b-nurse

I am a nurse with a compassion for people suffering from mental illness. I currently work on a crisis stabilization unit (ICU) at a major metropolitan psych hospital. I enjoy the work and think often about pursuing psych NP. Lately, I have been feeling a bit disillusioned by psychiatry. The revolving door effect, lack of resources/funding for the care of the population, poor med compliance, medication efficacy, burned-out nurses/MDs, patients using the system for "3 hots and a cot"/secondary gain, and rumors of financial ties between medical director and pharmaceutical companies as seen by psychiatrists all being told to what medications to prescribe all seem to be contributing to this disillusionment. A lot of these things are seen in all of health care, but seemed to be amplified in psychiatry. I came into this field hopeful, passionate, excited, and ambitious to work in Psych and become a Psych NP but, sometimes second guess this path. Where is the hope in psychiatry? Where are there changes happening to help these suffering individuals? For psych-NPs and nurses, do you feel like you are making a difference for people? Do you enjoy what you do? I throughly enjoy my job and thankful for the position but I do question if I am actually making a difference. Thank you

Just graduated nursing school. I came to nursing because of my love for the excitement and fast pace of the emergency department! But as of lately, I have been very anxious about becoming a new grad. The thing that scares me most is making mistakes, but especially a lethal mistake as a RN. This was always a worry but it has now become more of a intense anxiety because I know that at times at my current CNA job, I will make careless errors, not out of lack of knowledge but out of lapses in focus. I have known myself as having a history of careless mistakes because of my inattention. And sometimes I will be not be able to focus on what someone is saying to me even if they are talking directly to me. As I have researched it over the past year, I can definitely relate to the symptoms ADD-inattentive subtype. But interestingly, I made it through nursing school without any medication. But I know I could not have done it without did use gracious amount of caffeine, had good sleep hygiene, ate healthy, made sure to exercise, did good study habits and used a lot of reminders/to do lists. But as i look back though, I imagine what school could have been like if I were on a stimulant med. Here are my questions: Should I consider getting on medication? Are these fears normal for new grads and will I soon get over the fear and gain confidence as a new nurse? Will time and experience be all I need to become a great and safe nurse what ever specialty I go into? All you adult ADD'ers, what are your thoughts? I know this is not a psychiatrist forum for free advice, but i just thought to throw it out here and see some responses