mental health - Page 3

Do any f you psych. nurses know a good conference or seminar on Chemical dependency in California?

oops I meant of : /

You are smart to be concerned about a violent incident . They do happen, but you can't let that random occurrence interfere with your clinical studies.
You should have training in CPI during this rotation. That is crisis prevention and intervention. It shows you the impending signs of an outburst and how to handle them on a professional level.
Number one is never be alone with a patient , and NEVER turn your back to them, that is what leaves you vulnerable.
Find out the protocol for a violent patient, some have a button you can hit to call for assistance. Know who responds to this call. Some facilities rely on staff, some have security.

The vast majority of patients are not violent and only need empathetic listening and cognitive therapy. Know the diagnosis of the patients you are assigned to . Your task during this rotation is to learn how to observe behavior.
Good luck. I did not care for my psych rotation... now 30 years later... I enjoy the challenge .

Eh, I'm honestly more afraid of the average Joe on the street who's allowed to run amok. At least in the psych ward, the crazy is contained.

At work, you know exactly what you're dealing with and have plenty of back-up!

I think I must have "Psych Nurse" tattooed on my forehead because I often have the most interesting people approach me... and I don't like it.

I was with my fiance at the store and a young man, that I have never seen before, came up to me and grabbed my hand and started to caress it!
Before I could think, I freed my hand, stepped back and said firmly, "Boundaries!".
My fiance was shocked by this and then, when we got to the car, he laughed and laughed because I automatically went into "work mode".
I did feel bad because I'm sure this young man was developmentally delayed and could not help it, but it was so startling to have happen outside of work.

Oh, and then there was the man who wanted to rake my leaves... total Ted Bundy vibe... my then-husband pulled up in the driveway and the fellow left suspiciously fast... :uhoh21:

Nope, that stuff needs to stay in the hospital where I know people have my back!

Remember psych patients are people too. DON'T see them as just their diagnosis.

Be alert and aware of your surroundings. Stay calm. Be kind.

Most mental health facilities that allow students have very clear cut rules about what students are and are not allowed to do. When I did my mental health rotation, we were NOT trained in CPI because that was for the actual staff to do. If a Code Strong was called, we were to clear out of the way.

When I started nursing school, I was 110% convinced I wanted to go into Peds and that Mental Health would be the LAST thing I would ever do. I hated my Peds rotation, loved Mental Health. I now work full time in a mental health facility and can't imagine working anywhere else.