No You Can't (Long)

Jul 12, 2007 12:48 AM

by nursesaideBen

I could use some opinions and advice from you guys. I'm a new LPN and work on a busy medical unit. I start back to school this fall to start working on general courses I need for my associate's degree (including 2 extra psych courses I signed up for). I love my job don't get me wrong, but I know within a couple years I will be discontent and I'm still trying to "really" figure out what I want to do with my nursing career. During LPN school I excelled and soared in psychiatric nursing from the papers I did to clincial rotations and actually helping with a couple group therapy sessions. I love Psych. The only bad thing is, is that I have Bipolar type II disorder. Without getting too personal, I have had a difficult time keeping myself stable, it seems that so far the mainstream drugs for treating my illness have been less than effective (Lithium, Tegretol, Abilify, etc) my disorder doesn't disrupt me while I'm at work it's during the down time that I have at home that the hypomania and depression adversely affect me. I would love to do Psychiatric Nursing but I have been told from several close confidants that I simply cannot do it and that it would be more than I could bear since I myself am not exactly the poster child for mental health. I do NOT want to do psych because I'm hoping that I'll miraculously find the answer to my own mental problems, I do want to do it simply because it is fascinating and sometimes during my clinicals I could tell that simply by listening to my patients I was somehow helping them. I am constantly doing research on mental health issues as well as medications both due to my fascination with psych and of course due to the fact that I have a mental illness. We recieve quite a few psych patients on my unit and some of my co-workers actually come to me even though I'm a new grad when they have questions about certain meds and disorders, I have been encouraged by many of my friends to go into psychiatric nursing, of course they don't know I'm bipolar though. I am hoping that you all will be able to help me make this long term decision, should I one day once my appetite for med/surg is met go where my talents and knowledge could bet utilized more, or should I stay away from psychiatric nursing because I have a mental illness?

Kymmi · Jul 12, 2007, 01:38 AM

Re: No You Can't (Long)

Let me start off by saying I do not work psych nursing however reading your post I think you should go with what YOU think you can handle. You sound like you have a good understanding of your mental disorder and even though you've had trouble finding the right combination of meds to work for you you admit that your disease does not effect your ability to work. I am willing to bet you've got a better understanding and better control on your disease than you think you do.
That being said......would you tell a nurse that had uncontrolled HTN or DM not to work a cardiac or medical floor because they cant control their medical condition so how do they think they could help someone else control theirs?
You might just make a terrific psych nurse because you can understand and relate to the patients at a level of understanding that someone else without first hand experience could.
My next statement might offend someone but its not meant to but I am willing to bet that there are some psych nurses that have their own mental disorders that they just might not be aware of or else they are in denial of so the only difference between you and them is that you recognize your condition and accept the treatment goals.
I say follow your heart..do what you know you are good at and I think you'll be the first person to realize whether or not it is right for you. If once you start psych nursing you find that it isnt for you for whatever reason then you can always go find another area of nursing to practice in but at least you'll be able to say you tried it instead of always wondering if you made a mistake by not giving it a shot.
Good luck with nursing school and your future career goals.

*mercyteapot* · Jul 12, 2007, 02:10 AM

Re: No You Can't (Long)

Given that you've said your disorder doesn't affect your work, I wonder why your detractors believe you couldn't handle working psych. It is possible that it will turn out to be too much, but it is also possible that any other type of nursing could turn out to be too much. You can cross that bridge when and if you get to it. I wouldn't limit your options based on what someone else believes is possible. You know yourself best.

nursesaideBen · Jul 12, 2007, 04:05 PM

Re: No You Can't (Long)

Originally Posted by mercyteapot

Given that you've said your disorder doesn't affect your work, I wonder why your detractors believe you couldn't handle working psych. It is possible that it will turn out to be too much, but it is also possible that any other type of nursing could turn out to be too much. You can cross that bridge when and if you get to it. I wouldn't limit your options based on what someone else believes is possible. You know yourself best.

