Dan.Ed

Good for you, Olliesmommie! You've already passed one of the first tests to be a psych nurse; keeping an open and flexible mind. Sounds like you were on a nice unit also. I've seen wonderfully attractive units with inattentive and uninvolved staff. And I've seen units in need of renovation with kind, helping, and theory based staff who created an atmosphere of encouragement , growth, and self help that is positive for patients and staff. Sounds like you visited a good unit. Be well.....

I love this topic! because it has absolutely no perfect answer! I'm sure there are great places where everyone is very accepting of having male L&D nurses, but there are none that I know of in Birminham, Alabama where I live. Yes, I've catheterized females by myself and yes I've had chaperones, too. I always prefer a chaperone but reality can get in the way. I've never been accused of misconduct, but at the same time all it takes is one false accusation to ruin a person. My best professional opinion (25 yrs nursing, Masters degree, icu, psych, nurse manager, home health, family nurse practitioner) is that a male L&D nurse might do well in a metropolitan area where people are more openminded. Even so, have a pt family member present if no nursing chaperone is available. Oh!, and ask the doctors on the unit. If they are against it, I pity the guy.

Age 30 is perfect for starting nursing.... If you were bright enough to make it through MP school in the army you can do nursing. I think nurses have a lot more flexibility with career choices than PAs. You could even go back into the military and start out as a 2nd Lt. if you like the military life. Nurses in the military can go far--- and they will pay for your Master's degree. Also RNs are usually not on the front lines.....(of course in Iraq there are no front lines).... Make an appointment with the intake counselor at some nearby schools of nursing to hear from the horse's mouth what is required.... I got my BSN when I was 30. Nursing has been a good career............Good luck. Dan

I'm fat, 50, married male and hetero -----I'd be flattered by the attention from either sex. Sometimes it's good to know SOMEBODY is paying attention!!! (OK, so I did say that 'tounge in cheek', but I couldn't resist.) Good luck in nursing! Dan

to drysolong; I would say that since you are just graduating your lpn program and are going straight into an rn program; that going to med/surg first before psych could be a good choice for you. You will be learning about things that will help you in rn school. Also as an lpn on psych in some hosptials you might be limited to passing meds and not have much pt time. Also in some hospitals as an lpn in medsurg you might have a more flexible schedule, which always comes in handy for an rn student... It's great that you are seriously considering psych. I love it and if you decide to go to psych as an lpn you can still learn alot there, too... dan

psychiatric unit 15 years ago.... staff had not had good crisis training. A young bipolar woman was combative and someone called a code security. By the time all of the staff had caught up with the lady she was in the door way to her room trying to take out as many staff as she could with her feet. (She actually knew karate) Because she was standing in the doorway staff could get in front of her and behind her , but not to her sides... Someone yelled "get her feet". A security guard bent over and grabbed hold of one leg and began tugging trying to get her on her back on the floor. Unfortunately the leg he grabbed belonged to the charge nurse who fell to the floor with her feet over her head and her skirt 'up to there", as she fell she was holding on to the pt who also fell, as the patient fell everybody who was holding onto her lost their balance and fell, too. But as we all lay in the floor struggling nobody let go of any body part they were holding on to... the security guard still had the charge nurse by the leg, who by this time was shouting "let go of me" and struggling for all she was worth. I tried to dislodge the security guard from the charge nurse, but he thought my hands on him belonged to the patient so he started twisting the charge nurse's leg. everybody starting screaming and yelling and the patient finally calmed down ( I think because it was becoming apparent to even a bipolar person that someone was getting ready to break something on somebody real soon). When it was finally over the charge nurse could barely walk ; I felt like I'd been dragged by a truck, and everybody else was scraped up and pitiful --- but I still couldn't stop laughing.. dan

Didn't mean to offend any one... I'm not talking about a baby butt smooth shave..... and not every butt that walks through the door; in fact if they walk through the door that pretty musch means they don't need it.....just a quick once over every month or so on long term pts with incontinence..... and believe me, it's not convenient. It helps keep the pt cleaner. d

Michelle, you're so right about razor rash.... we don't make them ready for a bikini , just a quick once over...dan

OK, very interesting conversation--- only nurses are so concerned with poo and hairy butts.... Now this is slightly off subject; but once the butts are clean, why not put some more shaving cream on there and actually shave it? I have done this with long term pts who are demented or unconscious. It does make clean up the next time much easier. All my coworkers have appreciated it AND I think it is cleaner for the patient.... As stated earlier be sure to use shaving creme without alcohol OR menthol..... dan

OK; this happened on my wife's unit not mine.... She is an neonatal icu nurse... She had just cleaned a baby's little bottom and was turning away from the isolette with a little peanut sized fece (thats turd --- to you black humor people) cradled in the diaper. At that moment someone bumped her elbow and the little baby poop went flying. She looked all over the floor but couldn't find it... she even enlisted the help of another nurse.... but , no dice.... meanwhile, a resident who had left his cup of coffee on the closed lid of a nearby laundry hamper was picking up his cup for a sip. My wife called out "don't drink that!" And that got the attention of all the other nurses nearby and the attending md ,too. So she had to explain what had happened and say that the poop might be in his coffee cup since she hadn't found it elsewhere. So, everyone watched as he poured it into the sink---- no poop. But it got everybody laughing. The incident gave rise to a secondary joke played on new interns in which a nurse will use a chocalate covered peanut to recreate the incident and actually drop it in the newbie's coffee.... Dan

to Rivs; I'd say - go for it.... Sure you can learn alot from a year on the med/surg floor, but you'll learn alot in psych, too. A large number of psych pts have medical problems you will be dealing with and learning about; diabetes, cancer, heart problems, respiratory problems, pregnancy, resistant infections, gun shots, self inflicted cuts, overdoses, and many more. ..... And when you are a psych nurse, it is very easy to ask the medical specialty docs who come around to see their patients to explain a little about what they are assessing and why... Most medical specialty docs will be glad to give an attentive psych nurse a brief tutorial on what is happening.... You see, psych nurses have the advantage of being able to say to the medical guys/gals , "we may have to send your pt back to the medical floor if we can't care for him here"..... and medical docs hate nothing worse than having a Psych pt on their nice calm medical floor. If you develope a rapport with a medical doc, you will find that after a while they will start asking for you to take care of their pts on the psych unit... Good luck with your decision... Dan

Sophiajoy; Hope you are feeling better. All the replies to your message look like good advice. One thing I noticed that you said that no one else addressed is that you said you were feeling depressed. It is very hard to think and act in a positive way when feeling depressed. If you are losing sleep, losing (or gaining) weight, can't smile (and really feel it), can't enjoy sex, or having problems with memory -- you may be clinically depressed... Don't feel ashamed to ask your md for an antidepressant till you are feeling better.... let us hear from you... dan (sicu, neuro, psych, nursing instructor, home health, therapist)

Sorry you are feeling bad. It is very difficult to move from the world of school where most everyone is trying to do things just right, to the world of work where sometimes people are not so idealistic. Continue to do what you know is right. I'd suggest you find a mentor somewhere in the hospital, even if they work a different shift. Ask around about who other nurses would want to be their nurse if they were in hospital. If the same name comes up several times, approach that person and tell her you had heard many compliments about her and that you'd like to be able to talk to her sometimes when you have a concern. Tell the other nurses on your shift that you are trying to figure out what makes a good nurse and ask the them their opinion. Do a lot of listening. Who knows; you might inspire some of them to get back to the core of nursing.... don't give up, you sound like a fine nurse; Dan