Dear Pysch Nurses

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Feb 8, 2012

Often I get the "you're crazy" stare...which changes to looks of awe once I tell them what I deal with on a daily basis. It's so gratifying, especially when they shake their heads and respond that they could never deal with that.

IMO, you have to be a little crazy to work in psych

Whispera, MSN, RN · Feb 8, 2012

I get the "wow, I could never do that," and the "we can all use you" comments. I think the more stigmatized statements aren't said, but sometimes I see a look on others' faces...

mingez · Feb 9, 2012

Why does everyone treat me like I have a communicable disease when I tell them psychiatric nursing is the only specialty I'm drawn to?
Do you have this problem also?

You need to wear that like a badge of honor!

Funny thing is that I completely forgot about "The look" since the last time I worked psych. I was JUST talking to my wife about this!

Now that I'm going back to a state psych hospital, and telling my current colleagues where I'm going, I get "The look" often. Her PCP gave me the look when she asked what area I worked in.

Davey Do · Feb 9, 2012

Why does everyone treat me like I have a communicable disease when I tell them psychiatric nursing is the only specialty I'm drawn to?
Do you have this problem also?

We often become more comfortable with a situation when we understand the rationale behind the behavior. The two key root words here are comfort and understand.

Mental Illness continues to carry a stigma behind it, in that, many believe the Mentally Ill individual is, in the very least, different from the rest of us. In many cases the etiology is idiopthic; the causitive factor for the illness is not known. Couple bizarre behavior with the unknown cause factor and discomfort is an appropriate feeling.

Our rationale for choosing to work as a Psychiatric Nurse can be just about as baffling to many People. Behaviors not based in logic is not easily understood and voluntarily desiring to work with these Individuals can be just as confusing.

Once we, and others, understand that there is a systematic approach to the care and treatment of Mentally Ill Individuals, there is a greater amount of comfort experienced. Without an understandable, systematic approach, Psychiatric Nursing can appear to be mish mosh to the Uniformed Onlooker.

Epic_RN · Feb 9, 2012

I am NOT a pysch nurse.... In fact I cried every day after clinical during that rotation. I'm not sure if I'm guilty of giving "that look" or not, but my initial reaction is one of awe -- that is one job I KNOW I could not do. I have so much respect for psych nurses and mental health techs! :bowingpur

chevyv, BSN, RN · Feb 9, 2012

I often get the look as well as the "I'm sure you've lost all of your real nursing skills". Like mentally ill pts can't have cardiac issues, diabetes, infections, as well as code on my shift! Argh. Wouldn't change a thing right now. I love behavioral health. It's a whole different kind of stress. Bet I can break up a bar fight quicker than the average med surg nurse, lol!

LadyLovelilocks · Feb 9, 2012

When I did my recent interview for a psychiatric hospital my family gave me "the look," I suppose it is because mental illness is so poorly understood in our society. People with physical illnesses are respected, but people with mental illnesses are so often feared and not given the proper care they deserve. All we can do is work to change the perspective one family member and friend at a time :)

brownbook · Feb 9, 2012

Why does everyone treat me like I have a communicable disease when I tell them psychiatric nursing is the only specialty I'm drawn to?
Do you have this problem also?

This is the first post that has brought tears to my eyes. I have only peripherally been involved with psychiatric nursing.

Unfortunately I do understand "the look," the "they don't have any real nusring skills," train of thought.

Other posters have said it better than I. Psychiatric illness kills the human being and can destroy families in ways sufferers all other physical ailments never dreamt of.

Just note these comments as coming from people who are intellectually disabled (although that is smearing people with real intellectual disabilities) and please believe intelligent people do get it.

Crazed · Feb 10, 2012

I thought long and hard before I went to nursing school about what I could and couldn't handle emotionally. It was a health care fair before I enrolled that made it apparent to me psych nursing was the only thing I actually wanted to do. I spoke with an absolutely amazing psych nurse that talked to me about implementing music therapy in an acute setting with patients, and the improvement they had seen just by giving their patients an outlet.

I always had an interest in psychology and the ever changing landscape of the human brain. (I have what some might call an unhealthy interest in changing technology in the hopes of being able to ascertain the meaning of illness)

I'm in my first semester and when we had to tell others about ourselves I said, "I want to be a psych nurse."

The next day I had two students talking behind me when we saw our psych rotation lab and one said to the other, "That girl (they had forgotten it was me and I was in front of them) that wants to be a psych nurse is crazy. No way you'd ever catch me in psych." Of course I turned and said, "That girl was me, and it's the only thing I can see myself doing and enjoying."

It makes me sad mostly because I don't think people truly understand how blessed and talented so many people have been who are "mentally ill."

I'm not naive and I know my unit will not always be filled with Hemingways toiling away on their latest books, but so far what I've seen are things like therapeutic communication not being an issue for me where it is for others.

I just wanted to know if the look was universal.

Whispera, MSN, RN · Feb 10, 2012

The look isn't universal, but it does happen alot. Someday I hope it doesn't happen at all.

Rick68fl · Feb 11, 2012

I liked my psych rotation in school. I did hear that psych nurses have a hard time getting hired in other areas.

Personally, I think that is stupid.