nina12345

I like it because there is great satisfaction on providing the best care you care to an undeserved population. I like being there for clients that need strong advocates. I feel that I am a better nurse for working with this population because it teaches you how to help people in crisis and how to meet their needs despite the barriers they face which are a long list that includes homelessness, substance use, personal losses, financial barriers, stigma,etc. Although I'm not big into passing medications all day, its more than that. I make sure my clients are getting all their needs met including ensuring they are getting connected to the resources they need by making the interdisciplinary team aware of these needs and constantly advocating for my clients and reminding my coworkers. It's a challenging but rewarding job when you know you helped someone no matter how small.

For me, its sad to see clients come back to inpatient care over and over again. But you must remind yourself you are doing an important role, even if you can't "fix" the issues with mental health care. I also have found myself occasionally frustrated with manipulative clients and the strain of having clients return only for them to go through the same obstacles and struggles to stabilize and then deal with homelessness, substance abuse, trauma, medical comorbidities, etc. It takes a certain person to see people in these states regularly and not let it get them down.

I find great pride in helping a undeserved population. The work is very meaningful and mental health is vastly under treated

Hello! Anyone have experience as a psychiatric crisis triage nurse? I'm moving from inpatient to this role and am eager to start. I want to hear your experiences in this role! ANy tips would be greatly appreciated

Hey fellow psych nurses. I am struggling with documentation clients who are severely mentally ill. I often hear many phrases used to describe client status and it begins with hallucinations which can be further specified and delusions which can vary, etc. There are many terms to describe what a patient is experiencing. But I often do not directly hear or see when these things happen and hear about it through my fellow team. I know we are not supposed to document things we did not observe ourselves. But where does that leave me if I say I did not observe these from lets say a schizophrenic client? Does it look like the client is ok and improving? I try to just note the behavior I have observed that shift. I'm trying to be a better psych nurse but it's difficult when you don't always know what is going on in the client's head. I work with clients who are severely mentally ill, inpatient.

Washington state

Less than one year of experience, how much do new nurses working in psych specialty make? Does it depend on the type of place you work or whether you work in a hospital? If anyone can help me get a baseline that would be so appreciated. Thank you!

Less than one year of experience, how much do new nurses working in psych specialty make? Does it depend on the type of place you work or whether you work in a hospital? If anyone can help me get a baseline that would be so appreciated. Thank you!

Hello Everyone. I have been working in psych nursing for a few months now. I have noticed something and wanted to see if anyone else had noticed it as well. It seems there is a divide between psychiatric nursing and "non medical" mental health professionals. I believe that the specific medical nature of our profession as psych nurses seems to be what other professionals view as our job and that behavioral health is not our field. I have heard and seen this in the workplace and it is upsetting that others are defining what nurses do without understanding we are trained to care for our clients in every aspect. I could go on but please comment if you have experienced this or have some insight into what I am observing as it very well may be just my misunderstanding.Thank you all.

Hello! I am also a new graduate nurse who is working in psych. I am also contemplating moving towards public health! I have similar questions, and from what I've learned, Public Health would be a Master's Degree you would get that isn't necessarily specific to your nursing degree. Public Health is different from traditional nursing because you aren't treating an individual, you are treating a population, although this depends on the the job you get!

I see what you mean. I don't want to be stuck in psych per say though. I hear this can happen because you aren't practicing you med surg skills as much so you won't be hired as med surg or may struggle. I want to work 6 months minimum at my current job and apply for a medsurg job since mot places require that much minimum experience for their positions in med surg.

Hello, I am a new grad that has been working in psych nursing for one month. I want to get to med surg, but I landed in psych as my second job since I didn't like the skilled nursing setting and couldn't land a med surg job right away. I am wondering if anyone knows about getting a med surg job as a new grad. I'm afraid it will be difficult to find a med surg job. Thank you!

So you chose to seek another profession or you liked psychiatric nursing as a NP? Sorry I am a little confused

Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Facility that is not a medical facility so we don't do IVS, or take patients that have foelys, etc. anything that requires medical attention in that sense or unstable patients (medically).

Wow that is so helpful thank you so much! I read it aloud to my husband while I read it for the first time and we agree with your statement about kiddos needing more attention when they are older. We are planning on being parents soon and you have helped me understand nursing and parenting so much better. I am excited to become a mom and be able to enhance my career while I do it! I see your mentioned military life, my husband is in the military. We are wondering if you have any tips or lessons about deployment and being a mom and nurse during that time? I don't have any friends who are nurses with a spouse in the military, and I always wish I had someone to relate to and share knowledge with.