my first rotation this semester...

[june2009]

Is psych. I'm really looking foreward to it. We are spending 4 weeks at a state mental hospital and 4 weeks in the hospitals in-pt. psych unit (mostly gero-psych). Does anyone have any advice for me? How can I get the best experience possible? We spend one whole day going over safety stuff prior to our clinicals but any student advice would be appreciated.

[Bortaz, MSN, RN]

I worked in psych (Texas prison system) for many years before I entered nursing school. Last semester, before we started our psych clinicals, I was asked by our instructor to give one piece of advice I thought would benefit my fellow students.

My answer: Just because they are mentally ill, don't assume that they are mentally retaded, or, God forbid, think they're "dumb". Talk to them just like you would any other person. There is a fine line between mentally ill and not mentally ill, and a lot of people think mentally ill and mentally retarded are the same.

Mentally ill people can understand, generally, as well as you can. They are not stupid.