Is there a future in Psych Nursing?

[rookie_rn]

hello everyone! greetings!

i am a Psych RN working for a hospital in Portland, OR in their Acute Psych Unit. I've only been here 7 months and so far, i am enjoying it and loving it. there is something about dealing with personalities and behaviors that appeals to me (whatever it is). i've been learning a lot.

i do have a question for all the Psych RNs here-- is there a future in Psych Nursing?

i ask this because most of my co-workers here (older, more senior RNs who have worked in Psych for more than 20 years already) are telling me to shift to another nursing field while i'm still young and able (i'm 28; is that young? or old? ). they say that the future does not look very bright for the field of Psych Nursing (as compared to ICU or ER or OR nursing). they say that Psych Departments generally DO NOT bring in money/profits for the hospital and as such, they are always first in line for budget cuts and staff downsizing and other financial management what-have-yous.

so, i'm getting a bit confused now. i enjoy what i'm doing and i'm learning a lot but i also know that there are other things to consider (like financial stability, job stability, retirement security, etc.) especially with rising prices of everything.

should i start planning on shifting to a different field?

what about Psych nursing in the county and/or the state? would they have more security and stability (them being the government and all?)?

[Jules A, MSN]

I don't know about your area but in my area because it seems that not everyone wants to work in Psych they actually pay a bit more starting out. What I have seen in the private hospitals are cuts of admin but not nurses. As for state jobs, the state surely can't do anything different with all the mentally ill people it needs to house so I really don't see things drying up for us. IMVHO we don't have a thing to worry about. It will be interesting to see what others think.

[inthesky]

In my city, there is a huge new psych facility being built in 2009 and one other psych unit is expanding. Unless mental illness is magically cured, inpatient units will always be necessary. Nurses are telling me to get out of the field due to worsening working conditions ie. worse ratios, patients with more acute medical problems. I'm glad that you enjoy your job =)

[medsurgrnco, BSN, RN]

It seems that many hospitals are eliminating their psych units because they lose $ on those patients. But psych issues are not going away, so there will continue to be psych facilities. Many RNs do not want to work psych, so I'd guess that psych would be a good area due to high need for nurses - as long as you are able to live near a psych facility that you want to work at or if you want to work as a traveler. I'm glad you like psych. I recently switched to psych from med-surg and am so much happier at work now!

[green12, BSN, RN]

The other folks here are correct in pointing out that psych illnesses aren't going anywhere and therefore neither is a career in psych. I know I'm staying in psych for my career in nursing and have also wondered what I can do when I'm tired of inpatient. Even if the dynamic of psych care changes in the US, and it does seem dire sometimes, we would go with the flow in order to keep taking care of these people. Other options currently available in my area are community health organizations, crisis screening, residential programs, or an advanced degree allowing one to be a psych nurse practitioner or therapist.

Not sure if this helps, especially if you plan on staying at this facility until you retire, in which case job security would be hard to predict. If you plan on staying in psych but have more flexibility over the next 30+ years then job security will be much more likely.

[Castymiss]

Psych nursing will be here forever. I plan on doing it for the rest of my career. I have worked psych in locked

units for the last 15 years. Worked ICU before that. I now work with the County and LOVE my job. I drive around with police in police cars and put the mentally ill in hospitals. GREAT job. I do not have to give out medications, do take downs, or handle any aspect of bedside nursing. If a client gets violent the police deal with them. Did I say I LOVE my job. It is the highest paying job I have ever had in the last 20 years. As our economy worsens there is even a greater need for psychiatric professionals. Plus they pay 5% more for a BSN degree. Do not worry about the future of psych. Psych nursing will be here forever.

[Mr Ian]

Eventually the State(s) will realise that mentally unwell people are just as much a loss and drain on the economy as their medical counterparts. (hospital, police, social services, welfare; lack of employment opportunities; related losses of crime, injuries to others)

When they look at the longer term economic benefit of actually treating people with MH issues - as well as realise that MH problems are on the increase; they might realise there's more than a future in it - the future may well depend on it.

[Castymiss]

Ian, you are so correct. I only wish that the government or states would realize that SOME of the clients

we serve abuse the system terribly. They are the 3 hots and a cot. As soon as the first of the month rolls around

they are happy as clams and the psych units have lots of available beds. Come the middle of the month, these same clients are calling up saying they are "suicidal", JUST so they get off the streets and into a hospital to eat and sleep. It is a huge drain on our system. They all get SSI and abuse their checks by spending ALL their money on drugs or alcohol. I believe at least a quarter of the SSI recipients abuse this system in this manner. Could be even higher. I think everyone on SSI should be screened better and monitored. If they are going into the hospital on a monthy basis, their checks should be given out to a responsible party who could be a payee for the client. OR, let the SSI money go directly to landlords with the remaining money set up on a special card like the welfard clients have. This card could be used at stores for food and used to pay utility bills. Much better than just handing them a check.

[RochesterRN-BSN, BSN, RN]

Castymiss---wow, where do I sign up for the the job you are doing!?!? Sounds like one right up my alley!! Are you mobile crisis team? What? I work in Psych ER right now.......though I am looking for someplace out of the hospital as the hours--the nights are just too much on me physically and mentally. So I am actually there just per Diem now so I can get out of the night shift requirement--but not getting many hours at all.........I would love to work oout in the field and with the police for MHA's sounds like a great job.

As far as a future of psych.....come one now...as much as society may want to stuff these poor patients to the bottom of the priority list and continue the stigma---THEY AINT GOIN NOWHERE !!!LOL LOL There is not some mircle cure to get rid of all mental illnes ......so not to worry. If you want to be a travel nurse and are limited--- want to do local travel only, well then that I will say has it problems. The majority of travel assignments are ER, ICU, and med-surg, some peds and OB. But ER and ICU are the most needed. I tried the travel thing for a little while and tried to limit to psych and not wanting to travel far all I got was in a correctional facility doing medical. End up leaving travel after the one assignment.

So if you love psych then keep doin it!!! We need good psych nurses who actually like what they do and are not here just for the paycheck. Those nurses are not good for these patients. They deserve better.

Good luck to you.

[Castymiss]

Hi there. YES, its a GREAT job. Mobil Crisis Team. The police are my bodyguard and driver..hahaha....I love psych it is my passion....Travel nursing is usually med surg or ER or ICU, very little psych...Are you in the New York area?????? Too bad....I do not work in that state...LOL......