getpsyched

I loved my psych rotation; however, I did take the med surg route for a couple of years before changing directions. I would highly recommend getting some experience in med surg to help you better assess any medical co-morbidity issues that may present in the psychiatric patient.

Hi, Staffing is ALWAYS a struggle. I work in a 210 bed free standing Psych facility and our units are 36 beds with the exception of our child unit (22) and 2 overflow units (12 and 24). Our facility is a for-profit organization so staffing is tightly regulated. We us a grid that calls for anywhere from a 1:5 ratio to a 1:6 or 7 ratio depending upon the population. We generally assign anywhere from 2-3 RNs or RN/LPN combination with the rest of our staff being mental health techs. I'd love to discuss more about psych care in Canada to see if you are experiencing similar challenges!:smilecoffeecup: