nervous about psych care plans

Specialties Psychiatric

Published

So I finally landed my first nursing job(graduated in may 2008) a week ago. It is a psych position on an acute floor. The only thing about the job that has me worried is there are no computers on this floor. I am fairly certain I will have to write individual nursing care plans for all my patients on the floor. Problem with this is I remember writing care plans in Nursing school and it was not easy - even with the book open in front of me.

Now I will be expected to write care plans on the fly in minutes?! Honestly this has me pretty anxious because I have no idea how I could accomplish this. Most of my friends who work on normal medical units just follow clinical pathways on a computer.

Is it me or do psych nurses have it particularly tough?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

Try not to borrow trouble. If the psych facility doesn't have computers, chances are it has preprinted care plans for specific diagnoses and you just fill in the blanks or check what's pertinent. That's how it was where I worked most recently. It's pretty easy to catch onto.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in mental health; hangover remedies.

Another reason we don't use computerised care plans - is they're meant to be individually prepared and mutually agreed with the patient.

Printing one off to sign is not a mutual agreement.

Apply the process to each identified problem and you'll be fine.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks for the replies. I found out that ill have anywhere from 6-10 patients and I will be writing care plans for each individual - they're not pre-printed ones as a poster above mentioned. I wrote one earlier after re-reading the chapter on substance abuse in my nursing book and it did take me a little while.

Still pretty anxious about this and starting to regret taking this position. Hopefully I will make it though.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

Do you still have your psych nursing book? If so, it's likely you would find some example care plans for various problems in it. I think you'll find care plans become easier as you do more of them. I wasn't happy with them at the beginning of my career but found I could assess a patient and write a care plan rather easily as time went on. Two NANDA diagnoses that are used alot are "Potential for self harm" and "Altered thought processes". Of course there are many more. Dig up your psych nursing text! I taught psych nursing for 10 years and each new text had example care plans coming out its ears!

You will make it! What you're feeling is probably the jitters of a new job. It will get better!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment