New Grad Gero-psych nurse

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I am a new grad RN that recently took a gero-psych nursing positon, (brand new unit) working one day per week, per diem. I am looking for another job or new grad program and I dont know if I should stick with psych or try to find a medical job. Has anyone out there ever done two specialties at the same time? I loved psych in school, but I hear it's hard to get out of if you go straight into it after school. Any advice?

Specializes in acute care then Home health.

I loved psych clinicals at UCLA too. Are they hiring for new grad programs right now? No, there is absolutly no difference in pay. The only thing is that psych nurses work 4 more hours per week because of the 8hr shifts = 40hr work week instead of 36. However, there is WAY more opportunity for overtime in med/surg so you would probably make more money if you are willing to go there. PM me sometime were neighbors. I went to LAVC.

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Thank you for the information. I will see what I will do. Good luck!

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Specializes in Psych, ER, Resp/Med, LTC, Education.

I would say get a year or 2 under your belt--when I worked inpatient psych I was one of few who has medical experience and were resources for many of the nurses who didn't ahve any experience. They would always say to me ---I love psych and know that I belong here but I wish I had some medical experience so I would know this stuff and not have to run to you few nurses with the experience all the time--- things like wound assessment and documentation and treatments--big with the geri's, IVs and even how to use to pumps, had to hang blood once and I was coming onto the night shift and haning the second of the 2 ordered units and found out the nurses on the eve shift ended up having to call the hospital supervisor and pull out a text book and the policy and procedure just and it took all three of them and all this to get one unit of blood hung and run in! LOL I had stuff all the time--a trach one time that needed cleaning, G-Tube feedings, colostomies............you name it!! You WILL use the knowledge and the nurses you work with will love it if you can help out and know this stuff!!! I would suggest a general unit--where you will get a lot of varied experience-- maybe not tele cause that is really not a skill you use a lot--other then reading a strip you might run on someone with a funky potassium or tach or something but if they are unstable you transfer them---wound care is big. Between the slashers and the geri's. So yeah one or two years then you are set and off to psych--you won't regret it.

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I am a new grad and I will soon be working as a psych nurse. I will be working at a hospital with a separate psych facility that includes several units-adolescent, outpatient, detox, gen. psych, and acute adult/gero. I will have the opportunity to work in all the units. I am excited because I love that I can use my communication skills more readily than on med-surg. Med-surg never held any charms for me-I always knew psych was my calling. I will be starting out working nights-two 8's and two 12s a week. Any advice from some seasoned psych nurses-especially night nurses? Thanks!:nurse:

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I loved psych clinicals at UCLA too. Are they hiring for new grad programs right now? No, there is absolutly no difference in pay. The only thing is that psych nurses work 4 more hours per week because of the 8hr shifts = 40hr work week instead of 36. However, there is WAY more opportunity for overtime in med/surg so you would probably make more money if you are willing to go there. PM me sometime were neighbors. I went to LAVC.

how was LAVC??? i'm applying there for this fall, any info on the nursing program?? it would be greatly appreciated!!

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