Thank you for your response, There are times when I feel I am overwhelmed but I've been told that's normal since I just recently came off of orientation. The people I've spoken with told me I wouldn't be good at psych nursing because I myself have a mental disorder.

nursesaideBen · Jul 12, 2007, 04:09 PM

Re: No You Can't (Long)

Originally Posted by Kymmi

Let me start off by saying I do not work psych nursing however reading your post I think you should go with what YOU think you can handle. You sound like you have a good understanding of your mental disorder and even though you've had trouble finding the right combination of meds to work for you you admit that your disease does not effect your ability to work. I am willing to bet you've got a better understanding and better control on your disease than you think you do.
That being said......would you tell a nurse that had uncontrolled HTN or DM not to work a cardiac or medical floor because they cant control their medical condition so how do they think they could help someone else control theirs?
You might just make a terrific psych nurse because you can understand and relate to the patients at a level of understanding that someone else without first hand experience could.
My next statement might offend someone but its not meant to but I am willing to bet that there are some psych nurses that have their own mental disorders that they just might not be aware of or else they are in denial of so the only difference between you and them is that you recognize your condition and accept the treatment goals.
I say follow your heart..do what you know you are good at and I think you'll be the first person to realize whether or not it is right for you. If once you start psych nursing you find that it isnt for you for whatever reason then you can always go find another area of nursing to practice in but at least you'll be able to say you tried it instead of always wondering if you made a mistake by not giving it a shot.
Good luck with nursing school and your future career goals.

Thank you very much for the encouragement, I think you may be right about giving it a shot, at least then I wouldn't wonder if it could have been a good fit for me. Thank you so much for posting!

KYPsych · Jul 27, 2007, 09:39 AM

Re: No You Can't (Long)

I worked with a nurse who was Bipolar (and a rapid cycler) on my ward. She was an excellent nurse with lots of empathy for the patients and usually had fabulous rapport with them. She was always quite honest with her coworkers and the management about her illness. There were times (usually when she was going through a depressed cycle) that she admitted to feeling overwhelmed on an acute psych ward and she'd usually take a day off or switch to an off shift where patient contact was limited.

I would suggest talking to your nurse manager about your illness. I have found that psych nursing in general is very open minded and accommodating.

I hope you enjoy psych nursing for many years to come!

Michigangirl · Jul 28, 2007, 07:51 PM

Re: No You Can't (Long)

Originally Posted by nursesaideBen

I would love to do Psychiatric Nursing but I have been told from several close confidants that I simply cannot do it and that it would be more than I could bear since I myself am not exactly the poster child for mental health.

Do you trust these close confidants enough to follow their advise? Are they in the position to really, really know you and assess the situation you will be in?

I think if you truly trust these people, and they have a good understanding of you, your illness, and the type of work you will be required to do, than it is worth considering their opinion. I am not sure if you were implying that it would not be good for YOU or for your PATIENTS. Either way, if the situation puts either yourself or your patients in any kind of dangerous situation, you should not pursue this.

However, it really seems to me that you have a very good handle on yourself, you understand your illness, and your strengths and weaknesses. It doesn't seem right that you would give up something that you would really love because... why??? Just because you have a mental illness yourself? It seems like you are a good fit and would really enjoy this type of work!

Good luck with your decision!

MissGwen · Nov 30, 2008, 12:32 AM

Re: No You Can't (Long)

I was just browsing this forum and this post caught my interest.

No, you should not stay away from psych nursing. Keep yourself healthy and you should be just fine. I say, "It takes one to know one." So, based on your post, it seems to me that you might be able to connect with and understand the patients in a way most cannot. It is my opinion that sometimes those who work in psych are also living with mental illness themselves.

Gwen

newtress · Nov 30, 2008, 06:36 PM

Re: No You Can't (Long)

Well NursesaidBen, I too have an affinity for the psych field and did well in all academic/clinical during LPN school. Ultimately that is where I would like to do nursing after finishing school. I understand your concern regarding working as a nurse in psych and having conflicting opinions or advice on whether you should persue it or not. And you mentioned having a tough time after work during your down time. I believe you would do an excellent job as a nurse in a psych facility. And I also believe that if you were nursing in anything other than psych, you would still have some tough times with your depression regardless. I'm supportive of you going on with your passion to do psych nursing no matter what anyone else says or feels. That in itself is depressing to hear anyone say "no you can't." I think you would maybe feel liberated to work in psych, know that you are doing a good job and the rest will fall in place and you'll manage it. Got faith in you!

maxthecat · Dec 01, 2008, 01:55 AM

Re: No You Can't (Long)

Just make sure that the units you are considering are open to taking on someone with a diagnosed mental illness. Some facilities will not hire anyone with this background. And it might be helpful to have a third party evaluation. I have some mental health issues myself and while I like to think I am pretty self aware, there is always the possibility that there are issues going on that I don't see, and have to hope other people will let me know. I have seen colleagues who thought they were on top of their illness crash and burn.

I don't mean to sound negative--I think what you want is very doable. Just bringing up some other things to consider.

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No You Can't (Long)

No You Can't (Long)

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