Why Psychiatric Nursing?

Mandychelle79, ASN, RN · Dec 27, 2013

This is a general question for PMHNPs/psychiatric nurses. Why did you choose this specialized field (vs. Family NP for instance)? How did you know it was for you? Advice for those interested in pursuing a PMHNP career?

I didnt go into nursing wanting to work in psych, very few do. While in nursing school, I worked a geri psych unit just to make ends meet, I liked it well enough. When I got out of school 86 applications with very few interviews, I was offered a psych position ( im guessing since I had 2 yrs of experience on a ward). I figured I could do anything for a year. Almost 2.5 yrs later I am still there. Here are the reasons why

1- I love that I never know how my shift is going to go and how things change minute to minute

2. I love how I can be me, not an edited me.

3. I am really good at reading people and noticing minute changes

4. My mouth would get me in trouble elsewhere :)

5. So many dont like psych, is it fair to the patients to leave to go elsewhere when I enjoy it so much

6. I keep calm during emergency situations and can lead the response team effectively during a violent code, keeping staff and patients safe.

7. I am able to separate the person from the illness, just because a pt and I may have had an incident the day before, I am going to treat them the same way i would treat them if the incident didnt occur, however I usually have them make the first move.

Davey Do · Dec 29, 2013

For me, it was Fate.

The Head of Security of the Hospital where I was doing my Student LPN Clinicals saw me subdue an irate Psych Patient. The Patient was on the Medical Floor and had a Nurse trapped in the corner of his room, going at her with an IV Pole. I therapuetically restrained the Patient until Security arrived.

The Head of Security went to the DON and encouraged her to hire me for the new Psych Unit which was, at the time, under construction.

I worked in various Nursing settings, like OR, ER, Med/Surg, and Home Health, but somehow, always ended up back in Psych.

Even as a Nursing Supervisor in Home Health, I was given the additional duties of setting up, and supervising, an At-Home Mental Health Program.

Now, in the Autumn of my career, I continue to enjoy Psych. There's one thing I can say about Psych Patients: They're never boring.

Thanks for asking.

Retired APRN, MSN, RN, APRN · Jan 2, 2014

I went into psychiatric nursing, first as a floor RN and (what we then called) head nurse and later as a PMHNP, intentionally. I had been interested in human thought and behavior since I was a very young child. Like many people in psychiatry, I grew up with a family member who had psych issues, which sensitized me both to the patient's issues and to those of the family and caregivers.

The stigma surrounding people with psychiatric or mental health issues only makes things harder on them, and that was one of the things that motivated me to spend my professional life trying to alleviate their suffering in a non-judgmental way.

Once I was into the field, I became intellectually fascinated with psychiatric disease, particularly with how multifactorial it is. I enjoyed the creativity that was demanded of me as nurse and then therapist, and the challenge of finding the right dose of the right medication when meds were indicated.

I think the personal characteristics that helped me in the field are that I am truly non-judgmental most of the time, I have an off-beat sense of humor, I am not frightened by own emotions and inner "craziness", I do not feel diminished when someone criticizes me and I don't have a problem asking for professional or personal help.

The personal characteristics that I've had to work on in the field are that I am a little naive and tend to believe people until it's proven that they're lying, and I hate it when people lie to me. (Here, I am speaking more of peers and colleagues than patients, but I do include some non-psychotic patients in this). I also sometimes get so involved in understanding the problem that I wait too long to look for a solution.

Hope some of this is helpful to you.

sassafrassrn · Mar 22, 2014

#7 on your list rang true for me!

Umberlee · Mar 23, 2014

I really wanted to get med surg or more home health experience and then work in a wound clinic, hoping to go on to get my FNP and practice wound care. However, after struggling with an alcohol and prescription drug problem, I found myself blacklisted by most places in town as well as my reputation completely ruined due to the way I flamed out at my job of 12 years. Behavioral health was the only field that seemed willing to give me a chance. It didn't matter that I was a great nurse and well-respected by patients and families and my peers and had great accolades and training and blah blah blah, everything was overshadowed by my addiction. My interview with the DON at the psych hospital was going well and then I trepidatiously brought up that I was on a contract and she didn't even blink, and just said it didn't matter to her at all and that she thought I'd be a great fit. I haven't really liked inpatient acute stabilization all that much to be honest, but I do like psych itself and managed to get on a newly forming Assertive Community Treatment team. I have found that to be much more fulfilling so far and started grad school this semester with the hopes of working in the outpatient office or maybe elsewhere in the country someday. I would really love to work with women in recovery if possible. I'm hoping maybe after school is over that I can open a sober living or transitional house or something at some point.