after i become a nurse i'd like to work in a psychiatric hospital...

loriangel14, RN · Jun 3, 2011

The best place to work is really up to the individual. Some people hate certain types of nursing while others love it. I did a three month placement in school at a large mental health facility and I really enjoyed it and learned a lot. I would consider maybe working in mental health after I get some practical experience first.

codyiscool · Jun 3, 2011

yeah i just am interested in psychology. i wanted to get a degree in it, but theres lil job opportunity/money unless you're a psychiatrist....is there anything i could do that would help me get hired at such a hospital > another applicant? or are nurses that work there usually just a typical nurse who applied

loriangel14, RN · Jun 3, 2011

The place that I did my placement at really didn't have any requirements and they had lots of openings.I know that after you were hired they recommended that you take a course that they offered on dealing with violent or aggressive patients. They hired about as many Practical Nurses as they did RNs.

codyiscool · Jun 3, 2011

sweet and i'm a big guy so that might help in getting a job at such a place

tikilpn2 · Jun 3, 2011

you could get your LPN diploma which may allow you to get your foot in the door at these facilities...i know that mental health facilities hire alot of LPN's at least they do in VA....There is usually no wait period for the program and it is a shorter program, my LPN program was 15 months.

AJPV · Jun 3, 2011

I would highly recommend getting a little experience in a psychiatric facility before jumping into nursing school - especially if psych work is the only (or main) thing about nursing that interests you. I don't say this to discourage you, but if your impression of psychiatric hospitals is coming primarily through books, you might find a "real world" psych hospital to be quite different. That's not at all to say you wouldn't still enjoy it.

You could get your CNA (which will most likely help you get into nursing school) and get hired as a patient care tech in a psych facility. Or get approved to shadow a nurse for a shift in a facility. You might want to also get a taste of the medical side of nursing to see if that interests you, and if you would like it enough to do nursing school.

MusicEMT · Jun 3, 2011

i want to work as a psych nurse as well.. while working on an ambulance ive transported many psych patients from various facilities (home,jail, schools,other hospitals). and let me tell you those were the most challenging patients (not all but some of them) ive ever had so far.. helping psych patients requires more patience than a buddist monk...diplomatic skills that rival the top diplomat.. and some muscle to keep them killing you lol...

you will be yelled, spat, smacked, insulted at..

hell ive even wrestled with one in the back of an ambulance..

as others have recommended try getting experiences in some of these facilities..

but in the end the challenge is rewarding and also can lead to some great stories

just my :twocents:

BRFirefly · Jun 3, 2011

If you are really interested in psych nursing, check out the psych units at your local hospitals for 'mental health tech' positions [it helps to have your CNA license or if you have taken general/abnormal psychology classes or a psychiatric nursing class but I know of a few places in my area where it isn't a requirement because they have on-the-job training].

When I started nursing school, I thought I wanted to be a psych nurse as well. But by the time I completed my mental health nursing clinicals...well...let's just say that isn't the case anymore.

:sofahider

Best of luck with everything though. The world needs good psych nurses. :-)

LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN · Jun 3, 2011

Does your state have state run mental health hospitals? Almost half of my nursing class was hired into our states mental health hospitals as new grads. You could always get your CNA to start working in a facility and get your foot in the door, and to see if you really want to be there.

Mandychelle79, ASN, RN · Jun 3, 2011

I currently work on a psych unit as an aide, waiting to take the NCLEX ( 10 days). Its been an interesting, to say the least, experience these past two years. I work Geri and I don't think there is a day that I work that I dont get hit, spit on, or yelled at. But right now we have a lot of dementia patients and for me those are the hardest to deal with. People usually tell me Im lucky to work on Geri because the ones on adult are so violent. Ive never been injured on adult but have had my butt kicked on Geri more times that I can count.

XXWeaponX · Jun 3, 2011

As you wait to start your RN, you can do a couple different things: One is get a AS in Psych or a related degree, like sociology or human services. You could volunteer in a psych facility as you complete your degree and wait for RN school to start. You can also do you LVN now, which is pretty good and will be a help with preparing you for your RN. Oftentimes, you can then do an LVN to RN bridge program and do your RN in just one year (ADN).

That was what I did. Unfortunately, I kind of got stuck. Life takes control sometimes, and when you're working, and have kids it's hard to go back to school when there aren't many options. Now I am finishing my BSHS, and planning on applying to 3 year MSN and NP programs b/c the RN programs that are close to me are so impacted. I like working as a psych LVN though, so it's all good. I make a good living, and I have a lot of time to spend with my wife and child.

Last, you could get a CNA, and start applying at psych hospitals, prisons with psych units, and similar jobs.

I love this field, and it's much easier to get jobs in psych than other acute care areas, b/c not as many people are willing to work in psych.