Mental health

MrChicagoRN, RN · Aug 25, 2014

Yes.

What you describe is unprofessional and lacking empathy. It's not funny as hell to those experiencing chronic mental illness. But for many, it certainly is hellish.

studentnursemon86 · Aug 25, 2014

The fact that you even say that shows that you lack the compassion to work in that field.

phuretrotr · Aug 25, 2014

I don't think it's a good thing to "laugh at patients". I think it's ironic that you are worried about ethics while writing what you did. I'm not laughing.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Aug 25, 2014

Are you going to "laugh your ass off" when you get a pt in Med Surg with a documented mental health condition?

People with mental illness don't "turn off" when they are in the hospital; mental illness is just as important as someone having diabetes; you have to treat the whole pt holistically; "laughing your ass off" is neither empathetic-sympathy is not even an appropriate measure when engaging with pts btw, it's empathy-nor helpful to your practice.

Put yourself in a pts shoes; would you like someone to laugh at you when you have a thousand voices coming at you, pulling you in different directions and you can't control it? Or you have no sense of worth and can't even get out of bed, let alone eat? Or you feel that all is lost and the only way to ease your pain was to end it all? Is that funny?

I'll wait.

Stephalump · Aug 26, 2014

Not sure if serious.

Everline · Aug 26, 2014

Do you think it is unethical to choose mental health just because it is funny as hell?

Yes I do.

VivaLaVespaGirl, BSN, MSN · Aug 26, 2014

My hope is that the OP was having a difficult time articulating what he/she meant...Rather than "laughing his/her ass off AT the patient" my assumption is that Ackeem was able to see the humor in some of the situations when reflecting back on his/her day. While those who have mental health and psychiatric issues are certainly suffering, I have no doubt that some of what happens may, in fact, be amusing. I read a book by Oliver Sacks called "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" and while some of the injuries/illnesses he recounted were clearly quite devastating, there was a certain humor in the manifestations of their conditions. I can see working in psych being fascinating, dreadful, and possibly entertaining at times.

JenniferWilson74 · Aug 26, 2014

My mother has (had... ) severe mental illness. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia, bi-polar, and manic-depression among other in-between diagnoses. So speaking as a person with a loved one who fought her entire adult life with this affliction, I can say that your reasons for wanting to go into mental health are pretty offensive. So I am wondering which part of her illness would have been funniest to you, the part where she didn't sleep for days, went out and spent money our family didn't have, slept with strange men (manic high), or the part where she would cry inconsolably for days, pace the room not able to stop moving, and then finally turn her wrists into hamburger with a straight razor (manic low)? Just remember that these patients who are sending you home reeling, laughing your ass off, have families, loved ones, children, and they themselves are human with intense suffering, don't even get me started on the stigma of even having a mental illness. It destroys relationships, damages family, and inflicts deep psychological wounds on everyone involved. While I agree mentally ill people can do and say some funny things, like the time my mother shaved her head because she was having a bad hair day (true story), their mental illnesses are crippling, not only to the patient, but to their families, and your desire to specialize in mental health so you can "laugh your ass off" at patients says a lot about you and your character.

Nerdy, SN · Aug 26, 2014

Oh this is just sad.

CardiacKittyRN · Aug 26, 2014

You're an idiot for even posting this, in my opinion. Wow.

HappyWife77, BSN, RN · Aug 26, 2014

I smell a troll.......