Any Psych Mental Health nurses out there?

Poofy7 · Nov 17, 2017

I work 11p-7a. We do some quick auditing, usually in peace and quiet. They usually are sleeping where I work by the time I get there. We are not supposed to wake them up at night where I work and if they sleep all night we do not wake them up in the morning (except the techs do vitals). The night shift charting therefore is minimal where I work. We do some goal charting in the computer but that is fast. The morning med pass (6-7AM) is very fast, even with 15 patients, because they are almost always independent and there aren't any IV's or anything else to do with them usually except for giving them their meds. Having a PT with a central line is rare, maybe a couple times a year for the entire unit. We are adult psych (18 and over) not a geriatric psych, so that makes it easier. I have heard that working with teens is more challenging.
If I don't get an admit, I'm done with my auditing and charting by 12:30-1:00am, depending on how many patients I have. Then I go online and google for the rest of the night until the morning med pass. If I get an admit, it is much easier than on medical. I sit in a chair in an office and they sit in a chair next to me. Most of the new admits have the same routine orders... so getting orders for new admits is easier too. It's just easier. I haven't worked during the day or evening so I can't say what that is like.

Thank you for the insight!!