Is Psych Nursing Easy?

Specialties Psychiatric

Updated:   Published

I have a girlfriend who swears that psych nursing is the easiest nursing job there is? Coming from a med/surgical floor and feeling tired in my first trimester of pregnancy, I see the job announcements and am tempted to apply? Is it as relatively laid back as she claims? Also, can you get career pigeoned-holed afterwards? Like once a psych nurse, always a psych nurse?

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

Anyone who says that psych nursing is easy but isn't actually a psych nurse should spend a couple of days on the intensive care unit where we have our most psychotic patients. Then let's see if they still think it's easy :D

Seriously...as everyone has said, the main thing is that it is different than med-surg, not necessarily better/worse/easier/harder. We may not be doing as many of the technical skills such as IVs, foleys, suction, etc...because many of our interventions involve communicating and interacting with the patients. But because they don't happen to involve rubber gloves and tubes, that doesn't mean our skill set is much easier to master. It's actually rather complex.

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Wow, come on people. We all want to defend what we do for a living, but let's get real. Psych is easier, and if you all think it is so tough then you're in the wrong specialty. If you have experience doing both psych and med-surg then how can you even try to say it is not easier? Don't give me that "skills" vs "brains" stuff. Are they different? Yes. Is med-surg harder? YES. The original post is wanting to know if, in the real world, psych is easier than med-surg and it is! Am I proud of what I do for a living as a psych nurse? Absolutely. Can everyone do it? No. But less people can handle med-surg. Not trying to offend...

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Specializes in Mental health.

To say psych nursing is easy all depends on your place of work, staff to pt ratio's, rehab or acute etc.

If you find a good number then well done, there are plenty of hell places to work and you are on the go from the moment you step in the door.

Others psych hospitals you have ample time to watch some TV, read the paper, play some sport, go shopping with the patients etc.

These forums are a good indicator of peoples places of work.

Mine is a cruise, its not like work, it's almost like time away from home.

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What do you think of psych nursing compared to psych social work? I know the two are quite different in job functions. I am trying to decide between the two as a major of study. I like the idea of interaction with patients, 1 on 1 or in a group. I am quite interested in psychological disorders. I think psych nursing would be quite challenging, as would social work.

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What do you think of psych nursing compared to psych social work? I know the two are quite different in job functions. I am trying to decide between the two as a major of study. I like the idea of interaction with patients, 1 on 1 or in a group. I am quite interested in psychological disorders. I think psych nursing would be quite challenging, as would social work.

There are several existing "social work vs. psych nursing" threads here, where lots of people have discussed this v. question. You could find them using the "search" button.

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Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, LTC.

I have 2 jobs.. One med/surg and one psych. They are both "hard" and "easy" in their own ways. In psych I am not worried about pts going bad on me, relieving extreme pain, worrying if I missed a major thing and loose a pt, etc. I don't have 5 call bells going off with things that need to be tended to NOW. However, in psych, I have one trying to hurt themself, 2 borderlines upsetting the whole unit and creating a chaotic mess, and another one on suicide precautions, so someone has to be with them constantly, even when sleeping. Both places I find I need to be in 2 places at a time. Both have stresses, just DIFFERENT stresses, if that makes sense. I like psych more, so I find psych "easier". I don't like med/surg so much, so it is difficult for me. However, I try to work a little here and there so that I don't get "stuck" in psych and not able to work in another area if I get burnt out. Sure, you do an occassional IV or foley or O2 in psych, but it isn't the same as when on a med/surg unit... Doing 1 IV once a month or a foley once every several months doesn't really keep you on your toes the way med/surg does. As far as pregnancy, I would rather work med/surg, b/c at least you don't have patients swinging at you as frequently. It still happens of course, but not several times a day like in psych.

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What do you do when patients are swinging at you several times a day? Seriously?

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Specializes in Med Surg.

LOL!!! That last comment was way too funny

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
As far as pregnancy, I would rather work med/surg, b/c at least you don't have patients swinging at you as frequently. It still happens of course, but not several times a day like in psych.

I'll second that: think it easier than med-surg or harder or different or whatever, you have to admit that psych nursing is not a "put your feet up and relax" job. In addition, just because you are pregnant doesn't mean that you won't be involved in a code. Sure, you will have other staff to help you...you may not have them right away though.

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I'm puzzled by the references to "people swinging at you several times a day" -- I've worked in a number of tough inpatient psych settings over the decades, and, while I haven't worked in a state hospital, I've taught clinical and surveyed in psych hospitals for several years (that is, spent lots of time unobtrusively observing in state hospitals), and I've never encountered a situation where I (or anyone else) was "getting swung at several times a day." Once in a while, sure, but never "several times a day" (or even once a day on a regular basis!)

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I also haven't encountered patients assaulting staff all that often. With the kids we are breaking up their physical altercations on a regular basis which can result in staff injuries.

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Specializes in Behavioral Health, Show Biz.

:twocents:

yes.

psych nursing is easier in respect to the physical demands of the specialty

(exception: geropsychiatry)

op----please note:

i love what i do as a psychiatric/mental health nurse that practices on an inpatient, acute-care, psychiatric unit.

yes, i feel i make a difference.

you, op, are in your first trimester of pregnancy. some of the clients with mental illnesses lack the capacity to control thier violence impulses/behaviors (due to lack of perception or lack of behavioral/mood control) and strike-out at the staff, patients and visitors. i pray for the safety of all every night that i work---especially when staffing levels are inadequate to provide safety. bottom line: in your present/future prenatal status, some of your patients have the potential to physically strike-out at you---some will not recall the violent episode; some will and will not care.

what about the safety of you and your unborn child?

of course, i welcome all that want to enter the specialty, but please review all aspects of your decision.

maybe after your maternity leave.:loveya:

i say this after learning of an incident whereby a colleague was stomped by a patient and incurred a fracture of the arm---yes, the client was aware of the incident and would do it again and was attempting to stomp the nurse in the face.

that hurts my heart :down:

many blessings to you and your family and much success to you in your career.

showbizrn: from the heart:redpinkhe

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