Is anyone here a psych nurse?

[lilmissnurse12]

Im a nursing student and I think I want to do psych. What is a typical day as a psych nurse? Do you like it? What are the pros and cons?

[foreverLaur]

Have you done your psych rotation yet? I haven't done mine, but I work as a tech in a locked psych unit and it is a whole different experience than other types of nursing (I worked as a tech in med/surg and critical care previously).

Depending on where you work, it will be very different.

All patients on my unit must be medically cleared first, so you will never see an IV, CVC, chest tube, etc. Not a single nurse there feels comfortable with those skills any more because it is never done on my unit. The nurses just pass meds (PO or injection), do a lot of assessments, and do a lot of talking with the patients.

[Simply Complicated]

Have you done your psych rotation yet? I haven't done mine, but I work as a tech in a locked psych unit and it is a whole different experience than other types of nursing (I worked as a tech in med/surg and critical care previously).

Depending on where you work, it will be very different. All patients on my unit must be medically cleared first, so you will never see an IV, CVC, chest tube, etc. The nurses just pass meds (PO or injection), do a lot of assessments, and do a lot of talking with the patients.

We do get IV's and stuff on our units. Just because they are medically cleared first, they can still have medical issues arise once they hit the floor. We still do potassium and mag runs, IV fluids, stuff like that. I'm not even on a medical psych floor.

OP I would suggest you go read through the psych threads. You will find a lot of info in there. It's under the specialty's tab.