Quilter0225

Has anyone ever heard of pts getting a buzz from IM Cogentin? I have a pt who insists that PO cogentin doesn't work, only IM. Her only complaint is eye rolling, and that seems to come and go, depending on whether or not she knows I'm looking at her...

My corporate/standard nursing orientation was about 3 weeks long. My psych nursing orientation was about 6 weeks long, including a week of classroom time. I felt fine, ready to be on my own, at the end of orientation. I worked 40 hrs a week during...

I didn't think about someone getting off on the needle stick! The other possibility that I thought of is that this patient is very borderline, so maybe this fits in with her "identity" as a mental patient. She has been in the hospital quite a while...

I work in adolescent psych. If you are a borderline (and many of these young ladies are), be sure to have a borderline mother so you can set up a constant cycle of phone calls (2 allowed per shift) home to mom who will call the charge nurse for long...

I am a new grad 3 weeks out of orientation on an adolescent psych unit. I love my job! We usually staff 2 nurses and 3 MHS's for 12 pts. The charge nurse makes pt assignments, goes to rounds, takes off orders, does admissions and discharges, and f...

We use a set of blurbs. Besides charting on your assigned patients, you also do a blurb on the shift report (a Word document). Under each pt's name there is a spot for a blurb and the Overt Aggression Scale score for each 8 hour shift. The med nur...

I just finished When Rabbit Howls written by some of the 92 multiple personalities of Truddi Chase (as a collaborative effort!) Not a very common disorder, but fascinating reading. For some eloquent perspectives on depression, try poetry by Sylvia ...

Just an update: I now work in adolescent psych and I love it. The staff is really a team. I actually get to interact with patients- in fact it's my job to interact! I just finished orientation yesterday. One of the charge nurses (a very experien...

Her name is Kay Redfield Jameson. I have two of her books: An Unquiet Mind (about her personal experience of Bipolar I) and Night Falls Fast (about suicide). I have read the first one a couple times and really enjoyed it. I just bought the second...

I am new to adolescent psych, but it sounds like you did everything you could to prevent this happening. Do you have free counselling (usually up to 5 sessions) from Employee Services? We recently had a presentation on this and they do in house cou...

I have fine hand tremor bc of a med I take. It's a pain in the butt, but I have learned to work with it. Cutting out caffeine helps a lot. I haven't totally eliminated it bc then I would have to give up chocolate. That's not going to happen! I f...

Something very similar happened to me a couple of months ago. I was given the option to resign rather than be fired. Management did not go through normal procedures of written reprimands, etc. I had a couple of meetings where my mistakes were poin...

I need to try psych--did and have been in it since pretty much. First inpatient where I used my medical skill a lot-- and now in Psych ER, which I like, it's a different kind of exhausting then inpatient psych. and different work in a lot of ways. Th...

At what point in your career do you all suggest taking this test? Is it best to take it with a few years experience under your belt, or is this something I should be studying right away to bring myself up to speed?

I think the previous poster hit the nail on the head. Who gets to decide? What invests someone with the authority to make that decision? Do you go with a committee of experts in mental health? How about putting it through the courts? I can see t...

In Ohio, I will be starting at $22.25/hr as a new grad. I think this is typical for southern Ohio, southern Indiana, and northern Kentucky. I know other major hospitals start at a dollar an hour less in this area. I have an ADN, but BSNs start at ...

That's terrible! I would keep a record of what you have done to contact the Board of Nursing. Did you contact them in writing, or by phone? I would definately do it in writing if you haven't already. Sounds illegal to me!

I know exactly how you feel. I live in the midwest (where I was born), but lived in Seattle for five years and just loved it there. Here I jokingly refer to myself as "raisin rye in the land of white bread." I gravitate towards people who share my...

I am a new grad, too. I start my job in pediatric psych in three weeks. I am excited!

It's official now! I got the pedi psych job! I am so happy! I start in three weeks. I have reviewed my psych text book from cover to cover. Anyone know of any CEU's that are applicable? I would like to do something productive in the time until ...

I was asked to resign after five months d/t a bad "fit," too. That was six weeks ago. I just found out this morning that I got the job I interviewed for over Christmas. The new job is better in every way: better pay, better benefits, better facil...

Wow, two jobs! No wonder all you think about is work! I should add that I think it's important to feed your spirituality, whatever that means to you personally. It helps me to see the big picture. Walking your dogs sounds like a good stress relie...

I cannot believe you are actually advocating for lobotomies. At first I thought it was just a joke in very poor taste. Our mental health system needs a lot of work, I won't argue with that. But look how far we have come. I am the mother of a bipo...

The quote from the manager is funny! At this point I am just thankful to have a job. I think my experience in special ed. will help a lot. I also think of myself as very "teachable." Thanks for your input!

I think what you are experiencing is pretty normal for a new grad, especially if you are working 12 hour shifts. On the days I work I get up early, commute 45 minutes, work, try to get out on time, commute 45 minutes to get home where I only feel li...