Interview next week for inpatient psych unit!

[colleennurse, ASN, RN]

I have an interview at hospital next week for thier inpatient psych unit. I am excited, however when I spoke to the manager she stated that they were looking for PT that could lead into FT. I made it clear that I need to work FT. She suggested to do the interview anyway. I am hoping maybe she would hire me FT anyway if she knows that she will have a need in the near future. So what can I expect at this interview? I did a year of med surg right out of nursing school and have been in community health since then, however my entire caseload are people with severe and persistent mental illness. However, I do medical nursing needs for these people, so I have no psych nursing experience. But I am bored out of my mind at my current job as I mostly babysit home health aides and take VS . I have really taken an interest in psych nursing since working with these people. Any advice for the interview? TIA!

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

Be prepared for a question about side effects of psychiatric medications. One popular question concerns extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS). These consist of tardive dyskinesia (involuntary irregular muscle movements, usually in the face), pill rolling with the fingers, involuntary tongue movements and so forth. EPS can be caused by both antipsychotic and antidepressant medications, although it is most commonly associated with older antipsychotics (hence the term "Haldol/Thorazine shuffle").

If you get a hypothetical question about an escalating patient, the best response is to speak softly and slowly and remain calm. Give the patient the chance to express what he/she is feeling, and be prepared to allow someone else to take the lead in intervention if things are not going well.