Any happy psych nurses?

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Hi, I just started psych 6months ago and feel very discouraged in this field. I was a Nicu nurse for 2.5 years at a terrible facility, loved what I did, hated the place and admin. by God's grace I believed this psych pos opened up for me and I thought trying something new would diversify my skills. but I didn't realize or was told many things that psych requires, take downs, patients from jail, all the enormous documentation following restraints/seclusions. And I didn't realize how difficult it would be to manage the pts and mental health aides. Well I believe I should be thankful for having this job still bc of the economy and it's with a great hospital. But at night I'm assigned 25 pts and in charge of mental health aides, there's constant staffing problems. I'm just feeling that maybe I should go back to Nicu or try postpartum since there are no Nicu openings right now. But the other part of me wonders if I'm really giving psych a fair chance. Should I wait the full year and then decide? Should I try a different dept in psych? Should I try transfer into Nicu or postpartum if possible? Please nurses, advice would be surely helpful! Thanks all and happy new year!

Specializes in psych, medical, drug rehab.

I too am a happy psych nurse but that as Dave said is dependent on where I am working. Currently I am working in a nice location as a travel psych nurse. Nurse/patient ratio on days is 4-6 :1 and on evenings it could be more. My co -workers are professional and psychiatry is done by the book.

HOWEVER with that said I have also worked in those "other" places where take downs are common, staff are unprofessional and not grounded types and they escalate patients by their provocative behaviors. Staffing is horrid and the staff present are lazy and do not have a clue as to what goes into psych nursing.

I feel fortunate to be able to work in an enviroment that values the patients and the staff.

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Wow, thank you for your insight and advice nurses! I will see if I can get on an evening or day shift because I know that that is a completely different atmosphere and setting but it will be six more months before I can do that, sigh! That may really help me to decide if psych nursing is really for me. Thanks for wishing me luck, I will definitely need it! :nurse:

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Specializes in mental health, medical, emergency,commun.

hi Iam working in Mental Health in Austaralia for the last couple of years I love it

I am working in Child and Youth, love the interaction , got sick of wiping bums in Medical, give it some time

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I love psych nursing....but it's not for everyone.

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Specializes in psychiatric ER, Mental Health.

I love my job!

I work in psych ER. It is never the same, more acute than inpatient. Sometimes we know what may come in the door next, sometimes we dont.

Perhaps inpatient psych isnt for you, or, as others have said, try a different shift.

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Specializes in psych, geriatrics.

I'm quite happy in psych, wouldn't do anything else - except teach nursing, psych of course, which I do on the side. I certainly didn't like every job I ever had, and there are bad days her and there, but in the end much of your happiness at work has less to do with the specialty than your team. Most of the problems & stressors & frustration I've had were with staff, not patients. Psych isn't for everyone, and for various reasons some people take psych jobs and keep them, sometimes for years, never enjoying it one bit. Those can become bitter people who make work and misery for everyone else around them, and increase unit acuity. I've had my burnt out periods, but have learned how to manage people better (and not just patients) with experience, as well as how to judge when to move on, sometimes for a different patient population, sometimes for different coworkers or managers, sometimes just for change. I now work in a freestanding psych hospital with multiple specialty units, all psych of some sort, so the work experience varies considerably within the same institution. Lately I no longer needed benefits, and I have been doing Per Diem work throughout the hospital, lots of variety and the stresses change day to day, making each day much more pleasant. On the other hand, I know a lot more people, including patients, but less well, and its hard to keep up with rules, procedures, and layouts from unit to unit. In any case, I was getting fed up in one situation, so I found another - I actually still work often on my old floor and love it - and it made all the difference for me. But if I didn't love psych, I'd likely be trading one misery for another, earning money at the expense, to some extent, of the quality of life of myself, and my patients and coworkers.

Another note - you can reduce your exposure to psych issues, but never completely. Given the huge numbers of patients and their higher than average use of all forms of health care, it pays to learn how to handle these folks effectively and comfortably, regardless of where you work. Many many times I've transferred a perfectly manageable patient to or from an ER or a med-surg unit etc., at which their were conflicts, involuntary meds, restraints and hard feelings that might well have been avoided if staff had been more comfortable & knowledgable with psych care. Staff might have benefited greatly in those cases: less work, easier and more pleasant work, less paperwork, and better care.

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Specializes in Psych rn.

Just like most of you, I do love my psych job as well!!!!,

Before transferring to psych I had worked oncology,med-surge, and er.....I did love all of them in different ways. I am very pleased with my decision to change to psych, and cannot picture myself doing anything else ever............

I do work a teaching hospital, we have four separate psych units and er-psych intake; I've float on several occasions to the different units, but my base unit is adult acute. Our patient populAtion is highly aggressive, but our team is well integrated; we've worked together several years now.

I love psych!!!!!!!and am very pleased to see so many of you sharing your experiences!!!!,:redbeathe:heartbeat:redpinkhe

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I am a super happy psych nurse. I start my NP in Mental health program in June. There is no job I would rather have, and I think if you dont love your job you should probably move one.

But you are leaving your psych nurse job. NP in Mental Health will take you away from it. I certainly wish you well, but why leave it if you love it?

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Specializes in Psychiatry (PMHNP), Family (FNP).

I was always very happy being a psych. nurse. Never really minded going to work. I felt I could really help people, and I did on a daily basis. Now that I am a PMHNP and completing a DNP, I still love all of it, its just that the role and responsibilities have continued to change. I think if you have the right temperament for working in psych. it can be a very fullfilling and rewarding choice. Good luck!

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I am still new to Psych but I love my job... Most of the time!

I've noticed a drastic difference between 1st and 2nd shift, however. I prefer 2nd shift based on one simple fact: Though there is more riff raf to clean up after the chaos of a day shift, my coworkers work so much more cohesively on pms than days. There is a beautiful energy that is almost tangible on 2nd shift. Everyone works together and has each others back no matter what. There is not this feeling so much on 1st shift. It may be my facility, but the nurses that are generally on 1st shift are older, and have the "get in, do your job, get out" mentality. There is something to be said about the energy you bring to your job. Your attitude can make a crappy situation better or worse depending on the mindset you carry through the doors.

It's always been my philosophy to give new things a try. If you're unhappy, leave. There's no harm in it.

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Specializes in psych, geriatrics.

Psych is the bomb!

Forget the old (and young) cranks - nowhere's perfect, esp in a field where the primary way to earn more is... to age. Doing a good job offers its own rewards, but not necessarily financially, at least in the short run.

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Specializes in Psychiatric nursing.

I am a very happy psych nurse- and the happiest place I have ever worked was an adolescent ward. There are elements of my job which get me down sometimes, but I have never hated what I do. I'm not saying it's for everyone- to each their own....sometimes all it takes is interest and perseverence...good luck!

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