birdsongRN

There is lots you can do, depending on your area, I guess. Assertive community treatment is a really fun option for psych nurses who want to have (much) more interaction & longterm therapeutic relationships with clients. Also, community based clinics like Healthcare for the Homeless or other non-profit healthcare systems. Some of those don't pay as well, but there are huge benefits in the rewarding interactions you are able to have with your clients. I left inpatient pysch nursing for the same reasons, less than a year out of school & have never looked back. Don't give up searching for the right fit.

I think psych nursing is very rewarding. Here are my suggetions, for what they are worth: 1. Consider getting some counseling from a trusted professional to sort out any issues that may remain from your childhood. Speaking from experience, it is important to help myself heal to help heal others. 2. If you still feel like psych nursing is for you, go for it! Love it. The stigma of mental health issues is real & alive. I think we are responsible for changing our own perspectives to change those that we touch in our lives. Best to you.

Absolutely! Do it. I was a psych tech before and during nursing school. Now have been a psych nurse for 7 years. It was a very good experience for me. I hope you find the same is true.