1st Psych Nursing Job starts Monday, any advice?

Specialties Psychiatric

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Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.

Be compassionate. Too many psych nurses act like their patients are a bother to them. Remember that if they're in that type of facility, they're hurting.

hope3456, ASN, RN

1,263 Posts

Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

I have to say I was shocked at first by my coworkers attitudes towards the patients. I have heard this about other facilities as well. They say the most derogatory things about them during report - often outright mocking them, ect. I got tired of the "frequent fliers." Those patients who come back multiple times and seem to know how to work the system, if you know what I mean. Often it was really boring, especially working the night shift.

Specializes in NICU, Peds, Med-Surg.

I'd love to know how your new job is going :)

Imarisk2

20 Posts

Specializes in Geriatrics, Adult Psych.

It pains me to read about coworkers who throw each other under the bus. My motto has always been that if we the staff cannot keep each other safe, we have no business thinking we can keep the patients safe. And while our floor is known as the friendliest floor in the hospital I think our culture, hospital wide, is pretty healthy.

Our patients are the victims of trauma of one type or another. They have survived by reading people, and they are experts. Therefore, role modeling is the first therapy we offer them; the level of safety we present to them is the level of safety most of them will mirror back as much as they possibly can, barring the lies of any psychosis.

Walk in with your eyes wide open. Observe and listen. Work smart and hard when necessary. Ask for help. Be available to others. Make room for the way other nurses cope; sometimes it is snarkey and irreverent off the floor, but it hopefully never touches the way they treat their patients.

I love my work! No day is the same as the one before. Welcome!

dashingdiva

25 Posts

Self-awareness and compassion I think are two of the major factors that will help any nurse in the mental health field. You can't deal with someone else and their 'issues' if you have unresolved issues your self or if you don't have a clear idea of who you are and what you are doing in this field. The insults and anything nasty that is thrown your way by patients who are hurting and have ineffective coping mechanisms could really get to you but if you find it in yourself to see beyond the insults and the acting-out; find a way to channel that stress into something proactive for the patient then PMH nursing would be a very fulfilling field. :) good luck! let us all enjoy and love PMH nursing~:yes:

ChelleNurse

8 Posts

Loving it! The coworkers have been great so far! yes, many jaded staff, and people who are a little burnt out, but I am using it as inspiration to not let myself do the same. I am also suprised by how mocking, or derogatory some of my coworkers can be when speaking about staff....But like I said, It reminds me of what kind of nurse I do and DO NOT want to be. So far, I am delighted with my new job, I am over 3 months in and have plans to stick it out!

TerpGal02, ASN

540 Posts

Specializes in Psych.

Besides keeping yourself safe by knowing your surroundings, knowing your pts, and listening to your gut, remember to always be genuine with pts and really listen to what they are telling you, verbally or otherwise. They WILL know if you aren't. Be firm but fair, make your expectations clear and never let them see you waiver. Fake it till you make it if you have to. Try not to get too jaded. It can easily happen, esp when you same start seeing the same people coming in over and over again.

nurseleah80

4 Posts

I am a psych nurse and have been for 6 years. I also teach psychiatric nursing in an RN program. I've written a bunch of articles on my blog related to psych nursing. If you still need some tips, feel free to check it out: nurseleah.hubpages.com/nurseleah

I have articles on antipsychotics, sociopaths, do's and don'ts, personality disorders, defense mechanisms, and bipolar disorder, in addition to an article discussing the misdiagnosis of mental disorder when it's actually a thyroid issue.

I hope things are going great for you in your career.

Umberlee

123 Posts

Your blog is a wealth of information, Leah--thanks so much for sharing it. I'll be starting a psych position on April 29. I have worked in psych-heavy populations for years now (residential programs for brain injury, DD), but this will be my first acute/locked position. I'm also thinking about going the PMHNP route. Trying to soak up all the knowledge I can!

I have that same breadmaker, too! Lol

elprup, BSN, RN

1,005 Posts

Thank you for telling me about Ted.com. Awesome site!

nola1202

587 Posts

Be afraid, be very afraid :D.

Kimberlyace

40 Posts

Specializes in CVICU.

ChelleNurse-

I'm glad you posted this thread - I was just about to!

I'm a new december graduate, and begin my first psych job in about a week! I'm so excited :) I find inspiration, that after three months, you are sticking it out for the long run! I hope in 3 months I will be saying the same!

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