I just would like to know?

MIA-RN1, RN · May 20, 2006

Psych was really fun for me in some respects, and really boring in others! Our patient care was more verbally focused than actual patient care--we did a lot of interviews and care-planning stuff. I got to watch ECT which was cool. We did off-site observations in day treatment and spent a day at an inpatient drug rehab center. That was really interesting. The most important thing about psych nursing is to NOT ask the patient "why" questions and to maintain your professionalism. Patients will often try to split the nursing staff and you have to be a united front. I loved learning about the diffferent mental illnesses but at clinical if we weren't actually interviewing our patient, we were mostly in the nurse's station reading the charts. (that was the boring part). THe only book I used was my textbook and the accompanying CD that came with it.

Never had an official ortho rotation lol, so can't help you there!

LadyStar42, LPN · May 20, 2006

I am a PN student and I LOVED my psyche rotation. So much so that I now believe that is going to be my field. The most important thing to take to a Psyche rotation is an open mind and an understanding that these people are truely unwell. They can't help it and they need medical help. As I told a teacher once "with physical problems, most everything can be either fixed, replaced or removed. We haven't learned how to do that with the brain." For me psych is the Most fascinating of all the nursing fields.

Tips:

Be sure you have your "game face" when you go to clinicals. There are children that will absolutley break your heart. I am a grandmother and I just want to pick them up and love them all. I have had to realize that sometimes that is not the best answer.

If you get a chance to watch role-play therapy, Do Not miss it! You will learn massive amounts about personality's and how they work. Try to understand the underlying reason for what the therapist is doing.

ummmm, always make sure a patient is not the last through the door

realize that no matter how "normal" someone appears to you, they are there for a reason. Some are extremely good at fitting in and you wonder if there has been a mistake...lol...there has not been one.

If you get keys, guard them well, adol's don't want to steal them, they want to make an impression of them so that they can get one made when they get out, for the next time they come in.

These patients are much more adept at therapeutic communication than you are. They will try to get you to talk about yourself, thereby avoiding talking about themselves.

Don't be scared! But do be alert.

Sorry I can't help with books, I didn't get any extra's

Good-luck !!!!