what can i expect from psych rotations?

Isitpossible, LPN, LVN · Jan 14, 2012

I'm going to start my psych clinical soon and I wanted to get feedback from psych nurses. for the other clinicals, i had to get vitals and do a whole head to toe assessment. what can i expect to do during my psych clinical? i know we will do mostly talking, but for 5 hours each day for clinicals, what happens for psych?

for my psych rotation we did a therapeutic communication..we also conducted group session where we played games with the residents..we talked to them one on one personally (that was wonderful)...

mangopeach · Jan 15, 2012

I loved my psych rotation. My site was super busy. State run facility. Lots of group activities for the patients. I participated in medication education groups as well as a few other groups. Went to an involuntary commitment hearing. Sat in on team meetings with the psychiatrist,social worker,psychologist and others that were on the patient's team. Of course a lot of thereapeutic communication with my patient.

justmeinlv · Jan 15, 2012

Expect to diagnose yourself, your friends, and everyone in your family with at least one personality disorder.

Oh and when answering therapeutic communication questions remember you are in a bubble not the real world.

Morainey, BSN, RN · Jan 15, 2012

We got sent in partners to each unit, and were expected to have therapeutic interactions with the patients, attend their meetings and activities, etc. We were there on the weekends so things were a little more laid-back. We also had to document a therapeutic communication (with each line, say what style of communication it was, implications, etc) where BS skills came in SUPER handy.

ETA: I read boatloads of charts too.

Pneumothorax, BSN, RN · Jan 15, 2012

It will be different from other inpatient units youve been on. Here in mental health its a lot of building a rapport with the patient, lots of communicating, playing games, stuff like that.

For my rotation, we werent allowed to give meds or do vitals. Just sit there and either watch some of them sleep, drool on themselves, speak incoherently , or talk about their problems IF they were willing.

oh yeah, and we couldnt use the computer charts, just the hard paper charts with the doctors HORRIBLE hand writing. and trying to figure out what the patients DSMV (sp) dx was. oh my.

I didnt care for it at all. bless you psych nurses to infinity.

newstudentrn · Jan 15, 2012

I think it just depends upon your personality whether you will like it or not. I remember basically spending a lot of time talking to patients. The unit that we went to was more of a crisis stabilization unit, so we were dealing mainly with patients who are just normal people that have issues with depression or anxiety and things had just gotten a little hard to take. We did not do meds or any physical assessments. It was all focused on observation and communication. I really think that most people you will encounter in a short term inpatient area will just be normal people with some sad situations. Keep an open mind. You never know what you could learn. :nurse: