Ok, so as the name implies I have an interest in psychiatry. Actually, I only became a nurse to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner, and in four weeks I'll finish a MSN program to do just that. Oddly enough, I've never worked in a psych unit in any capacity other than budding APRN. Of note, I've really taken to psychiatry to the point of devoting much of my leisure time to learning more about the field, e.g. history of psychiatry, applicable psychology (neuroscience, cognition, social psychology), neurobiology, psychopharmacology, etc. This has really become my "thing."
A couple of weeks ago I left my other position and took one on a psych unit under the auspices that I would remain there until I become fully credentialed in a few months. As a lateral transfer, personnel and everyone else involved was fine with it.
My intent was experiencing more of the inpatient side of things despite the fact that my career interests lie in outpatient psychiatry. However, I am seriously bored to death, and I am considering quitting and not working again (at all) until I start my already contracted APRN position. I realize that psych nursing is hard work, and over the years I've become intimately acquainted with the nuances of an inpatient setting.
I've already learned about and dealt with unit security, escalation/de-escalation, psychopathology, psychotropics, therapy, therapeutic dialogue, etc. The computer system is the same as my previous RN department since it's the same hospital, and there was really nothing to learn but what boxes are checked (and which aren't) when someone is admitted, discharged, or how this particular unit goes about accessing the Pyxis which is grossly different than what I'm used to.
I'm not saying I'm overqualified or even overtrained for the psych unit, as a RN, but I'm dissatisfied with my role expectations, I finish my required work early, and sit in the day room talking ad nauseum with patients or explaining how medications work to nurses that have been there for varying lengths of time such my reply to a "seasoned" RN lamenting "I don't understand why our unit's blood pressures are always so low." This isn't bad, but I'm watching the clock thinking "if I were at home I could be finishing x paper or reading y chapter."
Basically, I think I took the position with a different mindset, and I'm bored. I don't dislike it, but I don't like it either. I'm not dreading going to work tomorrow, but I'm completely numb to it. Previously, I was staffing urgent care, and I enjoyed that (not the emergent side though) because I would spend the day talking to the PAs and APRNs that staffed UC about their treatments, and in the psych unit the residents and attending don't seem approachable. I'm not timid of them, but they're just not available for that type of dialogue.
I suppose I'm looking for coping strategies other than "just suck it up." I'm not financially obligated to work, but I have a dim view of people that don't so I keep slugging away everyday.
I have to agree with a previous poster--you do come off a bit arrogant. The thing is, the mundane, tedious stuff you hate so much is really the backbone of psychiatric care. Psych isn't Superman flying in to save the day--it's the boring, everyday things: are you able to care for yourself, keep up a household, pay the bills on time, hold a job? How are you coping with the daily stresses of life? Frankly, I'm surprised you don't like inpatient care, as the people are, kind of by definition, not coping well and in need of more intervention than outpatient therapy and medication management can provide.
At this point, it sounds to me like you are more in love with the role you want to play than the actual work. I know that probably sounds nasty, but I don't mean it that way. It's kind of like the difference between adolescent puppy-love and real love: real love is work--it requires communication, compromise, comfortable (and uncomfortable) silences, and the ordinariness of life. Puppy love is wonderful--it feels great to be swept up in that kind of passion. But of course it doesn't last. I think you just need some growing-up time--the boring details of charting and whatnot are the "work" of nursing; you have to put up with it in order to earn the stuff that makes you feel good and happy--the stuff you fell in love with.
CryssyD, I think you are right. The poster does come across as seriously arrogant and is looking for praise and with the "poor me" attitude. You've never worked in a mental health unit other than buddying. Your post is laughable to me. It's okay to be academic, but academic nurses don't always last in the unit environment, as they usually think that they have more skill and knowledge than their colleagues. I would suggest that you get some real experience and stop trying to show off! When you've served your time on the floor and experienced some decent action, then it might be more appropriate for you to offer some deep and meaningful thoughts. Devoting your time to reading and learning as you have mentioned tells us something about your personality type, which may not be conducive to the mental health care environment. I would suggest that are neither over-qualified or over-trained by your remarks or mentality. I'm starting a PhD in June but I haven't boasted about that, have I?
nickfitz1969
92 Posts
CryssyD, I think you are right. The poster does come across as seriously arrogant and is looking for praise and with the "poor me" attitude. You've never worked in a mental health unit other than buddying. Your post is laughable to me. It's okay to be academic, but academic nurses don't always last in the unit environment, as they usually think that they have more skill and knowledge than their colleagues. I would suggest that you get some real experience and stop trying to show off! When you've served your time on the floor and experienced some decent action, then it might be more appropriate for you to offer some deep and meaningful thoughts. Devoting your time to reading and learning as you have mentioned tells us something about your personality type, which may not be conducive to the mental health care environment. I would suggest that are neither over-qualified or over-trained by your remarks or mentality. I'm starting a PhD in June but I haven't boasted about that, have I?
