new grad/new nurse....In need of some honest advice

avaloncar, BSN, RN · May 27, 2013

Hi. I have not done psych nursing. But it seems as though you want to make this a career long specialty. There are new grads who begin in specialty areas, like tele, NICU, ER, etc and they did not start off in med surg. You do not HAVE to start off in med surg but it is a good place to launch off from, it is just not a requirement. I think in every area of nursing there is a part of med surg in it. I hope I helped a bit. Good luck on NCLEX and the job search!

mikeru22 · May 27, 2013

Hi. I have not done psych nursing. But it seems as though you want to make this a career long specialty. There are new grads who begin in specialty areas like tele, NICU, ER, etc and they did not start off in med surg. You do not HAVE to start off in med surg but it is a good place to launch off from, it is just not a requirement. I think in every area of nursing there is a part of med surg in it. I hope I helped a bit. Good luck on NCLEX and the job search![/quote']
Hi. During our affiliation days in the Psychiatric setting I already realized how much I wanted to be a Psychiatric nurse & this desire continued for several years even after I graduated and became a registered nurse until I finally was shortlisted to be a Psychiatric nurse trainee at the National Center for Mental Health. If lucky I would be among those few trainees who will be given a plantilla post after the training. I have so much compassion and gusto on caring for and interacting with Psychiatric patients. To me this is what being a nurse is all about since unlike in the medical set up, a Psychiatric nurse uses his self as a very powerful tool first and foremost in delivering nursing care through the therapeutic use of self. I find what I do very rewarding and fulfilling although the risks are doubled since you are dealing with highly disturbed, suicidal, homicidal and totally unpredictable patients. Ironically, nurse's roles and responsibilities in the Psych ward are less toxic in the sense that we perform the same routine over and over every day from providing morning care, supervising the patient's meal, giving out medications and monitoring the patient closely for adverse reactions, carrying out doctor's order, charting, initiating patient's group activities and events involving their co patients and relatives up to seeing to it that they get proper and enough rest at night. The PM and Night shift are the most benign hours since you wouldn't have anything to do when the Doctors shift ends at 5pm and more so when the patients are already sleeping.
Do not be worried about not wanting it in the long run. You would always have the choice to shift into a different specialty provided that there are opportunities. If you can readily get into any Psych setting then might as well grab it. At NCMH, nurses undergo Psych Nurse residency for 3 years, provided they are able to comply with all the requirements, they will then be given the title Psych Nurse Practitioner. It just takes that time to build a strong competency in this field and I think, it would give you enough time to consider if you really want it or not. Meanwhile you can actively submit your applications to different Medical Institutions and shift to a med surg setting anytime while you are working as a psych nurse if you find it not too interesting to you anymore.
I don't know you and I don't know where you are but getting a job as a nurse from where I am is almost close to impossible if you don't have a backer & this is also the reason why it took more than 4 years to finally land a job as a trainee in a mental asylum although I'm keeping my self open for staff nurse posts in med-surg settings as I have several active and ongoing applications to different Medical facilities. It just really takes a while to get in due to the surplus of RNs and scant positions open both in the private and the public sector.

mikeru22 · May 27, 2013

Oh wait is this thread still part of the World Nursing where I'm in. I'm using my mobile phone and I was under the impression that I was responding to a thread under my own country's page. haha. I am just so embarrassed. yay.

lynds80 · May 27, 2013

Hello! I am a recent grad (BSN) and am currently applying for jobs and peparing for NCLEX. I have always been interested in psych and am consiering psych nursing, however I have heard from soome that I should get med-surge experience first! I need opinions/advice PLEASE!!!! I really have a huge interest and a lot of compassion for psych patients, but am afraid of entering this field and not beingmarketable if I want something else later and am also afaid of wasting my time in a position I might not really be happy with like med-surge....
suggestions please...
Has anyone out their done psych nursing throughout their whole career? Should I get some med-surge experience?
HELP!!!

Hi, I'm in the same boat your not alone. I love psych before I became an RN. I also fear that in the future I will become less marketable, but from what I hear exp is exp. and those hard skills IE: foleys, iv's. etc is something that can be re-taught. I have less then yr exp. I started off in psych left after 3 months I needed ft, went to med surg ugh, hated it. Very routine take orientated which isn't me. I just accepted a ft psych position again, which I am really excited about. I didn't enjoy the MS position so what's the pointe in staying! Life is too short to be in a position your miserable in. Good luck go with your gut.

shay&lynn, ASN, RN · May 27, 2013

Hello! I am a recent grad (BSN) and am currently applying for jobs and peparing for NCLEX. I have always been interested in psych and am consiering psych nursing, however I have heard from soome that I should get med-surge experience first! I need opinions/advice PLEASE!!!! I really have a huge interest and a lot of compassion for psych patients, but am afraid of entering this field and not beingmarketable if I want something else later and am also afaid of wasting my time in a position I might not really be happy with like med-surge....
suggestions please...
Has anyone out their done psych nursing throughout their whole career? Should I get some med-surge experience?
HELP!!!

