First Day in Psychiatric Nursing Clinicals

Thanks, wish you lived in the philly area!!!! Any tips for managing a chronic self harmer in the acute setting?

You might start by asking the message implied by the self-harm.
Some do it to "feel alive", as pain equates with life. Try a rubber band on the wrist to replace cutting.
If the the sight of blood is the desired effect, try water soluable markers, draw slashed on the arms, wrists, then run an icecube over them. The ice cube replicates the pain,and the ink runs and replicates the blood.
If they cut in order to be restrained, try a swaddling blanket.

All behavior is a form of communication. Find the message, and respond to that.

My psychiatric clinical experience was truly horrible. My rotation was at a children’s facility that had a fairly poor reputation in the way the staff treated the kids. I guess I was subconsciously preparing myself for the staff’s behavior, that I let myself be completely blindsided by the children’s histories and stories. What evil things some people can do to kids, is just mind boggling. It was the most hellish 6 weeks I’ve ever been through. Then my conscious starts working, and It made me feel even worse, in that I felt if this experience touched me so much, I should be willing to do something to help, and to change things, but I just don’t think I could work in that situation. I would be wanting to strangle some parents, and be constantly trying to figure out how to smuggle some of those kids out of there in my bag and take them home.
It take a special, special person to work in these areas, and I definitely look up to you.