psychnurse37

psychnurse37 has 37 years experience and specializes in psychiatric.

Latest Activity

1. Understaffing and burnout

   psychnurse37 replied to cherishlpn's topic in Safety

   "Understaffing" will always be a problem because there is a big difference in how you look at staffing, and who is looking. Administration is looking at it from a monitary standpoint. They have to show a profit (even if "nonprofit") in order to pay s...

2. Nursing 10 years ago

   psychnurse37 replied to kauffman's topic in General Nursing

   Lts has changed in 10 years, even more in 20, 30 and so on. Some of the changes have been for the better, some for the worse. We used to give back rubs. We used to reuse equipment after it was steralized. We used to not have sonograms or ultrasounds ...

3. deaf pt hearing voices

   psychnurse37 replied to time4meRN's topic in General Nursing

   I have dealt with many patients who hallucinate, even some who were hearing or sight impaired. The "voices" are real to them, sometimes coming from in their head and other times coming from somewhere outside their head. Some are friendly voices, othe...

4. Letter of resignation due to mental health issues

   psychnurse37 replied to kristinleeRN's topic in General Nursing

   I suggest you are truthful in your letter of resignation. Accenctuate the positive experiences you had while employed but add something about concern for daughter and husband's health due to exposures. I am a director and have read a lot of resignati...

5. Questions on Violence in Mental Health and Child/Adoles. Units ??

   psychnurse37 replied to sandlewood_nurse's topic in Psychiatric

   response from a psych nurse of 37 + years: JCAHO has a goal of ZERO restraints and seclusions and most hospitals are trying to meet this goal. We have made tremendous progress since I first became a psych nurse in 1968. We seldom have to resort to se...

6. I'm not "WIPING BUTTS"

   psychnurse37 replied to KayceeLeeRN's topic in General Nursing

   Psych nurses do wipe butts! We have many patients unable to care for themselves: seriously mentally ill patients, Alzheimers patients, unco-operative patients, 5 year old ADD/ADHD or "crack baby" unpotty trained children, overdoses, etc. In fact, wh...

7. Need to complete a paper -need nurses to complete a questionaire

   psychnurse37 replied to UKPedsRN's topic in General Nursing

   if you need input from a psych nurse with 37 years experience, let me know

8. Name hospital and salary--everywhere

   psychnurse37 replied to mistydave's topic in General Nursing

   Alabama starting wage lower than most places. "They" say it's because cost of living is lower???!!!! Anyway, new grads start at 15.50 per hour in my area. larger cities offer more PRN rate is $25 per hour for 8 or more years experience ther is $2 pe...

9. Please share something GOOD that happened at work!

   psychnurse37 replied to RNsRWe's topic in General Nursing

   There have been a lot of good things that happened around me the past 37 years or so of being a nurse. A lot of them were patient centered, and usually went quietly by, without "thank you letters to administration", but I knew I had made a difference...

10. Nurses are Pathetic!!

    psychnurse37 replied to lorster's topic in General Nursing

    I read a lot of the replies and agree, we are in it together to care for patients, whether it is in an office, a hospital, with hospice, teaching, helping the kid down the block, in a war zone or whatever. We really have come a long way since nursin...

11. least "stressful" type/area of nursing?

    psychnurse37 replied to amjbrick's topic in General Nursing

    Nursing is a stressful job, but some areas or units more so than others. If peds is a dream, go for it. If ER is a dream, go for it. Or combine the two and work in a pediatric Er (yes, there are some in the bigger hospitals) As a psych nurse, I can t...

12. Need advice from experienced RN's

    psychnurse37 replied to bamaRN34's topic in General Nursing

    You are on the right track by asking others for suggestions. You have to first decide where you see yourself in 5 or 10 years. Do you want to work in a hospital? a doctors office? teaching other nurses (inservice or nursing program)? long term care? ...

13. would you be a RN for $11.00/hr?

    psychnurse37 replied to PHLEBOTOMIST_TO_RN's topic in General Nursing

    When I graduated in 1968, I started as a new grad in Mobile Ala for about $4 per hour. Of course, minimum wage was really really low, and we were proud to have a good job as a "new"nurse. Naturally, I make more now, and probably wouldn't do what I do...

14. where to work

    psychnurse37 replied to jInX22's topic in New York

    I'm not from your area of the country, but I have been a nurse for 37 years and have a few suggesions for you. In fact I have given some of these same suggestions to students who rotate through my hospital. First, make sure you compare "apples to app...

15. What's your story? Why did you take up nursing?

    psychnurse37 replied to Joe V's topic in General Nursing

    I have been a nurse since 1968. Those were the days when women could grow up to be teachers, secretaries, nurses or "mommies". I had been a candy striper for years and read every book on Clara Barton and Florence Nightengale and other books on nursin...