Rhone

Thanks (belatedly) for this post. I feel very much the same way--while I'm sure there are some people with legitimate chemical imbalances, when I read/hear about what home/famly life is like for some of the kids in my unit, I think if I were them I would want to kill myself too!

I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying the new job and that you feel more appreciated at work (after, apparently, working so hard to get that respect from your coworkers). :)

I'd give the same advice that I gave in this thread regarding a psych nursing interview. Good luck!

In my facility the techs are called "mental health workers". They don't have to be CNAs, but some are, and some have undergraduate degrees. I appreciate the work they do. Despite the fact that we are able to rotate them around for actual lunch breaks (while we nurses usually gulp our food down on the unit so we're available if needed), I don't envy them--their pay is crap and they spend their shifts running therapeutic groups with the patients, and they have to deal with the majority of the patients' difficult behaviors. I may not take my breaks, but most of the nurse-specific stuff I do (giving meds, doing admissions and discharges, etc.) feels like a break compared to managing a room of hyper, oppositional, aggressive children.

I'm not sure why there's some much money in anesthesia to begin with, but it's moot because the public option was dropped from the health care bill months ago. Those posted articles are out-dated.

The patients on suicide observation don't have to wear any visual indication at my facility. Our rounds sheet, computerized charting system, and a dry erase board in the nurses' station (not visible to the patients) all show what level of observation our patients are on, and I learn who the patients are, so I don't see any other visual indicator as being necessary.

Try LTC or Psych, as Jules says. Some of the LTC facilities that turned me down as a new grad LPN seemed like they might be interested in new grad RNs. Psych doesn't seem as bad for new grads--it was a psych facility that finally interviewed (and hired) me. Sheppard Pratt has open RN positions, and you can apply for RN positions at State facilities with an application from Maryland's DHMH web site.

Ms. Ann and Military Spouse, thanks for the suggestions. Mt. Washington wasn't hiring new grads, and I recall looking at CMS, but at the time their only open position was a bit too far away--something I could have done if I wasn't also intending to return to school to work on my RN. Fortunately, however, I did get a job (which I'm loving!) not long after I posted this thread. :)

Well, in fairness, it takes about 4-5 years of full-time study to complete a clinical psychology PhD or PsyD program, so if On The Way intends to work at this place for all of that time, then the time isn't an issue. The problem (from the employer's perspective) is being a nurse who wants to get entirely out of nursing. If you were going into an MSN program to be some kind of advanced practice nurse, that looks good because it means you are learning more about nursing and becoming a better nurse while you're working there. It doesn't look good if you're going to be spending the next half-decade learning how to be something very different from a nurse.

Nursing is stressful. Stress brings out the "meanness" in a lot of people. Also, taking the time to word things nicely and diplomatically often takes, well, time--something nurses often have in short supply. That said, I think the "nice" nurses outnumber the "mean" ones--you just hear more about the mean ones.

I agree with TheDude here. Most people have misperceptions about professions they aren't familiar with--nurses are no different in this regard, other than (if this board is any indication) their hypersensitivity to being misunderstood. Yes, media portrayal of nurses (and many other professions) is ridiculous. Yeah, the advertisements show nurses "caring" instead of doing "intelligent" stuff. Perhaps that's because patients take the intellectual stuff for granted--most of us assume people know how to do their own jobs after all. What makes the most difference in a patient's perception of a nurse is the compassion and empathy (or lack thereof) he or she shows when doing the job. So it is no surprise that hospitals would want to show their nurses as compassionate and caring, instead of showing them setting up IVs with one hand tied behind their back. Instead of griping about the misunderstandings, politely clear them up when you encounter them, and take some pride in belonging to the most trusted profession.

I agree with everyone else, you don't want to talk about the personal stuff. There's a high probability that it will hurt your chances of getting the job, and it's very unlikely to help. Also, in terms of professional boundaries, you aren't really supposed to be talking to the patients about your personal issues. Regarding your education plans, that is something that can make you look good if you are furthering your education within your field and you make it clear that the education will not interfere with your working the hours/schedule of the job that you are applying for. It helps convey that you are motivated and a high achiever. When I interviewed for the job I just got, I let them know that I plan to go on and get my RN (I'm an LPN now) and eventually be a family or psych NP; but I also made it clear that the job would be my first priority and I would select a school that I could fit into my schedule. In your case, though, even though you plan to stay in Psych, you don't plan to continue in nursing, so I wouldn't suggest bringing it up.

