new, too....

[oliveeunice]

I looked up RN's in Africa, and somehow, here I am. I wanted to be an RN in Africa, but things just kept getting in the way --marriage, kids, my father living with me for 13 years, wheelchair bound, and now old age is in the way. I've been working in E.R. nursing for the past 16 years, loving it, but recently finding myself very tired when I came home from work. One day, I happened to be assigned to the psych area of our E.R. and as I grumbled about the need for some continuity in this kind of work, my charge nurse said, "Are you volunteering?" With a leap of faith, I said, " You know, I think I am!"

I've been doing it for 3 months now, and it's a new lease on life for me. I always enjoyed taking care of people down on their luck --I don't think I'm a sadist, I think it's because they are so real, and so needy. And no one wants them. I've been working on developing short-term care plans for my E.R. patients. The patients don't stay for a day any more. Often I have them for days. The first day or two is given over to re-grouping after a psychological crisis, but after that, some constructive work could and should be done with them. Along with starting them back on their usual med regimens, I'd like to find a way to have AA and NA meetings for them right in the E.R. Has anyone out there done any work setting up a PES (Psychiatric Emergency System)? I'd love to hear about your experiences and innovations. Also, I'm looking for some good books and/or classes on psychopharmacology, if anyone can refer me... Please write. Thanks, oe

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Good luck. Sounds like you've found your niche.