I've posted a few times before, not often, but it's apparent from my posts that part of my job includes inpatient hospice. I am really good at this part of my job. The palliative care providers like me (the way I do my job), the families like me, and I keep my patients comfortable (they usually aren't alert enough to know whether or not they like me).
That being said I am NOT a psych nurse. A little agitation here or there, depression, your run-of-the-mill anxiety, all this I can handle.
What I cannot (or don't want) to handle is acute psychosis, especially when it involves pulling scissors out of my pocket and asking for the "son-of-a-***** who put these orders in" and pushing the sitter, and punching the staff who came to see what all the screaming was about.
I especially don't like it when the acutely psychotic screaming patient comes out to the nurses station and rips her IV tubing in half and threatens to bite anyone who tries to take her back to her room but strokes Mr. Security 1/3 and says that she wants to take him home.
I do, however, find some amusement when the doctor opens the door to the dictation room, quietly says, "I'll put some orders in" and then gently closes it back, remaining there for the duration of the excitement.
I do not, however find it amusing when security guards 1-2 stand there uselessly while the patient calls me a sneaky ***** and insists that they keep me away from her.
I also don't like it when we have to bring her bed into the front of the unit and prompt security guards 2-3 to lift her onto it and hold her down while we restrain her and give her a magical injection that I'm pretty sure is made out of the same dust that's on those poppies in The Wizard of Oz.
I espcially don't like documenting on 4-point restraints every hour while also trying to get the med rec done for my admission that came in hours ago while keeping"high fall risk and I just learned I can stand today" from falling and also making sure Mr. CallLight doesn't purposefully set his bed alarm off again because he's been waiting "too long" and also contacting the surgeon so I can give Mr. Vascular surgery today his meds.
I don't mind not taking a lunch though, it's not that bad when you don't have time to think about it ?
Specializes in L&D, Cardiac/Renal, Palliative Care.
46 minutes ago, Jedrnurse said:
So my previous comment doesn't mark me as a mega-snowflake, let the record show that you are referring to the new-and-improved title...?
I certainly didn't see your post that way, regardless of which title they were referring to.
Also, I realized recently that I am very good at disassociating with death until I find myself crying over the cancer diagnosis in a sappy movie. It's not that I don't care for and about my patients and their families very deeply, I just seem to have an emotional "off switch" that makes it seem as though I am a sociopath, especially when I am not face-to-face. A weird coping mechanism I guess.
Rest assured though, I am not a sociopath. I have sat (at home) and cried over my patients' obituaries on more than one occassion ?♀️
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
10 hours ago, mi_dreamin said:
I just seem to have an emotional "off switch" that makes it seem as though I am a sociopath, especially when I am not face-to-face. A weird coping mechanism I guess.
An emotional off switch can be a very healthy thing, mi_dreamin. Not expending unnecessary energy in an area helps to save energy which prevents burnout. Emotionally turning oneself off also allows us to focus on the facts instead of being wrapped up in the drama of the moment.
Expending emotions at a more appropriate time, e.g. crying during a sappy movie, allows us the freedom to experience a catharsis during the drama of the moment.
But be careful, mi_dreamin- if you keep talking like this, someone's going to accuse you of being a relatively mentally healthy person!
Jedrnurse, BSN, RN
2,776 Posts
So my previous comment doesn't mark me as a mega-snowflake, let the record show that you are referring to the new-and-improved title...?