Psych nursing is easy

Specialties Psychiatric

Published

Does anyone else think so? I just started not too long ago so my perception can be wrong but it seems so much easier compared to other nursing specialties. I love that I get to talk to my patients , sit, and eat lunch and go to the bathroom lol. I know it depends on the floor ( I work on just plain adult psych so no substance a users) . Would love to see what others think, thanks.

Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.

I think the OP was doing an internship, in which case it may have been relatively "easy."

However, he/she has also asked a few questions about violenceon on psych units. Her view may have changed significantly in the past 6 months.

I have only just started in adolescent psych but it's easy until someone escalates and then the adrenaline starts to pump.

Specializes in Adult Psych.

I totally agree, with the majority psych is not easy, its stressful and at times upsetting even scary when the unit is acute and you've got two psychotic patients assaulting each other, another putting themself on the floor for attention and one running down the hall naked, and an unplanned admission from the court, ALL AT THE CHANGE OF SHIFT. Sometimes I get insecure when I say I'm a nurse and explain that I have no idea how to insert an IV, but I'm getting pretty good at communication with my patients and in thinking creatively. Nothing really prepares you for a psych unit in full swing. These are skills you can't just be taught, you need to develop them with experience.

It's not easy I get it now. These borderlines make me want to bang my head

I wish that we could all just get along. Psych is not easy. It's a different kind of intense. Long term care is not easy. Try doing a med pass for 60 residents, doing treatments, ect ect... Private duty is not easy. For every minute that is like "babysitting" a kid could get a plug, go into status, ect. I could go on....but I suspect any nurse with experience OUTSIDE OF CLINICALS CAN UNDERSTAND what I'm saying. Yes, hospital nursing is hard. But it is not the be all end all of being a nurse!!!!!! I so wish that students would get that.....

*gets off soapbox*

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
It's not easy I get it now. These borderlines make me want to bang my head

Our young grasshopper has seen the light! :)

Though personality disorder patients will make even the most seasoned psych nurse want to bang their head at times.

Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.
It's not easy I get it now. These borderlines make me want to bang my head

:roflmao:

Glad you came back

the secret is consistency, not letting them get under your skin, and a unified staff.

and discharge ASAP. :yes:

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

The thing to remember about patients with personality disorders is that this is how they are wired. It is not as though medication can cure the problem. This doesn't mean they won't benefit from medications or therapy... Just don't expect medications to work like antidepressants work on depression.

Patients with borderline personality disorder often benefit from DBT. These patients see the world strictly in black or white. DBT helps them realize that it's okay to have some gray.

Either you work with a pt population with less acute/serious issues or you're doing it wrong. Sitting and talking with pts is a part of being a nurse in any speciality. Yes we may have more time to talk with patients on a psych unit but in my experience this can be one of the more difficult aspects of being a psych nurse (I work in a free standing, inpatient psych hospital so my pts tend to have a lot of issues) because it's more than just asking how they're doing and teaching them about their treatment. I think all nurses should ask about mental health, especially suicidal/self harm ideations, but as a psych nurse that is part of every conversation with pts. Getting past that tough subject, you also have pts with little to no insight into their condition which adds another obstacle to effective pt/nurse interaction. Again, I don't know about your facility, but aggressive outbursts can be common and knowing how to diffuse the situation makes all the difference in whether a pt is calmed down verbally or if as a last resort, a physical or medical management is necessary. I could go on and on (meds, peer interactions and so on), but most of it has been covered. I didn't mean to write a ton, but it makes me sad when fellow nurses downplay the role of a psych nurse. Too much stigma is placed on mental health and in turn, the professionals who care for that population.

I think psych nursing is what you make it. When I stay busy in the milieu (helping techs with tasks, running groups, running behavioral codes like seclusions and restraints, taking care of the "small" things etc.) the milieu tends to have better outcomes. I work in child and adolescent inpatient. Another thing to always remember is this, typically bad things happen when your relaxed and least expect it. I remember orienting a new nurse to the psych world and distinclty remember him telling me that this is going to be the "easiest" job in the world. Weeks after he was on his own he has a preventable suicide on his unit. I feel aweful for him but I can't say he wasn't warned about staying on his toes.

I don't know if this has been noted yet in this forum and if it has I am soory for repeating.

Nursing is HARD WORK. Different specialties = different challenges and a slightly different skill set. I work in a State Psych hospital ½ of which is forensic/long term patients, I have been there approx 1 year and finally feel as if I am finding my way and providing competent safe care. I love the patients, watching them improve makes my heart/soul happy. Psych patients are a challenging diverse group: Substance Abuse, Personality Disorders, Developmentally Delayed w/ Impulse control/anger issues, PTSD, just to name a few. I continue to ask questions, I seek to gain a better understanding about all aspects of nursing. As nurses we all have our horror stories, they may look and sound different, but on any given day I wouldn't want deal with a med-surg or ICU crisis just like I don't necessarily want to deal with a psych crisis. The goals are the same; to restore a patient to health in whatever form that takes for your patient.

"Studentnurse 9806" I hope you find your calling, and I hope you are welcomed by compassionate nurses whose desire is to mentor novice nurses, and provide excellent nursing care to patients.

Psych nursing sounds hard the more I research about it.

This field is as tough as policing or corrections haha.

Difference is that in this field role is to help people recover from mental illness with a medical component and other communication skills

But the situations can be the same, I mean a person that is in crisis can be violent and speaking from experience that is pretty scary!!

Takes some courage and empathy to be a psych nurse.

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