Any advice for a nursing student who wants to go into psychiatric nursing?

[psychrnhopefully]

Hello there!

I just finished up my psych rotation for nursing school and I loved it! I really can't imagine myself in any other area of nursing. I also worked as an aide for a LTC facility for those with mental illness and I quite enjoyed doing that as well. I am absolutely fascinated by mental illnesses and find myself watching TED talks over them in my spare time. I jumped on any extra activities that were provided for students to do on our own time, like observing ECT. I spoke to my clinical instructor who was very encouraging and said it seemed like a good fit for me!

While all of that is great, I often find myself worrying about a wide variety of topics. How can I be a compassionate nurse without coming across as "too nice" and making myself a target for manipulation? How can I keep proper boundaries without coming across as cruel? What happens if I say the wrong thing? Hopefully, these skills will come with experience and it does help that I do have a tiny bit of a background in working with mentally ill patients. I do know that I have a long way to go! Are there any suggestions that you can make for me as a student, and in two short semesters a new grad that can help me become a successful psych nurse or land a job in the area of psych nursing? Also, as seasoned psychiatric nurses how do you avoid burn-out and taking work home with you? How do you manage to not think "Oh god not a *insert diagnosis here*!" and letting that influence your interaction with your patient? I've noticed a few of the psych nurses where I completed clinical do that. Thank you so much for reading!

[PG2018]

I think you just sort of learn the boundaries with time and experience. I have very rigid boundaries thanks to my prior life profession. You'll get it.

If you consider yourself naive then I might recommend a book on body language, and What EveryBODY is Saying by Joe Navarro is pretty good. You'll probably like it. Learning something about social psychology and neuroscience might advance you beyond the other staff nurses. Of course, actually understanding psychopathology and what the disorders are will help. I see a lot of RNs in psych haven't a clue. Learning about psych meds will be helpful too. N-school won't teach that or psychopathology. THey focus on "therapeutic communication" which is really something learned OJT as well.

[oceanblue52]

Like Psychguy said, a lot of the skill comes with time. Consistency, simple language, and being firm with your boundaries really helps. A lot of inpatient Psych is working with the other staff to make sure everyone is on the same page and that patients cannot engage in splitting e.g. Telling one staff that they are so much better than another staff member in hopes of getting special treatment. Facilities should provide training on de-escalation. It is also worth considering when to pick your fights. Petty power struggles will just frustrate you; direct confrontation with an agitated patient is most important when the patient and/or other people are in danger. If you do wind up with this career, you will learn a lot by watching seasoned staff members. Good luck! :-)

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Try to get your preceptorship/practicum on a psych unit. Not only will it give you a deeper exposure to psych than just a clinical rotation, but it's also a great opportunity to network and make your name and face known. Plus having done a preceptorship in psych may help make up for lack of experience when you're applying to jobs.

But if you can't get one, don't worry. My preceptorship was on a step-down unit and I still was able to land a psych job out of school.

[Psych77]

I've been at psych nursing for 2 years. It seems to me the fact that you actually want to make sure you act appropriately is a great sign, because it means you are self-aware. Many people I've worked with seem to be superficial about patients. Like others said, seasoned nurses can help with dealing with setting boundaries. I myself tend to the overly nice type, and am not comfortable with setting boundaries, so it has been a learning experience in dealing with people with cluster B traits. I often try to run things by experienced nurses. If you know that a borderline can be manipulative, then you can be more aware when its happening. Like I've felt flattered by them before, but because I know what is happening, I act appropriately and not out of sentiment.

[TXMedPsych, BSN, RN]

Fantastic that you have a heart for it. I did a test run working as a Mental Health Worker (tech) while in nursing school. That helped a lot, if you have the time and opportunity.

[LotusPetals82, ADN, CNA, RN]

If you consider yourself naive then I might recommend a book on body language, and What EveryBODY is Saying by Joe Navarro is pretty good. You'll probably like it. Learning something about social psychology and neuroscience might advance you beyond the other staff nurses. Of course, actually understanding psychopathology and what the disorders are will help. .

This is an all-time favorite of mine. A staple for the psych enthusiast.

[streem26]

Hi, I am finishing this year of medical college . There is a possibility to get a job in psychiatric hospital.. Many discouraged me, they say, everything to flee harmful ... who worked as working in this direction advise !!! this information inspires me Psychiatric Nurse -Complete Guide

[pinkpinstripes]

Hello Meriwhen, I have a question for you. I am a psych nurse x 29 yrs., I have a California RN license but do not live in the state yet, have applied for jobs as I want to move closer to my son and his family who live in Fremont area. I have applied to many places and have not gotten anywhere for a couple years now so I have decided to go back to school to make myself more employable. I am considering Aspen. Anyway, do you have any suggestions to land a job in California, I know it is very competitive there. Thank you for any advice.