Mental health

Nurses Stress 101

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I'm a 4th year nursing student and I really love nursing however I have a concern. Do you think it's unethical to choose mental health just because it was funny as hell. when I did the rotation last semester I laugh my ass off everyday, the things that come out of patients mouth was just hysterical. I am sympathetic towards mental health patients and I personally thought I would hate it before I went but that was far from the truth. But now I am back in school and I'm missing those patients. So uhm do you think it's unethical to laugh at patients?

i want to apologize to my fellow nurses particularly the ones suffering from mental illnesses and/or have love ones who are mentally ill themselves. i realize that my post was perceived to be extremely offensive and derogatory, i didn't mean to offend anybody here. i was truly empathetic towards my patients, most persons here don't seem to believe that. Mental illnesses should be viewed in the same capacity as a person suffering from a malignant neoplasm, and nothing is funny about lymphoma or leukemia. i truly did not mean any ill intent, i'm 21 and not very mature as yet, somethings that i may find funny my mother or anybody else for that matter may not. Again i'm am sorry, i know realize my actions were extremely immoral, however i reacted merely on impulse, something was said that i found funny and i laughed. i know realize that expressing my amusement through laughter was extremely wrong/immoral and extremely insensitive, i am truly ashamed of my myself for my actions.

Ackeem.

This does make you an incompetent potential nurse. Participating in occupational and group therapy is not the typical role of nursing students or staff nurses. Perhaps the patients didn't realize that you were there as a student to learn since you were such an active participant?

students are encourage to participate in group therapy sessions, occupational therapy not so much, as this is the responsibility of occupational therapist, however i did engage in these activities nonetheless.

Specializes in Maternity.

Mental illness is a very "painful" disease. Behind the delusions, ticks etc is someone in pain that is compounded by people like the OP who find such behaviors entertaining. That's what the OP is saying when he/she stated that he wants to go in to psychiatric nursing because it's funny. There is nothing funny about this misunderstood disease.

To the OP, please choose another specialty. When you do come across a patient that exhibits these "funny " behaviors as you call them, please remember that this patient is hurting and faces the stigma of mental illness every day. Every day they wake up with this disease and try their best to function in a society that largely misunderstands them. People like you that find entertainment in their plight. People like you, who as a healthcare provider should be a source of comfort and understanding. I hope you never have a friend or family member with mental illness. I would bet that you do have someone that is suffering but they feel afraid to share their pain.

Think of your mother having a mental illness. Would you find it funny then?

Off my soap box for now.....still feeling steamed.

Wow Ackeem, that took a lot of maturity to write that! I applaud you. I'm 40-years-old and have had to learn a lot of things the hard way, stuck my foot in my mouth many a time (and often still do- though not as much), but the important thing is to never stop learning and growing. In mental health, sometimes funny things happen, funny on the surface. I don't think it is a horrible thing to laugh, or even find humor in serious matters, in fact, I think laughter in a serious moment can be very therapeutic. For example, I suffer from a severe manifestation of the autoimmune disease psoriasis, and at it's worst, I was covered with hideous red, scaly patches on over 80% of my body and face/scalp. My disease started when I was 33, and came out of nowhere-- in two short years it had taken over almost my entire body. I did everything I could to hide it from the outside world, but fortunately for me, I have a very loving, supportive husband and I never felt the need to "cover up" in front of him. One day I came downstairs in shorts and a tank top and said, "okay, I'm ready to go!" We were going to a family event, he looked at me and we both started laughing. Then I went upstairs and changed into my turtle-neck with long sleeves and long pants even though it was over 100 degrees outside. It was okay to laugh in that moment, it was funny (in a complicated sort of way), and it was a coping mechanism, but what would not be okay is if my husband went to his friends and told them the story so they could all have a good hearty laugh at my expense.

Kudos to you for being able to put your pride aside and use this experience to help you grow as a person.

