2003

I love Psych nursing. It's the best. As a former ICU nurse I get asked all the time "Don't you miss the excitment, the rush etc?". Shoot, I get just as much excitement if not more. I love my patients. You never know what they are going to say or do next. Even if you decide that Psych nursing isn't for you, you will learn assessment skills that you will take with you wherever you go. Too often in other fields of nursing we focus on the physical problems (or those problems that we can visualize) and forget about the patients mental well being. Best of luck to you. I hope it turns out to be a positive experience for you. Feel free to contact me anytime if you want more info.

Nurse Ratched, RN · Apr 10, 2003

It will hone your "people skills" tremendously, if I may use that old saw. There is a great art to being able to get the trust of people who are hearing voices telling them you are trying to poison them, or any of the other wild things you will see there. I am definitely a better nurse for my time there.