mental health

[~passionateSN~]

I am going into mental health in August for 2nd level and I am scared to death!!!! Does anyone have any tips in what not to do or do??? Thank u!

[Wild Irish LPN, LPN]

I loved my clinical experience in Mental Health....these folks are no different than you or I when we need care and help....go in with an open heart and open ears....listen, and learn....I decided to go into Corrections Nursing, and the inmate population is so stricken with addiction and mental health issues....I am making it my goal to try to identify and help those with undiagnosed mental illness and get them Tx prior to ending up in the system....I love this population and I bet you just might as well....Good Luck and Peace to you....:)

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Like the OP, I was nervous about my psych rotation in nursing school, too.......until I actually went through it and gained an entirely different perspective. The patients weren't any more frightening than the average person on the street, and in some cases much less so; most were quiet and introspective, and they were there to get better, not attack their fellow patients or staff.

Now, many years later, I know that "there but for the grace of God go I". I've never been inpatient and hopefully never will, but as a nurse with my own mental health issues I know there's always a chance of it; and I hope there will be good, compassionate nurses to care for me if it ever does happen. Thank God for those nurses who are brave enough to enter this field and wise enough to treat mentally ill patients as human beings.

[whichone'spink, BSN, RN]

I'm sure as part of lectures for mental health, you will learn therapeutic communication and basic counseling responses. That will help you talk to patients a little bit. But the best thing you can do is be there.

[MadpeysRN]

I was scared too, but it ended up being fun. the staff are really watching these patients all the time when they are out and about.

[frankie,RN]

in addition to all the wonderful advice everyone gave, I'll add my two cents...

1. never turn your back on them. 2. never let your guard down. 3. And always watch your back

because you never know. You know. good luck to you. hope its a wonderful experience.:)

[Patti_RN]

in addition to all the wonderful advice everyone gave, I'll add my two cents...

1. never turn your back on them. 2. never let your guard down. 3. And always watch your back

because you never know. You know. good luck to you. hope its a wonderful experience.:)

In my years as a nurse, both mental health and medical nursing, the most threatening situations I've known of did not involve psych patients, nor did they involve medical patients. The most volatile situations were employees who were terminated or on the verge of termination. Second most threatening were family members of patients (usually in the ED or pediatrics). Yes, psych patients can be violent, but their anger is usually not directed toward health care workers. People act out towards those they have a grievance with. This is why terminated employees threaten their former supervisors, or why family members start screaming and threatening when an MI patient is triaged and cared for before their daughter who sprained her ankle.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

In my years as a nurse, both mental health and medical nursing, the most threatening situations I've known of did not involve psych patients, nor did they involve medical patients. The most volatile situations were employees who were terminated or on the verge of termination. Second most threatening were family members of patients (usually in the ED or pediatrics). Yes, psych patients can be violent, but their anger is usually not directed toward health care workers. People act out towards those they have a grievance with. This is why terminated employees threaten their former supervisors, or why family members start screaming and threatening when an MI patient is triaged and cared for before their daughter who sprained her ankle.

This is so true. I witnessed so much more violence in pediatrics than I did in my psych clinical. Now, granted, I worked inpatient pediatrics for 4 1/2 years and only did a semester long psych clinical but if you think about it, it does make sense that the greater threat comes from the outside. Psych patients are monitored very closely and their belongings are generally searched upon admission. I've seen parents bring weapons (guns, knives) to the unit in pediatrics, I've seen a mother of a patient beat the h-e-double hockey sticks out of her own mother in the hallway, I've seen parents have to be escorted out by security or pinned to the ground by security because they were threatening staff or were being violent.

I remember my end-of-the semester reflection at the end of my psych clinical. Overwhelmingly my thought about the patients was "these people are just like me."

[frankie,RN]

In my years as a nurse, both mental health and medical nursing, the most threatening situations I've known of did not involve psych patients, nor did they involve medical patients. The most volatile situations were employees who were terminated or on the verge of termination. Second most threatening were family members of patients (usually in the ED or pediatrics). Yes, psych patients can be violent, but their anger is usually not directed toward health care workers. People act out towards those they have a grievance with. This is why terminated employees threaten their former supervisors, or why family members start screaming and threatening when an MI patient is triaged and cared for before their daughter who sprained her ankle.

I definitely agree with you about who has the potential tobe violent. not sure about the OP's location, but when offering advice you have to give the good as well as the bad. I speak on the experience of living in an urban/inner city area. a lot of the psych patients are poss. paranoid schizophrenic/ affective, with a tendacy to violence and drug addicted maybe. and they do attack when you are at your most vurnerable moment. especially new people.not only are these patients in psych facilities, they are also being admitted to ltc facilities. just because the majority of psych patients where you are may happen to be great people going thru a troubling period, it maynot be like that everywhere else. some nurses do clinicals in state hospitals where its not all great. So please dont come down too harsh on me you guys. if someone asks for advice you have togive them the honest truth.

OP- let me rephrase my original post. i should have said. if youare unsure or nervous of what to expect, always remember to-PREPARE FOR THE WORST BUT HOPE FOR THE BEST- especially in urbanized facilities. but still, dont turn your back.

[pickles100]

Do any f you psych. nurses know a good conference or seminar on Chemical dependency in California?

[pickles100]

oops I meant of : /

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

I'm scared because my friend got pinned down at our psych hospital by a patient.. Maybe I'm scared more now because we haven't studied how to handle things yet of course because school hasnt started yet. maybe I will be more comfortable once we he lectures.

You are smart to be concerned about a violent incident . They do happen, but you can't let that random occurrence interfere with your clinical studies.

You should have training in CPI during this rotation. That is crisis prevention and intervention. It shows you the impending signs of an outburst and how to handle them on a professional level.

Number one is never be alone with a patient , and NEVER turn your back to them, that is what leaves you vulnerable.

Find out the protocol for a violent patient, some have a button you can hit to call for assistance. Know who responds to this call. Some facilities rely on staff, some have security.

The vast majority of patients are not violent and only need empathetic listening and cognitive therapy. Know the diagnosis of the patients you are assigned to . Your task during this rotation is to learn how to observe behavior.

Good luck. I did not care for my psych rotation... now 30 years later... I enjoy the challenge .

[QuarterLife88, MSN, RN, NP]

Eh, I'm honestly more afraid of the average Joe on the street who's allowed to run amok. At least in the psych ward, the crazy is contained.