ODD Boys - Need Ideas Pls

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I just worked the worst two days I've had in a long time. I've got 12 boys in an Acute setting and the majority of them have been diagnosed with ODD, one has anti-social tendencies, one with RAD, and one autistic. Our census guidelines allow me to have one MHW. The past two days I've had a MHW who did NOTHING with these kids. Every time I looked up they were sleeping or watching TV, both of which aren't part of programming. I tried joking, pleading, threatening the MHW to do SOMETHING. Of course it's the RN's responsibility but what are you to do if you have a MHW who is ODD too? ;)

That will be taken care of Monday when I speak to my supervisor.

My question to you is "What groups, ideas do you have to keep ODD kids interested and in line?"

I've been using films (teachwithmovies.org is a great resource) but the one film I have to use with boys is "The Outsiders" and with this group of thugs (said warmly) I'm not sure that's the right choice. Med Education will end up being a talk about how to get high, Feelings and Emotions - "there's nothing f#$*ing wrong with me". You get the picture.

I've been working with teens for quite a while now, so they don't frighten me. I just want to be prepared with a way to keep them focused if I get a MHW who can't handle them so I can do all my other work.

Thanks in advance.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Trauma and Psychiatry.
I just worked the worst two days I've had in a long time. I've got 12 boys in an Acute setting and the majority of them have been diagnosed with ODD, one has anti-social tendencies, one with RAD, and one autistic. Our census guidelines allow me to have one MHW. The past two days I've had a MHW who did NOTHING with these kids. Every time I looked up they were sleeping or watching TV, both of which aren't part of programming. I tried joking, pleading, threatening the MHW to do SOMETHING. Of course it's the RN's responsibility but what are you to do if you have a MHW who is ODD too? ;)

That will be taken care of Monday when I speak to my supervisor.

My question to you is "What groups, ideas do you have to keep ODD kids interested and in line?"

I've been using films (teachwithmovies.org is a great resource) but the one film I have to use with boys is "The Outsiders" and with this group of thugs (said warmly) I'm not sure that's the right choice. Med Education will end up being a talk about how to get high, Feelings and Emotions - "there's nothing f#$*ing wrong with me". You get the picture.

I've been working with teens for quite a while now, so they don't frighten me. I just want to be prepared with a way to keep them focused if I get a MHW who can't handle them so I can do all my other work.

Thanks in advance.

Do you have projects that they could work with their hands like making stuff out of molds that they could display, they could probably have a story writing or poetry writing competition, where the child who wins earn extra priveleges. I work on a psychiatic unit and the younger generation loves the Wii Game, they put their all in it and there is so much to choose from. Or, if everything else fail ask them what are some things that they think kids their age group would enjoy doing.

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That bunch sounds like 'fun'...:eek: I worked on a 40 bed male/female adolescent unit back in the late 80s-early 90....If a kid wouldn't listen or got oppositional I stopped talking to him/her. Gave meds in silence (but I had great MHWs who would line the kids up for meds), talk to the MHW in front of the kid, and have the MHW give the kid the message :D... it generally didn't take long before they'd listen, and find out not all adults were the enemy. Basically, I just acted like I didn't care if they talked/listened... they usually had more rapport with the MHWs since they were on the unit more- so I used that. It didn't take long for them to chill out at least enough to work with them. And, I didn't want to get into a battle of wills since they came from some crazy backgrounds (ODD was the least they could have ended up with).

The RAD and autistic kids w/ODD- got nothing for that...

The ODD MHW- :banghead:

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