Lemming Tamer

What is the difference between a psychiatric hospital and psychiatric facility? What kind of qualifications does one have to have to be an administrator or director of one? (and why did the brilliant post I spent 30 minutes writing disappear when I tried to post it???!!!) Anyway.... I worked in a psychiatric hospital for 8 years. We were owned by a large system and ran by a large medical hospital in our city. I remember how I used to wish we weren't under them (we'd gripe about how they'd dump pts on us or transfer medicallly unstable pts, etc....) Oh, how I long for those days now! We were sold and bought by a small corporation 2 years ago. Every day just when I think that things can't get any worse...they do. Our new administrator is a "recreational therapist" who somehow climbed the corporate ladder. She walks around all day from unit to unit...department to department...micromanaging and spreading her vast knowlege of mental health. The new supervisor in the assessment/admissions department has no psych experience (the local ER won't even approve her to do assessments there because she has NO experience). I used to work at a great hospital. I'm not sure what kind of place I'm working at anymore.... (we do have the most wonderful DON that we've ever had....but I don't know how long she will be able to stand all the chaos and stupidity.)

Nurses should never determine (or be asked to) a medical diagnosis! I recently found out the new administrator/"dictator" of the psych facility where I work is a recreational therapist!! She is micro-managing every deparment and unit. We're about to lose the few good staff members that survived the corporate takeover 2 years ago. (elkpark gave me an idea for a new topic!)