catcoon

hey there, new grad! i recommend the pocket guide called "psych notes" put out by the people that put out other pocket guides. i got mine off amazon.com. i usually recommend it to all new psych nurses. it has info on the differential dx, s/s, interventions, interviews, & some of the newer psych meds. hope this helps you. :tinkbll:cat

The following was quoted a few times in this thread: "You just know that most of those kids are never going to have productive, fulfilling lives no matter what anyone does. They're already destroyed." I am very sorry that many of you feel that way cuz if you'd read about my childhood, I would've been given up on...felt like I was destroyed...the word "love" was a 4 letter word that meant something really bad was happening that shouldn't happen to a child. I had a lot of problems growing up and have had numerous psych hospitalizations, but I have always managed to hold down a full-time job...now I'm a psych nurse...have been one on and off for 7 yrs. The best years of my life are still ahead...sorry you feel that these children are destroyed...wonder what these child will be like 30-40yrs from now? From one who knows from being on the inside track.

i work in an acute mental health hospital and we allow patients to smoke. one of the reasons is because if you give meds to psych patients and they are not smoking while on the unit and the med is successful one gets the impression that the dose of med is effective. in all reality most patients start smoking as soon as they are discharged [often lighting up while walking out the door]. nicotine effects drug metabolism and the dose that was effective while in the hosp is no longer effective on the outside because the pt is smoking. often times the pt then discontinues the med because it's not working like it did in the hosp which in actuality is due to the false impression from the non-smoking policy. i have worked in both smoking and non-smoking facilities and find that there is less relapse due to noncompliance with ineffective meds when the pts are allowed to smoke. just my two cents worth.

i work at a psych hosp and this year the nurses got zippo-nothing! seems last year the nurses who worked there complained about what they got so this year administration decided to celebrate hospital week. i asked "what about nurses' week?" and was told that "nurses are part of the hosp and therefore the celebration of hosp week includes them too." they had stupid games during the dayshift, but nothing for 3-11 or 11-7! on friday last week they had a "catered" lunch in the cafeteria from 1p-3p and you had to come in and pick up your paycheck. the food had been sitting out for over 1 1/2 hrs when i got there so i took no food! to receive any of the "door prizes" you had to be present, couldn't stay if you had to work! then, of course, there's the fact that i got called off cuz there were too many rns scheduled to work! so lost a day of pay after driving 45min to come to work, no $$, and had to drive 45min back home! totally sucked!

I am not a nurse, I am a... Nurse Educator (working on that) Millionaire raising "little" dogs (chihuahua mixes) Living in the Caribbean with no monetary needs Therapist helping others who have suffered childhood abuse b/c I have been helped by the greatest therapist to overcome mine Thanks for the opportunity to dream awhile

Hi y'all! I'm a new weekend supervisor for a LTC/Rehab facility. I am also an RN-MSN student. We are currently studying leadership and managing in nursing. I am looking for any internet sites or online journals that have info on these subjects. I am trying to change the communication on the wing where I work. It seems to be very poor right now, and I am seeking to be an agent of change. Any input will be appreciated! Thanks, Cathi

Hi all! I lived in Ocala for 20 years, then moved to Citrus county and now work at a rehab center. I'm working on my RN-MSN degree with UCF. It's a lot of work. Still don't like this online thing, I'm an auditory/verbal learner. I'm having a difficult time completing all the reading/postings/research required in the time span that is expected to be done in. There are several places to work beside ORMC/MRMC/WORMC. It depends on what your specialty area is, or if you are looking to find a new area to work. Citrus county is only about 1/2 hour away from Ocala, so you might consider looking here too. Hope to here more from you Ocala nurses. Cathi

I have read this entire thread and am impressed by the thoughts of the nurse educators and replies of those currently practicing nurses. I am an RN-MSN Nurse Educator student in my second semester. I recall in my ADN classes one instructor that was tougher on me than the other students in our clinical group. I, too, did mega care plans (not copying from anyone else's as did my classmates), did med lists out the wazoo, did the best patient care I could (I had been a CNA for two years, no one else in my group had any type of medical experience). She made me try harder, and made me care more about my patient's than I thought possible. She made me face my sense of perfectionism and "caught me on it." I am a better nurse because of her. I also had an instructor who has become a mentor to me and encouraged me on my path to fulfilling my goal of becoming a nursing instructor. Each day as a nurse I find out more about myself and how I am able to help patient's help themselves, to help them become more informed healthcare consumers, to help them become proactive in their care, to learn the positives of health promotion. I am grateful to the instructors that helped me in my education, not just in the nursing program, but in the other classes I have taken as well. I can't recall who said it, but when I was a secondary education major for a BA degree, one of my instructors said, "We don't teach how we were taught to teach, we teach the way we were taught." I have found this true in every area of my life, not only in nursing, but in my life in general. We learn from our parents who are our first teachers, be it in a good way :) or in a bad abusive way :smackingf . Through all of our experiences we are who we are today because of those who have taught us. Thanks to all of you, good and bad. Cathi

Hi, I've been a nurse since 1994, graduated with an ADN. Currently enrolled in an RN-MSN program which is mostly online, got A's in my first two courses. I did not get to go this summer. My major is Nurse Educator. I was a Math & Science teacher to high school students for 5 years before becoming a nurse. I currently have a BA in Mathematics. I have experience in psych for 7 years and 4 years as a rehab nurse. I look forward to teaching nursing. Any suggestions to get more ready for teaching?:balloons: :balloons: Hope to hear from y'all.