Everything is on weekdays. It's not the same exact schedule every semester (and I don't know if they might try something differently than how they had it while I was there), but generally each week there's one full day of classes (like 8 or 9am 'til 2 or 3pm), possibly a class on another morning, one or two days for clinicals (7am - 1pm), with lab and open lab times fit in there somewhere. I highly recommend going to at least one open lab per week, because there's not enough time to practice much during the actual lab class and if you don't practice you will be a nervous wreck when it's time for skills testing. The program runs for 3 semesters (Fall, Winter, Spring) crammed into one year with only a week or two off between semesters.

Well, thanks for the correction. In the PACU I observed, the nurses only had one patient at a time. And I wasn't trying to suggest that PACU is easy. Some people are good at focusing intensely on one thing at a time and have trouble splitting their attention, and some people are better at splitting their attention. From the PACU I saw, it seemed ideal for people who fall into the former category.

I'm an INFP, but I'm a new nurse so I can't really compare different areas of nursing based on anything other than experience from clinicals and my own hypothesizing about what I might or might not enjoy. I can say, though, that I'm very much enjoying the nursing job I just started at a psychiatric hospital. The other nurses and mental health workers on my unit have been very positive and welcoming, and in terms of personality I feel like a better fit there than I did on the LTC and med/surg units in clinicals. And as far as my interactions with the patients, I feel more satisfied when I can work with them on an emotional and mental level rather than dealing with primarily physical problems. If you'd prefer acute care but like working with patients one on one, what about working in a PACU? I had the opportunity to shadow a nurse in a PACU during clinicals and I felt very much like that was something I could enjoy doing--you get to focus all of your attention on one patient instead of splitting your attention between 5 or 6. It doesn't get much respect from modern Psychology (which tends to shun stuff associated with Carl Jung), but I think it gets some use in things like career counseling.

Hi Emily. I have a BA in Psych and worked in human services direct care positions for a few years before going back to school to become a nurse. I'm now an LPN and just got my first nursing job (in a Psych facility), and I plan to go on to get my RN. The worst part, for me, is that it took me nearly 5 months (after passing the NCLEX and getting my license) to get that job, because in the current economy even the nursing homes (which are usually desperate for staff) are turning away new grad LPNs. In light of that, my suggestion for people switching careers to nursing in general would be try to work part time or per diem as a CNA during school, ideally at a facility that you would want to work at as a nurse. The people in my nursing class who had the easiest time getting jobs were the ones who were already CNAs and were able to move up to nursing positions in their hospitals. Since you know you specifically want to work in Psych, look specifically at Psych facilities. Some may use CNAs, but some may have similar direct care positions that don't require you to be a CNA (they are "mental health workers" at my facility). Be prepared to get relatively little pay while being in the position that spends the most time with the patients. It's not glamorous work, but it will give you a higher comfort level with psych patients than other new grad nurses or even experienced acute care nurses. That will put you in a good position when you interview at a psych facility after getting your nursing license, especially if you stay in the same facility and have already shown them that you are a dependable and competent employee.

Familiarize yourself with whatever population you would be working with (kids, adolescents, adults? Mood disorders, thought disorders, MR/DD, substance abuse, dual diagnosis?). Be aware that being hit, bitten, scratched, and spit on are all possible in a Psych job (not to mention cussed at and otherwise verbally insulted or threatened), and that seclusion and restraint are unfortunate necessities. Make sure that you are comfortable with all of that, and be prepared to convey that to an interviewer. Make sure you can convey an understanding that seclusion and restraint should only be used when needed for safety and that it's much better to calm a patient down using therapeutic communication and reducing potentially hostile situations proactively (e.g. don't have two patients sitting next to each other when you know those two argue/fight a lot..) Also be prepared for: Why do you want to work in Psych? Why do you want to work at this facility? What appeals to you about the specific population you're applying to work with?

