getting into psych nursing

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I currently work in acute care/critical care stepdown. I've noticed all the psych RN positions I've looked at require experience in that area. Where do people get their "experience"? I haven't seen any internships like hospitals have for ICU/ER, etc.

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

Guess you have to keep your eyes and ears open. Know of new grads that have landed spots in acute MH nursing.

Keep looking and good luck!

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I precepted in MH my last semster of school. When my preceptorship was over I talked with the nurse mgr at the facility and asked if working as a mental health tech/psych tech would be considered experience when applying for a RN position. While each job is unique and most certainly there are a lot things a tech can't do, it still introduces you to the environment and you can observe nurses in action as well. When I finished nursing school, the nurse mgr offered me a job as an RN. They must have been desperate for a nurse b/c she re-wrote the qualifications to state any experience would be considered. So I went from nursing school straight to pysch RN.

:idea: So maybe if you have a facility in your area, call the DON and talked with him/her and see what they have to say.

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Specializes in Psych.

I am an LPn working @ the psych hospital and going to RN school I am getting good experience right now as med nurse

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Specializes in Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC.

I was put into a charge mental health position right out of nursing school. That was an odd situation - the hospital was opening a new mental health unit just as I was graduating.

As far as getting experience - many mental health units have per diem positions. Ask the nurse manager on your mental health unit if you can cross-train. Odds are you can.

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i first got my experience working in a small rural free standing psych hospital. they are very hard to find around my area these days but i offered to work prn and believe you me, they ate that up! i worked holidays, weekends and nights and this really helped the nurses who had families. i was only 22 when i started in psych and i feel that it was the best field that i could have gotten into. i went back into med/surg/orthopedics....but just didn't like that kind of nursing. it wasn't for me. but if i were you, ask to have a preceptor on a mh unit for a few weeks or go to work for a small free standing hospital to get your experiece. be careful as to what part of mental health nursing you go into as well. forensic nursing or correctional psych nursing is a whole different ball game than a psych hospital or clinic. you have a whole different breed of population with so many more needs. it can also prove to be dangerous in some areas. i worked with the criminally insane for 7 years and even though i got excellent experience, i would not wish that kind of nursing upon anyone. it was just too dangerous and the dept of mental health is getting more lax on their expectations of their clients which allow them to pretty much do what they want to do. i had to get out when i did....i have 3 kids now and they are much more important to me than getting seriously injured at work. i now work for the prison as the mental health nurse. love it!! good luck to you.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I currently work in acute care/critical care stepdown. I've noticed all the psych RN positions I've looked at require experience in that area. Where do people get their "experience"? I haven't seen any internships like hospitals have for ICU/ER, etc.
I am a new LVN who was recently hired for a per diem position as a psych nurse at a behavioral health facility. Luckily they just opened in November 2005 and were hiring nurses without any prior experience necessary. I have a full-time weekend doubles job at a nursing home, but wished to gain some experience in a specialty other than geriatrics or long-term care. So I pick up an extra 3 days per week at this behavioral health facility to get my experience in psych nursing.

Taking a per diem job might be a way to break into psych nursing. However, I am taking an hourly pay cut. Per diem LVN positions at nursing homes in my area pay an average of $21 hourly. This per diem psych nursing job only pays $16 hourly, but I am willing to take the pay cut for the experience.

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hi i am also interested in becoming a psyche nurse, my inclinations are geared more towards psychiatric nursing, i just applied for my rn-nclex and interim permit a mo. ago, but ive only worked for 6 mos. in a med-surg area last year in my country philippines before i came here last dec, but before that ive been out of practice for 15 years, but i'm really praying and hoping i could get in a psyche hospital or behavioral facility once i get my license even without the experience

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