I started working on a psychiatric floor in a hospital that is pretty much "the hospital you can't fall below". They get patients that have little to no insurance, homeless, etc.
I just got out of nursing school so I do not have any hospital experience other than my rotation and preceptorship for mental health in two other hospitals.
With psych patients I noticed that they are needy and some will continually come up to the counter which I do expect since I saw that before.
I have been on the floor for only a day and in two separate instances I witnessed two different patients approach the desk where my preceptor and myself were sitting. The patients both were talking in regular voice level, not yelling etc. My preceptor would give some direction and the patient responded still talking in regular voice level, still asking for something or other. In both instances my preceptor yelled (and I mean yelled) at the patient to either go away or argued with them. I think one was asking why they could not take the medication they wanted and the other was asking to be discharged. I know that they ask the same things over and over and I understand it is frustrating for the nurses sometimes.
I would like to know what everyone's stance is on yelling at a psychiatric patient. Is it okay for me to let it go and when do you step in and say something to the nurse or your manager?
I am very, very, very LOUD. My normal, inside, calm, controlled, polite, professional speaking voice is ridiculously loud and although I am aware of it, I am unable to control it. My "loud" voice ruptures eardrums and causes avalanches on mountain tops in other hemispheres. Maybe she's just got a fine set of pipes..
It seems there is a trend in the responses where the more experienced psych nurses are saying that yelling is (or can be) normal, and those who are either new at psych or have limited experience are labeling it as inappropriate. I'm not going to say either. However, I believe this might be one of many cases where the typical nursing "rules" don't apply in psych. I'd wait it out.
OP, I hate to ask such an obvious question... but did it work?
tlc2003
4 Posts
I am very, very, very LOUD. My normal, inside, calm, controlled, polite, professional speaking voice is ridiculously loud and although I am aware of it, I am unable to control it. My "loud" voice ruptures eardrums and causes avalanches on mountain tops in other hemispheres. Maybe she's just got a fine set of pipes..