batgirl23

IMHO = In My Humble Opinion

Be careful though. We all have "Borderline" tendancies when under stress or feeling powerless. IMHO this is a very over-used term in psych and almost always used in a judgemental way and/or with derogatory intent.

I have been a psych nurse for over 25 years with absolutely no regrets. I went into psych straight out of school. In fact I finished my senior preceptorship on Thursday and started full-time on that unit the following Tuesday. I personally found med...

Could be personality issues and/or bipolar but very hard to assess with a current opiate addiction (may be a chicken-egg thing: addiction could be causing the "syptoms", could be exacerbating underlying/pre-existing issues and/or may have started as ...

These two presentations are nothing alike. Do you have a specific question or an example?

Personally I try never to lie directly or make false promises to patients. In this case I would say something like: "I/We will do everything we can to make sure that doesn't happen / you don't die." In a less acute situation, I might explore their re...

I think it is important to be clear about the language we use. It is never okay to "reinforce delusions" or to challenge them. As others have mentioned though, you can re-focus on what is most relevant - the feelings or the experience of the patient...

This is beyond verbal abuse. It is unprofessional, unethical and may be considered illegal (threats, coercion, unlawful confinement (in the quiet room) & assault come to mind...). It must be reported and stopped. If it is not reported then it is ...

I guess it's the Psych nurse in me but I love these challenging type of patients. Years ago when I was a student there was a post-op patient on an oncology unit who had had lots of post-op complications following a vulvectomy. She was a very fussy &a...

Back in the 60s & 70s my father was in the military. He would always check off the "Bilingual" box on forms because he was fluent in German and English. The powers-that-be were NOT amused!

Hi Robert You could definitely apply at the Civic but it is a campus of the Ottawa Hospital and I believe most of their postings would be for bilingual nurses. The Civic Campus is in the west end so most of the patients are English vs the General Cam...

Hi Robert I can't really speak to Cornwall but I live in Ottawa. There are lots of opportunities for English nurses here but bilingualism is definitely an asset. The Montfort is primarily a French hospital. The Ottawa Hospital (the largest hospital ...

Do you not have a regulatory body??? This is abuse, pure & simple. Just read anything on Therapeutic Relationships and Boundary violations! It is totally unacceptable behaviour for ANY nurse and needs to be stopped. It is your professional and et...

I have been a psych nurse for over 25 years with absolutely no regrets. I went into psych straight out of school. In fact I finished my senior preceptorship on Thursday and started full-time on that unit the following Tuesday. In nursing, as in anyt...

I did a BSc in Biology/Biochemistry at Dalhousie in the early 80s and then started my BN. I had to do all 4 years of nursing courses and clinicals (albeit part-time for the first 3 years) but I did get credit for my science courses (organic chemistry...

LOL. I only did this once. My triplets were about 18 months old and of course only one was walking/ crawling/ moving independantly (the other 2 had CP). We were at a multiple birth association party and the other mothers of toddlers were going on &am...

Very well said. I am Mom to twelve y.o. survivng triplets. One is typical, one has spastic quad CP and our third little guy passed away at 21 months (he had CP, spina bifida, cortical blindness, bronchodysplasia, a crappy immune system and was the sw...

I'm not sure where you are located but in Ontario, Nurse Practitioner is a protected title that cannot be used unless you are qualified. These nurses receive extensive training and are registered differently with the college of nurses. They perform a...

I could not drive more than about 20 miles. I wouldn't mind a longer commute if it is summer and the traffic is reasonable. But I live in Canada and the winter driving can be awful at times. I live about 10 miles away from work now and it can vary fr...

Same applies to Bachelor programmes. You will see BN (Bachelor of Nursing) or BSN or BScN (both refer to Bachelor of Science in Nursing). It all depends on whihc University you graduate from. Dalhousie University BN '86

good for you! your patients will always be your best teachers in psych! my question to you is: what is a "nurse" duty that does not involve interacting with a patient????? are they basing their nursing assessments & interventions on the assess...

dear aniutka i am glad if my post helped you a little. that's what we should be doing with our colleagues, especially our newest nurses. unfortunately, your situation is still way too common. my advice to you, for what it's worth, is to look for a di...

Hi I may be able to help. As others have said, it matters where you are looking to work. I live in Ottawa now (in Ontario but 5 hours drive away from Toronto, 15 hours from Halifax). I grew up down east - mostly in Nova Scotia. I took my nursing at D...

Born in Belleville, ON. Lived in Maritimes (Annapolis Valley, NS & Moncton, NB) and Kitchener-Waterloo, ON growing up. Received my BN from Dalhousie University in Halifax in 1986. Worked for a year at Camp Hill in Psychiatry, then moved to Ottawa...

I am soooo tired of the idea that psych nursing is a piece of cake... that we do this nursing because we can't do any other kind... that it is easy... Sure, I have known colleagues to sit on their asses in the nurses' station. I have seen students b...