New to Inpatient Psych and Nervous

mentalhealthRN · Mar 1, 2011

Well I think you will find some things the same. Some things more difficult and some things much easier in comparison to peds psych. The diagnosis of course-- with not being able to give many till after 18 and some that you generally see used with kids. ie conduct d/o, etc. Generally you will see many of these more "peds type dx" develop into the adult dx. Of course you may find some differences with restraint policies--like how long between releases, etc. Meds are easier--none of that mgs per kg crap! lol Though you will have the added part with adults of medical problems that come with age that you wouldn't see in pedi psych. With Geri- psych you will want to become familar with delerium and with restraints for then that are safer. And watch out--I have see a male nurse I worked with who had been in psych for like 15 years (he was like 60 at the time) and he always would tell me how he had never been injured by a pt. Then one weekend he is injured twice by the same 87 year old man--stitches twice, one to above the eye after he got head butted and once on his forearm after the guy bit him. He was so mad that he had gone unscathed for so long and he gets taken out twice in 3 days by an 87 year old! lol so don't think they are harmless! lol You will find those dx borderline personality much like your adolescent pts. They can drive you down being so needy and trying to staff split and manipulate but if you are kind yet firm like with the adolescents you will be fine and may even grow to like them like I have. So give it some time to adjust and you will be fine. Relax. Good luck to you and I really hope you do love it.