Is Psych For Me?

[Chevy_girl]

Being in nursing school I've heard many horror stories from my instructors about working in a psych unit. Come to think of it, there really seems to be a stigma about it among the faculty. From being physically attacked and pinned to a patient's bed, to a patient throwing their feces at an instructor when they were in nursing school.

Nonetheless, I still want to be a psych nurse. Why? Because I don't feel that it's all bad. I think some patients just want to be understood and not labeled because of their disease or impairment. I've been made aware that I may be dealing with hostile patients from time to time, or perhaps even on a daily basis. I get questioned about why on earth I'd want to do it, and I always answer that I want to make a difference in someone's day. With psych, I feel that I could do that.

There was a teenage girl who was brought in who may have attempted suicide. I felt for her because as she cried on the phone I could tell this wasn't because she was suicidal. She didn't want to end her life. She wanted to be heard and to be understood. She wanted attention and affection. It tugged on my heart because I wanted so badly to talk to her and let her know she was being heard. My fellow nursing students were all whispering and didn't know what to think. They thought she was just crazy. There's a difference between being irrational or even being suicidal, and taking drastic measures because deep down that person is that broken and that hurt. I think that's one of the most heart breaking things I have seen so far.

I'm also drawn to people who have mental illnesses because they're so interesting to talk to. Most that I've come into contact with have a wonderful sense of humor. They make me laugh most of the time, when my other fellow nursing students won't so much as crack a smile. I love hearing their stories.

Is psych really such a bad place in a hospital setting? Because from what I'm hearing it's like working in the house on haunted hill.

[windsurfer8, BSN, RN]

"Is psych really such a bad place in a hospital setting?" Hmm I guess it depends on how you define "bad". If you love it then I guess it isn't "bad" for you.

Be careful in psych and always remain professional. How could you "tell" a patient didn't want to end her life? Remember your role and position as an RN. When you say someone is "broken" what do you mean by that? At times people will use Suicidal Ideations as a way to manipulate situations. Is also may be a symptom of something such as Borderline personality.

If you are interested in it then go for it, but be cautious about assuming you "know" the reasons people are doing what they are doing.

[elkpark]

One of the great things about nursing, IMO, is that it is the ultimate "big tent." There is literally "something for everyone." The majority of nurses wouldn't touch psych nursing with the proverbial 10 foot pole, but there are also plenty of us "hardcore" psych nurses who would go hungry before we'd do any other kind of nursing. No one here can tell you whether psych is "for you," but, if you think you're interested, I would encourage you to give it a try.

Best wishes for your journey!

[qbowie1219]

I currently work on a psych unit in Baltimore and many times I get the stares and glares from others when I say I'm a psych nurse. Before graduating from nursing school, I heard my instructors talk about psych wards and one said psych is for nurses that can't cut it in the medical field. Because of that, I went towards emergency medicine. That was the worst decision of my life. I hated the ED. There was no time to really interact with the patients because the atmosphere is rush, rush, rush.

I eventually left the ED and began working at a Maryland State psychiatric facility. I loved my job. I loved my patients. Crazy or not, they were people that needed help and guidance; attention and support. I work on an acute psych unit now, but I never regret going to work and working with my psych patients. The psych unit was the best environment for me.

I think the key is finding what works best for you. If psych is in your heart and leaves you fulfilled at the same time, then give it a try. Sometimes finding your niche is a trial and error situation.

Best of luck to you!

[chevyv, BSN, RN]

I have always been attracted to mental health. In fact, in nursing school they had only 2 openings for a psych rotation and I thought I was going to have to fight my way in! Nope, no problem getting a rotation lol. Upon graduation and passing my boards, I went straight into county mental health and have never looked back. I love love love psych nursing! If that is your interest, then go for it! I never regretted my choice and have been doing it for over 6yrs now. I currently work acute inpatient mental health. Good luck and listen to your heart.

[vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN]

I was always attracted to psych nursing. I, too, had professors exclaim how much they hated psych. (It was a teacher whom I saw as eccentric and incompetent) so perhaps her bias helped me to be less prejudiced.

I recall studying for my NCLEX and loving learning about words like extra pyramidal side effects and neuro malignant syndrome.[emoji38]

I applied for any and every job open to Lvn new grads and I received a job offer from a psych facility. Oh the irony!

I loved psych. I think you can't separate psych nursing from other areas, because mental illness is fairly common.

Even now, in RN school, I'm drawn to the pts with Psych Bx on the acute unit.

I have a knack for dealing with them in a positive manner.

I'm very good at not judging and meeting people on their level.

I don't get scared easily.

I can feign confidence in the face of belligerent pts.

This is only because I see them as real humans, just like anyone else.

[Chevy_girl]

Thank you all! I understand it's dangerous to make assumptions about the health of a patient, especially behavioral and mental health. As I said I'm still a student and I still have much to learn and choose what suits me best. I should have rephrased my question because it was a little vague.

