As a new grad going into psych nursing, am I narrowing my options for the future?

mell260 · Jan 15, 2012

Anyone, anyone? Bueller?

4_Sq · Jan 15, 2012

Any nursing experience is valuable to your career, and if it means starting in psychiatry that is great!

It will not restrict you in your future endeavors it will add to your knowledge base and help you in every

aspect of your nursing career.. I did it, worked in psychiatry for a number of years, then took post grad OR

courses and here I am still in the OR after a number of years..

My only regrets are that I liked both areas so much, I stayed in them so long that I don't have more

time to try different areas of nursing..

Give it a try, you may like it.

Best of luck!

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 15, 2012

IMO you're only restricted if you let yourself be restricted. I know nurses who started with me in psych and successfully transitioned to other areas. I liked where I was so here I am :)

You will encounter patients with psych issues in every setting of nursing, so the experience you get here will be valuable. You may have to get creative to keep up different nursing skill sets, but it can be done.

CarolineR · Jan 16, 2012

I went into psych nursing right out of school. I loved it. I found it an easy transition. Every once in awhile we would get a patient with more medical diagnoses and so we would learn how to care for pts with feeding tubes and wound care and of course are always giving injections...

Now, after 4 years on psych, I've decided I need a change, and applied to surgery. What a shock! Its a big learning curve. Im still glad I did the psych nursing because I know I like it, but its a difficult change when you switch areas. Perhaps if you start with psych and decide one day to change areas, pick a less stressful unit rather than surgery so it is not such a big change.

It is true that you use psych nursing wherever you go.. but I also think its a good idea to have a solid med/surg background, as that is the backbone of nursing.