Pigeonhole?! Psych RN

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello fellow nurses! I have been reading on all nurses for quite some time now and am ready to become an active member. I am a senior in a BSN program and in good standing. I have been offered an internship in a psych ward in a hospital and am of course honored to have an offer on the table as I really need some experience other than clinical rotations .

My question is, will accepting this position "pigeonhole" me into a place where I am less likely to be hired as a new grad in an ICU, or med surge or even L&D job after I graduate since I will only be doing clinicals and this psych internship? I might really like this psych unit but my semester and clinicals I didn't love it, am afraid of turning down this rare (competitive area I live in) opportunity but also afraid of "branding" myself as a psych RN. Any input greatly appreciated!

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You should probably look for something else since you "didn't love it" in school. Transitioning to another area may be possible, but you'd be far less competitive than new grads who competed their internships in your stronger areas of interest.

If you wanted to do psych long-term, I'd say go for it. If not, and you can't get into a specialty that you really want, go more general with med/surg. It will be easier to change gears later.

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If you had said you loved it I would say go for it. I have a background in Psych and as a recent new grad, haven't had problems getting interviews in other specialties because any wise manager will realize that Psych issues are in every specialty, not just in a Psych hospital. So I do think you can market your skills if you want to change specialties down the road. That being said, if you didn't love it, then maybe hold off. Psych nursing requires a lot of patience, resiliency and communication skills. If you aren't passionate about the specialty you might have a difficult time adjusting.

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).

Welcome to AN.com, Open Mind!

You might want try to do a search on this topic, since many have expressed a similar concern and also try this forum:

https://allnurses.com/psychiatric-nursing/

I started out in Psych as an LPN back in 1984 and have worked Surgery, CD tx, Med-Surg, ER, Home Health, and Administration, so it's possible not to be pigeonholed.

Once again, welcome and the very best to you, Open Mind!

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Wow thanks for your input and your experience! When I say I didn't love it it was not the patient population I didn't love it was just the fact that I wasn't getting to do things that I was used to doing in MedSurg like IV care, catheters wound care etc.

to hear that I can use my experience of this internship to be marketable is really reassuring and I appreciate all the input!!! And who knows if I end up taking the position maybe I'll love it!

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When people talk about getting "pigeonholed" in psych, they mean that if you spend many years doing psychiatric nursing and nothing else, it can be difficult to get hired into a med-surg area, but a single internship isn't going to "pigeonhole" a new grad. Also, as already noted, since clients with psychiatric issues and behavioral issues are found in every clinical setting, it is easy to spin some psych experience and expertise as a "plus" in interviews. Best wishes with the internship! (You might find you enjoy it enough that you decide to stay ... :))

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