Sniper06

If you are interested in Psychiatric Nursing you can apply to Terrell State Hospital. Since you do not have your license yet apply for a Psychiatric Nursing Assistant (PNA) position.

Thank you.

I am new to home health so I need some direction on administering long acting psych meds to home health patients. In order to administer Risperdal Consta to a patient in a group home in Texas do I need a signed consent?

Contact OSHA. That will change interactions.

Sometimes I am the only RN for 40 patients with 1 LPN and 8 techs. There is no national standard (which is a shame). You would think by now the APNA or ANA would have a detailed staffing guide for inpatient psych units. All of the major research says that patients are safer and have better outcomes when there are more RNs providing care. The population we serve are medically sicker than they have ever been in the past. Let alone the fact that psych patients generally have a higher mortality and morbidity rates than the rest of the community. It frustrates me to no end that old school psych nurses are complacent with the old staffing models that they have become used to since the time they joined the field. We must start advocating for better ratios for our clients. They deserve and need the same attention clients on med surg units get. Their health is equally important.

It is a psych unit. I understand that we have to have thick skin because of what we do. I am not so much concerned about one or two off the cuff remarks from a patient. I am more concerned about a patient targeting a staff member every day non stop. More specifically, and from a legal position as a manager am I allowing quid pro quo racial harassment if the client is allowed to verbally attack a staff member on a daily basis. The client I have in mind is more Cluster B than Axis I. I guess I probably should have published this post under legal nursing. I have been working in Psych for 15 years and I understand how we historically treated situations as these. I just wonder if it is time to push the envelope on staff rights.

It is a psych unit. I understand that we have to have thick skin because of what we do. I am not so much concerned about one or two off the cuff remarks from a patient. I am more concerned about a patient targeting a staff member every day non stop. More specifically, and from a legal position as a manager am I allowing quid pro quo racial harassment if the client is allowed to verbally attack a staff member on a daily basis. The client I have in mind is more Cluster B than Axis I. I guess I probably should have published this post under legal nursing. I have been working in Psych for 15 years and I understand how we historically treated situations as these. I just wonder if it is time to push the envelope on staff rights.

I am so frustrated that patients seem to have so many rights and staff have so few. What can you do with a psych patient that is clearly acting out but there is no way to punish them. At my hospital I can't even insist that they go to a room by themselves.

I would like to know how many times can a patient call a tech or nurse derogatory terms before a manager has to step in and decide if this is a violation of EEOC. My staff member has been called a wet back multiple times.

Thanks elkpark, The administration knows about this concern. Everyone does. But its one of those things where the nurses on the floor just do what they need to to get throuh their shift. I guess the main reason I started this post was to find out if there was any research available for me to access regarding proper setting, care and staffing for detox patients. It would be very helpful to take to administration studies and research regarding what type of care these patients need. As a staff nurse I don't have access to the QAPI that the organization collects but my gut tells me this is not right. I really need help finding the standards.

Thanks everyone for responding. I already understand that psych nurses have to be able to do both psych and medical stuff. My issue is that the place I work at isn't set up to do so. We have no monitors, the only stat lab I can draw on the unit is a finger stick, IV access Iis not allowed at the hospital and we dont have a 24 hour pharmacy. At any given time I am the only RN for 40 patients (sometimes giving meds for 20 of them). It just does not seem right to detox some one under these conditions.

Psych Nurses, I want to get your opinion on whether or not it is common place to detox alcohol, methamphetamine, bath salt patients in stand alone psyh facilities. Recently I have admitted patients without bloodwork, EKGs with vital signs outside of the normal limits. I have asked that the patients be sent to a medical hospital to be cleared before we admit them but have been overruled by higher ups. I was exceedingly concerned about a patient withdrawing from bath salts that had a BP of 170/110 and pulse of 125. The psychiatrist wasnt worried andsaid that Iit just needs time to get out of his system. Can anyone point me toward where I can find research that list the minimum criteria for acceptance on anpsych unit when the patient is medically unstable.

What state are you looking to practice in? There is an extensive alumni network that can help you find a job.

Crossfitnurse, Sorry for the late reply. Terrell is a great place to work; especially for a new grad. They do an extensive amount of training and orientation. I really feel like they give a great deal of support me professionally. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and supportive.

Started as 50% BSN Student 2012 ADN Excelsior 2014 Nurse II Inpatient Adult Psych 2015 (Expected) MS Clinical Systems Management Excelsior