How is it like to be a Psych Nurse..

Specialties Psychiatric

Published

Is it fun? Is it a challenging, remarkable experience or whatever it may be..

Cause, I am taking this to my consideration. I am a student nurse, and psychiatric nursing seems really interesting to me.

Well if your a psychiatric nurse or just have worked in a mental institution, I am very interested to know your experience.. thanks.. ;);)

Sorry, I don't tell my stories for shock value, but I will educate you about the AMAZING things I have seen with ECT!!

It is filled to the gill with paperwork, sticky situations and stress, but I think anyone who finds the behaviors of others interesting, will enjoy it!

Nah its ok. I acually liked how you describe it transparently., The stress and all the sticky situations seem tough but I'm sure I can take care of it.. Thanks alot.. And Hope you'll be the psych nurse you want to be..

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
I work with the Geriatric crowd.

We do A LOT of ADL's.

We often describe our unit as a mix of psych, nursing home and med/surg.

This is a good mix of skills.

AND YAY!!!

NO CALL LIGHTS!!!! We do 15 minute rounds... and are expected to know where are patients are constantly.

WOOT!!!!!

That's why I said most patients and not all were self-ADLs...I know what the deal is with Geropsych ;)

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

If your facility does a good job training people, you will be ready for the emergency situations when they happen. It can be a very gratifying field to practice in. You have to give of yourself, and often a kind word or an attentive ear can make a big difference to your patients.

I also encourage you to check out the psychiatric nursing forum on Allnurses.

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Specializes in ICU, School Nurse, Med/Surg, Psych.

I work community mental health - different than inpatient as I work with only chronically mentally ill clients helping to keep them in a community living environment (as your next door neighbor). It never gets dull talking with a person with schizophrenia and working with them to confront and reduce their paranoia. It also can be very draining to work with people with BoarderLine Personality Disorder and chronic severe depression all day long. When I find myself using work communication skills with my 23 year old daughter then I know I have had a long week!! :) gotta love it.

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Aw, I hope you didn't think I directed my "I don't tell stories, blah blah blah..." directly to you, blessedbelle!

That was poorly written, on my part, if you did.

I probably would share with you because you'd have a serious interest.

That comment was just my broad statement to SOME in the general public who just want to hear something shocking! They aren't looking for insight, or anything, just entertainment!

Actually.... I do tell stories (to a selected few whom I trust) and we do our share of venting and trying to make sense of things.

I'll even tell a story or two here, but I keep it somewhat vague.

Good luck to you!

I'd never thought of that way at all..

It's just good to know some other practical issues that may come along with that kind of work!

Actually I find them entertaining too..:D

More stories more learnings and fun! Thanks so much Hygiene Queen!=)

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Sure is psych nursing is a tough job, but with all your stories and insights, it made me want to aspire this amazing vocation more! Thanks for everyone who shared their stories and insights! you are all highly appreciated..

God bless,.. And have a nice day!:lvan:

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wow.. after reading this, it makes me want to get into psych!

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hi guys i'm a new nurse in psych, i'm getting some cold feet with going in..

the paper work is SOOO much. it's nonstop charting.

i've literally been scared to death that if my patient kill himself/ i forgot to chart this that, chart wrong (given the crazy amount of paperwork, the 5150 holds, 5250 holds making sure the expiration and interventions... that perhaps if i mess up on any part of the job, my license/ job is GONE.

its almost like the liability issues are soooo high. and the suicidal risk is sooo high. even with Q15 checks, its easy for the person to be sneaky and hang themself even with a bra. (true story...)

i'm a new grad, all this losing your license talk is pretty scary. i hope on the real unit, it isnt THIS intense to the point where i would feel like i can loose my license any minute, doing small little things. oh and you can get spit on/ chair thrown at

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Specializes in Med./Surg., Diabetes, Med. ICU, home hea.

I don't want to speak for everyone, don't even want to speak for the various types of facilities, but... I've been doing psych nursing for 5 years in California (out of 25 years of nursing), split between private for profit and a county facility. The moments of reward for my peers and I are far and few. In CA., the nurse ratio act never got finished covering most psych facilities... as you can imagine in today's economy, things are REALLY tough for the facilities... for profit facilites are working RN's and the other staff worse than ever... short staffing, staff TOTALLY burned out, client's covered (insured) days burned through then discharged long before they can maintain their previous level of function. In county facilities, it is a race to remotely stabalize them prior to discharge to the homeless shelters so the next ones can be admitted. I'd estimate that I get to interact with clients, other than the admission/discharge processes, 7 minutes each per shift. The rest is in admitting paperwork, discharge paperwork, or charting on the few hapless souls I get to interview for the 3 to 7 minutes before the chaos of the shifts start.

In the community, programs are being eliminated almost month by month. The ones that are in new crisis are shuffled through with an average stay of 3 days. The rest of the clients (majority) are "repeat customers" that we see on a regular basis... the same ol' story... drinking, meth, not taking meds, suicidal when their SSI check allotments run out and they can't get drugs and/or booze... wanting a place to sleep, detox, benzo's, narcotics, food and T.V. Of course, they're too "distraught" to shower or even cooperate with the admission assessment. In the meantime, taxpayers who have lost their insurance, jobs, ect. are turned away if they are not imminently suicidal or have made a credible attempt.

Bitter? You bet. We licensed staff get no breaks, lunches, etc., are not "team players" if we don't work extra shifts/overtime. If we're caught not actually taking lunches/breaks, we're told we need better "time management skills." In the meantime, administration takes one hour (or more) lunches, tie up our support staff planning and picking up THEIR lunches, socializing, ect.

I remember my early days of primary care nursing in med/surg... it was a cakewalk compared. Thanks for letting me vent... Yes, I'd change given the chance, but RN jobs outside of SNF's are hard to come by in California (at least this part) due to the very thing that tried to allieviate this type of situation... the Nurse Practice Act.

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Hi, So I am 28 years old and have been working a 9 to 5 job for the past 6 years. I want to do more with my life and help people rather than just sit in a desk all day. I have recently became very interested in going back to school to take psych nursing. There is a 2 year program offered in my city that i am thinking about taking but am nervous about how i am going to go to school full time and also work and pay bills while i am in school. I am also thinking that i may be to old to go back to school and if i do graduate will i be able to get a job? Will i like the shift work? will i have time to spend with my family/start a family? So just curious if anyone who has taken Psych Nursing has ever pondered these same questions. I want to do a job shadow as well; is job shadowing possible? What is the lifestyle like as an RPN? Any imput and comments you can offer me will be very helpful in making my decision to go back to school rather than being in Administration for the rest of my life.

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Specializes in Psychiatry/Substance/ETOH abuse.

:nurse:I have only worked in Psych and I love it. I have worked in an inpatient hospital, an outptient mental health clinic, and now in the ER with a unit specifically for psych. I still love it. It is so much different than providing nursing care to those with physical health problems. It takes more than medications to help those with mental health problems; so even though a lot of times Med/Surge nurses make comments about Psych nurses doing it because they are either lazy or lack nursing skills, I completely disagree because I know I am making a difference.

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Specializes in Psych.

I have an interview next week for a psych nursing position, which, if a job offer results from it, will be my first nursing job since graduating from my ABSN program. I too absolutely love this area and can't imagine doing any other.

Great post...love hearing from all the folks out there who 'get' this. :up:

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