laurenkst

laurenkst

Member
  • Content

    23
  • Visitors

    1,118
  • Followers

    0

About laurenkst

I have been a nurse for 40 years, I am currently working in the psychiatric field, but I have worked in Neurosurgery, CICU, NICU, PICU, several nursing homes, Gander Hill Prison and DPC.

Latest Activity

  1. how will my old major help?

    You've made a very good decision and frankly your RN may get your foot in the door and give you access to information of jobs available for your BS in Psychology. Also: your new perspective may give you a two way view. You will now know what you are ...
  2. State Hospitals, What are they like?

    Michael: I am a nurse educator at a Psych Hospital in Delaware--A State Facility. Just a word of caution: please make your prior tx hx clear before they hire you. Most State Psychiatric Facilities do a Securit...
  3. Ama-

    I can't for any reason understand why the L&D was used to house a schizophrenic patient. I used to work in a NICU and the L&D was right beside the unit. I don't know whether the patient was having delusions or hallucinations. But if she's alr...
  4. partial hospital program

    I just received an e-mail from the NIMH website on Medications. Please look into the medication information @http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/medicate.cfm. The information is down to earth and relatively easy to understand. It might help you develop ...
  5. from med-surg to psych nursing

    Martha: I had 27 years of nursing as a LPN on such specialties as Med/Surg--54 patients, Neurosurgery--32 patients, CICU-10 when full, Neonatal Intensive Care--24 patients, PICU-7 patients and then I became an RN,BSN in 1991, and worked 3 nursing...
  6. What skills and qualities are needed?

    Caroline: I have been in nursing for 40 years--this year. The last 7 have been in the field of Psychiatric Nursing. There are many qualities that the nurses I work with possess. Two of the most important in forming good staff/patient rela...
  7. going to the penitentiary for psych rotation.

    Sorry, an addendum to my note. I reread your questions: 1. Medication Passes are different at different prisons. It usually depends on how tight the security needs to be. This usually depends on whether the prisoners are violent offende...
  8. PERSONALITY DISORDER/SELF ABUSE

    Please check the notes on the 3rd page--BPD. There is alot of good advice from nursing experiences in that listing.
  9. going to the penitentiary for psych rotation.

    Relax a little, but keep your guard up. Prisoners need good nursing care too. Sometimes they get better care than the general population. I have seen inmates get therapies for illnesses that you and I would have trouble getting or affording. ...
  10. Florence Nightingale had a untreated Bi Polar DX?

    Florence Nightingale accomplished alot in spite of her problems in a time that did not support women or acknowledge their revolutionary concepts. On another note: it certainly would explain alot of her other questionable behaviors. Although, I don't ...
  11. BPD Management from you experience.

    Look into a therapy called DBT--Dialectical Behavior Therapy. It has been in use for approximately 10-15 years and has a very good reputation for handling this Axis II disorder. I currently work in a State Psychiatric Hospital where we are just start...
  12. Staff splitting - Help!

    Sounds like you are dealing with a patient with a Borderline Personality Disorder. There is a reasonably new Therapy called DBT-Dialectical Behavior Therapy where all blame is removed and the patient has limits set by each individual as to what behav...
  13. depressed 47yo female

    Honey: Patient's should not have NGT's in for longer than 7-14 days. It can erode through the septum. If you place a G-Tube in the patient it can be removed at a later date when the patient feels better and is compliant with her medications and e...
  14. Need help from psych nurses! Severe depression...

    Sounds like this patient is not being medicated properly. Although Zyprexa is now being used for anxiety that is associated with depression, it sounds more like your patient has an associated panic disorder. Not trying to be a doctor, but Paxil might...
  15. We have two types of nursing assistants at the facility that I now am a Nurse Educator/Trainer. There are Certified Nursing Assistants that now work at a Psychiatric Hospital and take care of mentally ill patients with medical problems that they have...