"hospitals won't hire psych nurses"

tammyRN64 · Jan 15, 2007

I agree....not just psych but geriatrics are helpful in the hospital. My love is psych (and hearts other desire is OB-where I have never gotten opportunity to work yet), and I did 17 years in extended care as an LPN. I work on a Med-Surg unit (trying to get my first year as an RN under my belt doing the "right thing***aka:Med-Surg). I hate it where I work. Anyway, when we get a geriatric patient that "fights" the shift before me, I can get them (9.5 times out of 10) to do whatever needs to be done, without scratching/biting/hitting. Their families sit and stare at me with their mouths open. When I smile and tell them my background they smile and are grateful I knew how to deal with their loved one. When I get a psych patient I don't "freak" out. Last week the LPN I was working with who has always worked med-surg came almost at a run, up the hall telling me that the pt in 2 (paranoid schizophrenic....among other Dx's) was laying on floor in hallway. I laughed and said, "we are blessed if that is the worst/strangest thing you see him do while he's here!" They have no concept for these geriatric and/or psych pts who have such special needs above and beyond their med-surg backgrounds. God help them if they ever see any of the guys from my psych units at the prison....tee hee! THAT is a trip to spend your 12 hour shift with, seriously. A narrow view leaves too much room for missing things. Variety is more than JUST "the spice of life" in our line of work. Take care. Tammy:monkeydance:

tammyRN64 · Jan 15, 2007

I agree....not just psych but geriatrics are helpful in the hospital. My love is psych (and hearts other desire is OB-where I have never gotten opportunity to work yet), and I did 17 years in extended care as an LPN. I work on a Med-Surg unit (trying to get my first year as an RN under my belt doing the "right thing"***aka:Med-Surg). I hate it where I work. Anyway, when we get a geriatric patient that "fights" the shift before me, I can get them (9.5 times out of 10) to do whatever needs to be done, without scratching/biting/hitting. Their families sit and stare at me with their mouths open. When I smile and tell them my background they smile and are grateful I knew how to deal with their loved one. When I get a psych patient I don't "freak" out. Last week the LPN I was working with who has always worked med-surg came almost at a run, up the hall telling me that the pt in 2 (paranoid schizophrenic....among other Dx's) was laying on floor in hallway. I laughed and said, "we are blessed if that is the worst/strangest thing you see him do while he's here!" They have no concept for these geriatric and/or psych pts who have such special needs above and beyond their med-surg backgrounds. God help them if they ever see any of the guys from my psych units at the prison....tee hee! THAT is a trip to spend your 12 hour shift with, seriously. A narrow view leaves too much room for missing things. Variety is more than JUST "the spice of life" in our line of work. Take care. Tammy:monkeydance:

MALE*RN*777 · Jan 21, 2007

You go to nursing school to get the fundamentals of nursing. You get a short rotation, mainly med/surg, of each type of nursing then you choose what type of nursing you perfer. If you keep learning by nursing journals, nursing books, etc. you may need a quick review but for total loss of skills, I don't thinks so. If you are only concentrating on your specialty, no matter what it is, then you aren't doing your job. Just because I work psych doesn't mean I'm not looking for infection signs in my patients or treating self wounds, etc.

allnurses Guide · Jan 21, 2007

Sorry, I disagree. I think more med/surg/ICU nurses need a year on a psych. unit. All nursing jobs include psych. skills-especially if dealing with family members, pts. in crisis etc.

I gotta say, I totally agree with you there. I think a lot of nurses.. ER, Med Surge, ICU, etc.. should go work for a while in a psych unit. That's what I've done and I think it has been a very valuable experience and a good resource. Now I'm getting ready to go back to Med/Surge with many learned skills for dealing with people!

oneLoneNurse · Mar 11, 2007

I am going for an interview in geriatric psych on Tuesday. Finding this thread helpful in the process of getting ready for the interview.

I have been a nurse since 1984, and have worked on an active psych unit for the last year. Know about diabetic care, BUT would have to review about changing dressings etc., etc.. I worked IT for the 9 years prior to last year. My reason for changing to nursing last year was to pass the boards. After soo many years it was hectic, but passed them at the 75 question mark.

I put maybe five years in as a travel nurse in med/surg, rehab and psych. I am thinking this stuff will come back to me. I should add this psych unit is in a general hospital and I feel I will make use of being there if I need a hand.

As I write this realize I have a DVD for my boards on geriatrics which I will cover either today or tomorrow.

Myxel67 · Mar 11, 2007

did you get any feedback from your instructor as to how you may have presented yourself that attracted so much negative attention? even if you never enter another psych ward, the information would be useful in your future dealings with patients.
psych... ugh... i just got done with my rotation with psych... week 1 i was threaten with my life... b/c all the guy pts on the floor thought i was going to take their women... week 2... i was threaten with my life b/c some of them said i killed their wife/mom/sister/daughter... week 3... i was tackled by a female pt... infront of nursing station (thank god) and she accused me of fondling her... and week 4... i just didn't leave the nurses station... lol...
shaazz
are you young, tall, masculine, muscular, and black? if so, that might explain how those pts reacted to you. oh, i left out "and good looking." !!!!:smilecoffeecup: