Are there any psychiatric nurses here?

[sakiohma]

Hello all :)

I really want to be a psychiatric nurse so I come to you lovely people on this lovely website asking for tips- how do you like your job as a psych nurse? What are some tips of getting into psych nursing? I was once admitted into the Summit Ridge psychiatric institution in Lawrenceville, GA when I was a teen and I would love to work there now as an adult to help the patients. Is it acceptable to be a psych nurse when you yourself was once a psych patient?

I plan on going to Macon State College and doing their ADN program. I'm 22 years old and feel like I should settle for my ADN now and, if I feel the need to, I might just go back to get my BSN. If I don't get into psychiatric nursing, I want to do forensic nursing. Those are the two specialties I really want to get in to.

[Marshall1]

Yes, it's acceptable and since it was when you were a teen there would be no need to say anything about it. Simply apply and when interviewed you can get a feel if it would be ok to bring it up - if they ask you why you would want to work there you can tell them your story, how impressed you were with the care you received and that is part of what motivated you to go to nursing school and to hopefully get a job there. I will tell you I know people who work there - 2 of which are M.D.'s they complain a LOT about how much it has changed in the past 2 years. I work PRN a geri-psych unit and we every so often get a patient transferred to us from there...it is ALWAYS a HUGE deal w/them..even when we use the same M.D. BUT, if you want to work psych, other than Summit Ridge, Gainesville is the next place w/a psych hospital other than in Augusta.

[sakiohma]

Thank you so much!!