Great question!

I was wondering the same thing as I have also heard new nurses should go into Med Surge first...

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · May 28, 2013

While prior med-surg experience won't hurt, it is not necessary for a successful career in psych. You may not be doing as many IVs, foleys, lab draws, or other hands-on skills in psych (unless you work psych-medical). But you'd be surprised how much medical info you will need to maintain, since psych patients do not leave their medical problems at the door when they check in. As far as keeping up that info, besides experience...that's what CEUs, inservices, and self-education are for :)

If psych is what you want to do and you have an opportunity to go straight into it, then by all means, jump!

If you want to get med-surg experience first, that's fine too--like I said, it can't hurt.

If you are worried about marketability...yes, starting off in med-surg will give you experience that can help you transition to other jobs. However, many jobs including psych are now requiring acute care experience to be "recent", as in at least one year within the last 3 years. If you get your year of m/s, go into psych for 5 years and then looking at changing for something else, your year of m/s won't fulfill the requirement for recent experience. So a year of med/surg won't necessarily guarantee you your pick of specialties when (or even if) you decide to switch out of psych.

To stay marketable, you'd have to keep that in mind and make sure you are getting experience in both specialties on a regular basis.

Best of luck whatever you decide!

lillyh_90 · May 28, 2013

Hi, I'm in the same boat your not alone. I love psych before I became an RN. I also fear that in the future I will become less marketable, but from what I hear exp is exp. and those hard skills IE: foleys, iv's. etc is something that can be re-taught. I have less then yr exp. I started off in psych left after 3 months I needed ft, went to med surg ugh, hated it. Very routine take orientated which isn't me. I just accepted a ft psych position again, which I am really excited about. I didn't enjoy the MS position so what's the pointe in staying! Life is too short to be in a position your miserable in. Good luck go with your gut.

I am glad to know that I m not alone in this!!! I am applying in different departments but I think if given the opportunity to work psych I will jump on it! Thanks for your input :)

lillyh_90 · May 28, 2013

While prior med-surg experience won't hurt, it is not necessary for a successful career in psych. You may not be doing as many IVs, foleys, lab draws, or other hands-on skills in psych (unless you work psych-medical). But you'd be surprised how much medical info you will need to maintain, since psych patients do not leave their medical problems at the door when they check in. As far as keeping up that info, besides experience...that's what CEUs, inservices, and self-education are for :)
If psych is what you want to do and you have an opportunity to go straight into it, then by all means, jump!
If you want to get med-surg experience first, that's fine too--like I said, it can't hurt.
If you are worried about marketability...yes, starting off in med-surg will give you experience that can help you transition to other jobs. However, many jobs including psych are now requiring acute care experience to be "recent", as in at least one year within the last 3 years. If you get your year of m/s, go into psych for 5 years and then looking at changing for something else, your year of m/s won't fulfill the requirement for recent experience. So a year of med/surg won't necessarily guarantee you your pick of specialties when (or even if) you decide to switch out of psych.
To stay marketable, you'd have to keep that in mind and make sure you are getting experience in both specialties on a regular basis.
Best of luck whatever you decide!

Thank you! You make a very valid point regarding the recent experience if and when I decide to transfer! Thanks again!

lynds80 · May 28, 2013

I am glad to know that I m not alone in this!!! I am applying in different departments but I think if given the opportunity to work psych I will jump on it! Thanks for your input :)

Good luck!

Orca, ADN, ASN, RN · May 29, 2013

A piece of advice from one who did it - don't go straight into mental health without polishing your technical skills. I took a job in mental health right out of school. Five years in, I worked for an employer who closed the facility out from under us. I went from fully employed to on unemployment compensation for three months - at a time when local hospitals were running full-page ads in the Sunday paper begging for help. I couldn't buy an interview because mental health was all I had done and, in the eyes of most, all I could ever do. There is an unfortunate stigma that goes with psychiatric nursing, one that almost cost me my career at one point.

lynds80 · May 29, 2013

A piece of advice from one who did it - don't go straight into mental health without polishing your technical skills. I took a job in mental health right out of school. Five years in I worked for an employer who closed the facility out from under us. I went from fully employed to on unemployment compensation for three months - at a time when local hospitals were running full-page ads in the Sunday paper begging for help. I couldn't buy an interview because mental health was all I had done and, in the eyes of most, all I could ever do. There is an unfortunate stigma that goes with psychiatric nursing, one that almost cost me my career at one point.[/quote']
So what did you do? Where are you at now? To be honest with you, working on a medical floor doesn't interest me.
I love psych.. Interested in correctional & forensics.