Geri-psych unit

elkpark · Nov 12, 2009

I work prn occasionally on the gero psych unit within my "healthcare system" employer, and, although it doesn't have to be this way, that unit is basically a glorified nursing home unit. They get people "dumped" by area nursing homes, and people who have been at home and can no longer be managed at home and need to go to a nursing home (there's absolutely no reason why they need to be admitted to the gero psych unit, but it's a way of "gaming the system" so Medicare will pay for the first however-many days of nursing home care -- basically, Medicare fraud). It's v. rare to see a client who isn't seriously demented, and we do lots of feeding people, changing diapers, etc. IVs, trachs, etc., are rare.

I've been a psych nurse my entire career, and the unit has nothing to do with psych nursing.

There are units out there that are "regular" psych units that just happen to cater to older folks, but I think they're getting more and more rare as time goes on. The demand is for care for the dementia clients who are causing problems in nursing homes.

karenchad · Nov 13, 2009

I just have to chuckle- I have been a med/surg nurse for 30 years.. With all this upheaval in available nursing positions- I have started to question if I really want to go back to the hospital med/surg life again- I am seriously leaning heavily toward the NO WAY. I took a position in LTC- I does have a unit for alzheimer's/demetia- and alot of our LTC residents are geri-psych, I"ve never seen so many antipsychotics, SSRI's anoxolytics- gotta love the demented! the staff was in a dither/ called it a "crisis" because a demented resident said she was "abused" pointing to her wrist- at a "liver spot" I belive the offical term is purpura of dementia? and wanted to leave. I heard one of the nurses telling the DON- that unit is 'off the hook today' the DON was so concerned she went running up to see the 'crisis'. I'll take this anyday over the stress of Med/surg/tele- all this and I get to listen to Frank Sinatra 1/2 the day too. I feel foot lose and stress free and not a screamin doctor in sight for miles.!

CABG patch kid, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2009

I just have to chuckle- I have been a med/surg nurse for 30 years.. With all this upheaval in available nursing positions- I have started to question if I really want to go back to the hospital med/surg life again- I am seriously leaning heavily toward the NO WAY. I took a position in LTC- I does have a unit for alzheimer's/demetia- and alot of our LTC residents are geri-psych, I"ve never seen so many antipsychotics, SSRI's anoxolytics- gotta love the demented! the staff was in a dither/ called it a "crisis" because a demented resident said she was "abused" pointing to her wrist- at a "liver spot" I belive the offical term is purpura of dementia? and wanted to leave. I heard one of the nurses telling the DON- that unit is 'off the hook today' the DON was so concerned she went running up to see the 'crisis'. I'll take this anyday over the stress of Med/surg/tele- all this and I get to listen to Frank Sinatra 1/2 the day too. I feel foot lose and stress free and not a screamin doctor in sight for miles.!

LOL! That actually doesn't sound too bad! I want to come work with you after I get burned out in a few years LOL

scoutsmom · Nov 13, 2009

I work in an extended-care geri psych unit ( we do have some younger - mid age adults with dementia also- not just "Geri",) It is a pretty good nursing job, the key is to know the residents well, and things go a lot better . Actually, I work in a 750 bed long term care facillity, and 3 units are for the demented residents, with psych issues.

RN Ratchet 1964 · Dec 22, 2015

I know this discussion is several years old, but I would like to weigh in. "Scoutsmom" gave a good account of nursing in a psych unit. It is less about G-Tubes and IVs and more about communication and interactions with patients. It also requires compassion and much patience. "Elkpark" has a very tainted view, believing facilities are "dumping' their residents on them and committing Medicare/Medicaid fraud. This is not true and unfair. LTCs work very hard managing people with mental illness through skills training, groups, treatment plans, service plans, goal setting, medications and an enormous amount of one on one communication to help reshape a person's view or reality. LTC's only send people to the hospital when the person is unsafe to themselves or others or exceeds their ability to care for them.