I attended the LPN program at CCBC Dundalk and was happy with it. I like the instructors and while the program could be very difficult at times, I felt like the instructors were fair and genuinely wanted us to do well (disclaimer: not all of my fellow students would agree with me). About a third of my class failed out the first semester. A large majority of my fellow students had come into the PN program after failing out of one of CCBC's RN programs. So, if you get in to any of CCBC's programs, be prepared to work your tail off to stay in. As for GPA, I believe they only look at your GPA in the program's prerequisites. My own GPA was pretty high and I never really asked anyone else about their GPAs, so I can't really give you an idea of where the cut-off point may have been for my class. CPR doesn't need to be completed before you apply, but it does need to be done before the program starts. Remember that you specifically need CPR for Healthcare Providers. I think you can submit an application before taking the TEAS, but you definitely have to take the TEAS before the application deadline. There's info about it on CCBC's website.

LPNs learn a pretty big percentage of what RNs learn, so it's not like you have a 2 year RN program crammed into that 9 months. 16+9 = 25 months--sounds about right for an RN. Here in Maryland, LPN-RN bridge programs essentially put you into the second year of a two year RN program--and even then, there's some overlap (e.g. in my LPN program we had a Psych Nursing class, and the RN program at the same school has Psych Nursing in the second year, so I'd probably have to retake it if I bridge there.)

It's probably best to check with your State's Board of Nursing (or whoever regulates CNAs if it's not the BON). In Maryland, the nursing programs generally have a "Fundamentals of Nursing" class in the first semester, which covers all the CNA stuff, so nursing students can apply to become CNAs after successfully completing the first semester.

Thanks for the clarification; I've only lived in MD about 4 years or so and hadn't seen it abbreviated like that before. In that case, I'd also recommend looking at the Virginia and Delaware board of nursing websites for the lists of schools there. I'm pretty sure every BON website has a list of their State's approved/accredited nursing programs. I think Harford County CC is another one that has an RN program with an option to be eligible for LPN licensure after the first year. And I believe being able to apply to be a CNA after the first semester is true with all (or at least most) of the nursing programs.

I'm not sure what you are referring to by "DMV". I would recommend that you do what I did: Check out the Maryland Board of Nursing website and follow the appropriate links to see the lists of approved LPN and RN programs. Look them up to see which are close enough to you (look up addresses and check them on Google maps or whatever if you have to). Take that list of schools and narrow it down further by looking through the school websites to see which programs (and tuition rates!) might work for you; some schools are better than others about having thorough up-to-date information on their nursing programs. Now take the schools that remain on your list and start calling them to gather more information about their nursing programs. You want to know what prerequisites you need, what the application deadlines are, how they schedule their classes and clinicals, their admissions criteria, etc. Then take any prereqs that you still need to take and start applying to the programs.

The short answer: It really depends on your situation. Generally, if you can get admitted to an RN program right now and there is no barrier (e.g. financial) for you, then that's probably the best thing for you do. But certain circumstances may make getting an LPN first more appealing. For example, when I decided to become an LPN first, the reasoning seemed pretty sound: I could afford to leave my old job and focus solely on school for one year but not two, and if I had to work through part of school I'd rather be working as an LPN than continue doing what I was doing before (which involved a lot of the negatives of nursing (high burnout, frequently short-staffed) but with terrible pay). I looked at an LPN as the quickest way to get into nursing and increase my pay, with the possibility of working for an employer that would provide tuition assistance for the rest of my schooling. The economy tanking in the middle of my LPN program screwed my plan pretty badly. If I knew then what I know now, I probably would have done a quick CNA program and worked as a CNA while going straight for my RN. I do feel like I'm very close to getting a great job I just interviewed for, though (it took me 4 months for that first interview!), so it may yet work out for me.

Lilmsnurse, I share your frustration. I've been licensed since October and couldn't even get an interview until just recently (might get the job *crosses fingers*). And I probably only got that interview because the position opened up in a unit with the same exact population I have years of experience working with from before I went to nursing school. The army thing sounds like a fantastic idea--if I was a little younger and not married to someone who'd kill me for it I'd probably be considering the military right now too. My favorite nurse I've ever worked with was an ex-marine LPN.

I'd strongly recommend sticking with psych-related nursing stuff. Generally speaking, with Psychology degrees, you will basically be in school for far longer (and likely will have to do an unpaid internship if you want to be licensed as a therapist) just to be paid far less.