you know you work in mental health when...

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Specializes in mental health + aged care.

I work in mental health in a residential facility. Great for gaining experience for when I am an RN (fingers crossed, will be August). Just noticing some of the things that could only happen in mental health.

During my shift tonight, I was playing a board game called articulation with the residents. One person was supposed to get his team mate to guess the word without actually saying the word. This particular round they had to guess the word "excusing". Resident A said "it's when you've offended someone and want to say sorry". Resident B's first guess, "self harm".

Anyone got any others?

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Specializes in mental health + aged care.

Another incident I heard about (this was before I started working there). One resident tried to overdose, on potassium supplements. Her specialist was really pleased as she just managed to get her potassium level back to the normal range

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I was playing Apples to Apples with my patients (YES! You gotta love a job where you may get paid to play games!!).

ANYWAY... I was the judge and word was "quiet".

Each patient laid down the card they chose from their hand that they felt best represented "quiet".

I looked them over and found one patient had chosen "Lucille Ball".

I asked who picked it and why.

I get this VERY flat, expressionless response:

"She's dead. She's not making any noise."

I thought her answer was funny enough I let her win that round.

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Specializes in OB, ER, ICU, Supervision, SANE.

You know you're in psyche when....

1. Your patient refuses to go to bed because "its on fire"

2. you know what "cheeking" is....

3. Nudity is a normal condition of some of your patients

4. You hear threats like "if you dont give me that pill, I'll take all my clothes off right now.

5. You find patients talking to multiple inanimate objects - and getting made when you interrupt.

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...you ask your patient why she refuses to change clothes and she tells you, "It's them cats. They can't smell me right now but they can smell new clothes and they'll get me."

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

You're in psych nursing when:

* The term 'four point restraint' doesn't excite you in any way.

* You can give a flawless IM injection under any conditions.

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