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We have our own training. It’s similar to CPI which I did at a previous facility. The biggest issue is that they keep sending was assaultive patients to a unit that is already hot. We are already staffed up because of this, but they really need to st...

I may have just been extra sensitive. I’m not used to being questioned by management like that—it felt like an interrogation. Staff were assaulted that day by another patient, and I probably was just feeling very stressed from the whole event. It’s h...

We are having more and more nurses assaulted at my hospital and it is really making me anxious. I haven’t been seriously assaulted as a nurse—some light punches, a kick, spit on. However, there are people at my workplace ending up with broken bones a...

Both Mondays and Fridays are busy in the facilities where I have worked because that’s when there are the most discharges and admissions.

If you call the doctor and they say give 500 oral or 500 I'm, then that’s what you have to do. I wouldn’t give the lower dose without the doctor’s approval.

Psych nursing is in general easier on the physical body, but stressful to the mind. There is a risk of getting hurt by a patient. Sometimes we have to run and have to duck or twist away from a patient. I’ve known some psych nurses who have had some p...

My facility doesn’t screen staff. Our patients just get a basic screening of if they are having symptoms. Our census is low—probably because everyone is staying away from hospitals.

I’m curious what everyone’s psych units are looking like right now. Are you seeing fewer or more patients? Are your patients social distancing while on the unit? Are your patients still sharing rooms? Are any staff wearing masks? We are told that our...

It depends on the situation. If a patient is starting to get agitated and they have a history of violence, I usually try to medicate early before there is an emergency. You wouldn’t withhold pain meds from someone who just had surgery or antibiotics ...

My mom has severe mental illness. I’ve had my own challenges with depression/anxiety, and I’ve had friends with various mental illnesses. I don’t necessarily believe that there are “bad” people—in general. I mean, Jeffrey Dahmer was very evil. Howeve...

I’ve only had experience in a couple of states so I can only speak to what I’ve seen. Of course substance abuse and psychiatric illnesses goes hand in hand. We have a lot of patients with substance abuse disorders. We’re just not considered a detox u...

Detox units are different because of the medical treatment. I work on an inpatient psych unit and we don’t have detox patients. Yea, we have patients who could be having withdrawals and they are on COWS or CIWA protocol. However, for medical detox, t...

I was moved from my inpatient unit to outpatient clinic for about 6 weeks. That was very safe. I found it boring. I was doing med refills, calling back patients who had questions/concerns for the doctors, and checking on lab results. The days were re...

I’m glad to hear it is a good RTC. Congrats on the interview. That’s exciting!!

I have an MSN in nursing education. My employer paid for it 100%. I might not have gotten it if I had to pay full tuition. I don’t know how much it has helped me. I recently moved to a new state and I got lots of interviews. I don’t know if the MSN h...

There is no reason to do a med surg rotation. I would just be careful with getting a job at an RTC. I would make sure that it is a good one. I know some people who had trouble at RTCs due to poor staffing ratios and unsafe conditions.

Yea, we pre-pulled at the last place I worked, and The Joint Commission had no problem with it. We have the labeled cups in a container. TJC just wanted to make sure that we throw away the cups each time and not reuse the labeled cups due to infectio...

That sounds really ridiculous considering you weren’t trying to touch her chest. Part of therapeutic boundaries is that we shouldn’t touch patients unless we are doing it to provide medical care—like checking blood pressure. I’ve worked with adolesce...

Most of my work has been with adolescents. The issue is that their problems aren’t something that can be easily fixed in a short acute hospital stay. Many of them have been sexually abused. Most have suffered some kind of abuse/neglect or a huge loss...

Most of my work has been with adolescents. The issue is that their problems aren’t something that can be easily fixed in a short acute hospital stay. Many of them have been sexually abused. Most have suffered some kind of abuse/neglect or a huge loss...

Pre-pulling is fine as long as your med cups are labeled and the meds are in a secure spot. I used to pre pull and then double check the orders as I gave the meds to the kid.

I thought LTC was much more stressful. You don’t have enough staff and you have so many responsibilities.

No, don’t quit!! I work in adolescent psych in a large hospital network and plenty of my coworkers have transferred to other units. You’re better off being in the hospital you want because that will get you in the door for all units there. I know peo...

Congrats on your new job. I don’t have a particular book to suggest. I would make sure you learn the psych meds—dosages, common side effects, what to watch for. Also read up on diagnoses. What kind of therapy are they using at your new employer? Is i...

My program won't let us wear clogs, so Dansko's are not an option.