Based off of what I have observed while in nursing school among my fellow students and my instructors, is that there is a stigma about psych nursing. I just don't understand why. It's as if mental illness is treated like an inconvenience to the staff more than understanding the importance to addressing a patient's health. Instead of treatment and advocating for the patient it's more like the patient becomes another file and just trouble. Basically forgetting the patient has a disease or illness, and just saying "Oh they're just crazy/nuts/insane!" I'm sure it's not like that everywhere, but within my nursing program it is. Anytime psych nursing is mentioned it's gotta be a horror story or bad experience.

So, this is what I should have asked. In a hospital setting, what is psych nursing like? For a psych nurse, what's so appealing about it? What's something you'd change? What are the pro's and con's in your opinion? What responsibilities would be expected a daily basis for you? What's your day to day like?

Thanks everyone!

[chevyv, BSN, RN]

I guess it depends on which hospital setting. I worked inpatient at a county facility and currently work inpatient in Acute. Every facility is different. It's never the same day twice. It's rarely boring and when it is, it is a welcomed break. It can be physically violent and emotionally draining. Setting clear boundaries helps. I would change the response time for violent outbursts to 5 seconds.

I usually have about 7 acute patients and am responsible for their care and safety. Admits throughout the shift. I conduct assessments both physical and mental and chart accordingly or request whatever they may need prn wise. Keeping a therapeutic and safe milieu is key. I'm not sure if this is what your looking for....

[elkpark]

Thank you all! I understand it's dangerous to make assumptions about the health of a patient, especially behavioral and mental health. As I said I'm still a student and I still have much to learn and choose what suits me best. I should have rephrased my question because it was a little vague.

Based off of what I have observed while in nursing school among my fellow students and my instructors, is that there is a stigma about psych nursing. I just don't understand why. It's as if mental illness is treated like an inconvenience to the staff more than understanding the importance to addressing a patient's health. Instead of treatment and advocating for the patient it's more like the patient becomes another file and just trouble. Basically forgetting the patient has a disease or illness, and just saying "Oh they're just crazy/nuts/insane!" I'm sure it's not like that everywhere, but within my nursing program it is. Anytime psych nursing is mentioned it's gotta be a horror story or bad experience.

So, this is what I should have asked. In a hospital setting, what is psych nursing like? For a psych nurse, what's so appealing about it? What's something you'd change? What are the pro's and con's in your opinion? What responsibilities would be expected a daily basis for you? What's your day to day like?

Thanks everyone!

The stigma that many people feel about psychiatric disorders unfortunately "rubs off" on psychiatric professionals. Psychiatrists deal with the same thing; many physicians feel that psychiatrists aren't "real" physicians. No biggie.

There are lots of threads with lots of info in the psychiatric nursing forum here. Have you looked at any of the existing threads?

Best wishes --

[Chevy_girl]

I've looked at other threads to get an idea. I could be wrong or thinking too much, but I get this overwhelming feeling that my clinical experience in psych may differ from what being an actual psych nurse is like. I'm just hesitant to dedicate myself to psych fully and then I find that it's not what I am prepared for and I'm not happy with it, which is not fair to patients who deserve the best care they can get. I tend to over think and be very cautious. After reading some threads I think clinicals maybe shield us student nurses a little so I figured this would be a good way to get some valuable input from actual experienced psych nurses! Also I accept that as students we can be a little naive or have a different perception because we're still learning.

I don't know what its like to work under an actual psychiatrist but I've heard from many dissatisfied patients. I have a close relative who has a mental health disorder. Growing up I was emotionally abused and never understood why or what I did because of said mental disorder this relative had. Then in high school I started to realize it wasn't me or anyone else. I even resented them for it because emotional abuse turned into physical abuse, sometimes very, very violent. I've seen some things that would make most people run away screaming and it was a norm for me so I learned how to defend myself, and how to diffuse/react to the situation without escalating things. The relative didn't like psychiatrists because she felt like she was being judged, and her brother is even more extreme. I've dealt with being physically, verbally and emotionally assaulted. So psych is something I feel I have the heart and proper mindset to take on. I'm still a young grasshopper with much to learn though and I always remember to take that into account. I guess I could say I want to learn the things that clinicals and text books don't have the chance to teach us. I'm the type of person who will always have more questions than answers , thank you all! :)

[elkpark]

I've looked at other threads to get an idea. I could be wrong or thinking too much, but I get this overwhelming feeling that my clinical experience in psych may differ from what being an actual psych nurse is like. I'm just hesitant to dedicate myself to psych fully and then I find that it's not what I am prepared for and I'm not happy with it ...

You will find, once you're licensed and practicing, that none of your clinicals really prepared you for what being a practicing, licensed professional in that clinical area is like. That's just how life is.

Fortunately, you're under no obligation or deadline to make a decision about a specialty by the time you finish school, or even after you've started practicing. You can "shop around" and try different things.

Best wishes for your journey!