Hospital Counselors

[pishoncna]

Hello, I am currently a CNA working at a nursing home. And, talking to the residents is my favorite part of my job. I was considering going into Counseling.

Do they have Hospital Counselors? Where they talk to patients going through a hard time, as well as be there when doctors or nurses need to talk to someone about the stress they have.

Not really a nursing question, but I think it has something to do with nursing.

[Hospice Nurse LPN, BSN, RN]

Have you thought about Social Work? I believe you have to have at least a masters degree (MSW) before you can become certified.

[pinkiepie_RN]

I work in Psych and we have Psych counselors. Some of them have Masters' degrees in Psychology but a few have BAs in Psych. Of course we also have social workers but they mainly do d/c planning and community resources outreach.

[nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN]

At our shop, they're under mental health, which is a county wide entity, not hospital based. A large hospital may be different.

[Psyc_Guy]

I am currently a counselor myself looking to transfer into nursing. What I do know is that social workers have a strong lobby group and as such have managed to get LCSWs (Licensed Clinical Social Workers) into most counseling positions in hospitals. I have a Masters in Counseling Psychology and have a PLPC (Provisional License Professional Counselor) and it would be all but impossible for me to get a hospital counseling job. If you absolutely have to counsel in hospitals, I would recommend getting your MSW. If your MSW program offers specific tracts take the clinical route. From MSWs that I have spoken with and worked with, their counseling education leaves much to be desired, so if I were you, I would supplement your MSW degree with M.S. Clinical Psych or M.S. Counseling Psych courses that focus on counseling skills. These courses would be called 1) Clinical Interventions or Helping Skills; 2) Theorys and Techniques of Counseling; 3) Psychopathology; 4) Personality Assessment; and 5) Other specific courses could be helpful depending on your chosen population such as substance abuse counseling, group therapy, trauma and grief counseling, etc. I have a saying and that is, "If you want to know how to counsel, get an M.S. in Counseling, if you want a job, get an MSW." Good luck.

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Certification=Licensed_Master_Social_Worker_(LMSW)/Salary

Just some salary info :)

[IdrilRN, BSN, RN]

At the LTC I work in we have an outside consulting company come and see the residents that need it.

At the hospital, if the people need it they get a psych consult from one of the psychiatrics. But generally no formal counseling. If they need it they come to the psych floor for a psych admission. Which would be people who are suicidal or have overdosed and are medically cleared to be on our unit. then they get the full run of our psych program.