Wow Ackeem, that took a lot of maturity to write that! I applaud you. I'm 40-years-old and have had to learn a lot of things the hard way, stuck my foot in my mouth many a time (and often still do- though not as much), but the important thing is to never stop learning and growing. In mental health, sometimes funny things happen, funny on the surface. I don't think it is a horrible thing to laugh, or even find humor in serious matters, in fact, I think laughter in a serious moment can be very therapeutic. For example, I suffer from a severe manifestation of the autoimmune disease psoriasis, and at it's worst, I was covered with hideous red, scaly patches on over 80% of my body and face/scalp. My disease started when I was 33, and came out of nowhere-- in two short years it had taken over almost my entire body. I did everything I could to hide it from the outside world, but fortunately for me, I have a very loving, supportive husband and I never felt the need to "cover up" in front of him. One day I came downstairs in shorts and a tank top and said, "okay, I'm ready to go!" We were going to a family event, he looked at me and we both started laughing. Then I went upstairs and changed into my turtle-neck with long sleeves and long pants even though it was over 100 degrees outside. It was okay to laugh in that moment, it was funny (in a complicated sort of way), and it was a coping mechanism, but what would not be okay is if my husband went to his friends and told them the story so they could all have a good hearty laugh at my expense.

Kudos to you for being able to put your pride aside and use this experience to help you grow as a person.

thank you for your kind insights, i am a just a student and i have a lot of learning to do, and this thread has been a true learning experience for me, and again i'm truly sorry for my ignorance and in-sensitiveness.

This is just sad

Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.

Ackeem,

I'm glad to see you take responsibility for your actions, and I hope you have learned from this experience. :yes:

Specializes in ER/Emergency Behavioral Health....
i want to apologize to my fellow nurses particularly the ones suffering from mental illnesses and/or have love ones who are mentally ill themselves. i realize that my post was perceived to be extremely offensive and derogatory, i didn't mean to offend anybody here. i was truly empathetic towards my patients, most persons here don't seem to believe that. Mental illnesses should be viewed in the same capacity as a person suffering from a malignant neoplasm, and nothing is funny about lymphoma or leukemia. i truly did not mean any ill intent, i'm 21 and not very mature as yet, somethings that i may find funny my mother or anybody else for that matter may not. Again i'm am sorry, i know realize my actions were extremely immoral, however i reacted merely on impulse, something was said that i found funny and i laughed. i know realize that expressing my amusement through laughter was extremely wrong/immoral and extremely insensitive, i am truly ashamed of my myself for my actions.

Ackeem.

This will hopefully be a good learning experience. I'm glad it happened on an Internet forum rather than a clinical site or potential place of employment.

It takes great maturity to point out when we are wrong and I admire that

about you.

That attitude

be very helpful I'm your nursing career.

Specializes in ER/Emergency Behavioral Health....

That attitude will be very helpful in your nursing career. That is what I want to say. AN app wouldn't let me scroll down to edit. :-P

Specializes in Critical care.

1st off, Kudos for the way you handled this "teachable moment"! Now, it may seem like we more vintage souls are humorless and stuffy. While you will encounter those types in your life, it's much more common to find those that can use said humor as a positive tool. It can build trust and empathy, diffuse jitters and bolster coping for both our patients and ourselves. The mastery comes in just how and where we apply it. Enjoy the journey, amigo!

This does make you an incompetent potential nurse. Participating in occupational and group therapy is not the typical role of nursing students or staff nurses. Perhaps the patients didn't realize that you were there as a student to learn since you were such an active participant?

When I was a student on a locked unit we were required to attend (and respond appropriately if any of the patients addressed us) at least one group therapy session, and also participate in the supervised group exercise activity (one occasion).

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
When I was a student on a locked unit we were required to attend (and respond appropriately if any of the patients addressed us) at least one group therapy session, and also participate in the supervised group exercise activity (one occasion).

My class was also required to do this during our psych rotation. I actually found the drumming circle to be quite therapeutic (and I wasn't even sick at the time), and group was also interesting. I'd been really nervous about being on a locked unit, but the staff and even the patients put me at ease pretty quickly. One girl who was in for severe depression said "See, it's not so scary in here once you get used to it."

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