intrigued, yet nervous about psych nursing

[MCH123]

hello all,

i am new to this so bear with me. i have been an rn for 2 1/2 years; the first half was spent on a med-surg telemetry floor; since then, i've been on a med-surg ICU. both experiences have been absolutely invaluable. i never thought so much learning and experience could occur in such a relatively short amount of time. it is my ultimate goal, as is everyone's i hope, to truly find my niche. while i love nursing as a career and wouldn't trade any of my time in it, i feel as though i'm seeking something that i definitely have not found. fortunately, this career offers countless options for the asking/seeking. in nursing school, and in my current practice, i strive to excel and become knowledgeable about everything pathophysiology, every technical piece of equipment or treatment modality, and while i have acquired an adequate knowledge base for a novice, i just "can't get into it" the way i want to. it's not my passion, which is what i so desire to find. it seems as though i am still drawn to the mind (as i was in school), the personality, the emotion. i am fascinated by mood and personality disorders, suicide, depression, everything mental. much of it scares me, but more than anything, i am drawn to the wonder of the human mind. however, even as soon as i realized this in nursing school, i pushed it aside, thinking, "i want to be a real nurse; psych nursing is not real nursing." and the "A's" and praise on tests and assignments, while other classmates were struggling to pass, kept coming. so now i'm thinking, i'm not really happy where i'm at (my boss, the whole unit/job is great), but i don't feel driven, so why not at least try to give something else a shot, even though i never thought it would be mental health nursing. how do i get into this? i want to get my masters, definitely. i know i need to do some exploring w/ this type of nursing before grad school, but i DO NOT want to work on some locked-down unit where all i do is push meds, chart, and look through a plate glass window at my patients. i want to learn about what fascinates me. if anyone could give me some advice/insight/options, i would greatly appreciate it. thanks!

[CHATSDALE]

there have been a lot of advances in the mental health field .. i guess there has been more in the past 20/30 years than there has been since med field has been in pratice

but it is still the most difficult to understand..esp since many pts has cross over dx...some will respond to chemical intervention and some will only marginally improve

i think that it is underresearched due to the fact that people too often see themselves in the eyes that they look into..just as many nurses will not work geratrics..."is this the way i will end by days"

be sure that this is the direction that you want your career to go...good luck in your choices

[TitaniaSidhe]

"i DO NOT want to work on some locked-down unit where all i do is push meds, chart, and look through a plate glass window at my patients. i want to learn about what fascinates me."

Nursing, any area of nursing, is what you make of it. I am sure being that I work on a "lock down unit" I hardly only push meds or stare out from behind a glass at my patients. It is like any other speciality area of nursing, you get out of it what you are willing to put into it. Sure there are disappointments but there are also triumphs. Yes you will work short staffed but hell there is a shortage going on. I have had some wonderful & rewarding heartfelt moments over the years but I have also shed many tears of sadness, anger & frustration. We must remember we are working with people not machines. Each person is an individual & many do not fit the so called models. Your best asset in Psych in my opinion is your common sense. As for the charting part, well hey ya better get used to charting anywhere you go b/c it seems to be here to stay & more & more of the RN's time is being consumed with endless charting rather than the much more valuable patient care aspect. I myself also hate it but this seems to be the direction nursing is swinging in for now.

An afterthough is that even though you may not work is Psych, nurses still have plenty of opportunity to display good psych nursing skills in whatever area they work in. Just b/c a patient is on med/surg or ICU doesn't mean they will not have symptoms exacerbate or suddenly arise, say depression, anxiety, etc. Then we have all the family members we deal with daily. Yes there are MANY areas we can bring psych into our practice on a daily basis. Just be aware of the opportunities.

[CharlieRN]

There are good psych facilities, fair ones, and bad ones. Shop around.

One caution, try to get your own **** together before you try to help others with similar problems. If you are drinking yourself to sleep every night, don't take a job on a chemical dependency unit. If you have unresolved abuse issues, the place for you is not on a women's specialty unit. You will not get help for yourself while helping others. You will crash and burn big time. I've seen it happen.