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We split pills because our pharmacy is too cheap to get meds in the right dose - ergo, we touch the pill. I have taken to using gloves because the hand sanitizer has irritated my skin to a point of eczema rash at the base of a few fingers & my hands now begin to crack & peel on day 3 of using the hand sanitizer.

The work arena does not get better, however, you will get better at what you do & that will make you more able to handle your workload. Overwhelmed is an understatement for how any new psych nurse feels. I was in mortal shock & dismay for at least 1 year but had an intense desire to understand. After that it was more about learning & doing more pt. care with increased ratios (now at 11:1 at my facility). I believe in what I do, I believe we help people even though they won't maintain it, we help them. If you are hating your life, dreading going to work, you might look into a different avenue of nursing. The amount of "warm & fuzzy" feelings are very few & far in-between. Best days for me? Seeing the psychotic patient make a turn & start making sense or the hopeless person D/C with real connections & F/U care. Otherwise, it can be just another day in the neighborhood.

4 nurses 2 techs for 21 patients would be a dream. We have 2-3 nurse, 1-2 techs (someone called in?) 5+ Discharge 5+admits. Welcome to Psych.

I have been working the acute psych floor for 4 years now & still keep my mouth shut & eyes wide open when another nurse is being what I may consider overly snappy, loud, yelling or mean. I stop & watch the effect it has on the patient & what happens next. I learn, I decide what I will do & won't do. I have been overly whatever at times when I am overwhelmed, tired, having a bad day - No one is perfect. I also try to do better the next time. I find myself much less "nice" & more firm & matter of fact when patients are attempting to crowd at the nurse station. Learn first, judge less & then decide how you want to proceed.

I remember my clinicals - I was assigned to 1 nurse who glared at me every time I offered to help make a bed, empty something. I spent 10 hrs with my mouth shut & watched, taking all the notes I could because I'd be writing care plans on those patients for my grade. Sometimes it is the luck of the draw who you are assigned to. Some are incredible teachers, some are not & some just don't want to teach you for whatever reason. I would had thought it would had been a perfect opportunity to have the last semester student doing teach back under supervision of RN & you learning.... But hey,,, maybe she was just having one of those crappy days & didn't have the decorum. You should have reported immediately to your Clinical Supervisor & ask for reassignment.

Em31200 ---- Everyone has something. Doesn't matter who you are, how much money you have, don't have, where you work or are jobless, homeless. Rich or poor, boss or worker bee --- Everyone has something. And those that tell you they don't --- are lying to themselves because right now they can't deal with what it is they have..... So - you have an eating disorder.... If you feel Psych is for you, I see no reason why having a problem should stop you. Psych opens eyes, I have found it has given me respect for my own problems as well as everyone else's. Good luck to you.

That's an outright brawl you're describing!!! I am one who doesn't talk back to Dr. orders, but I'd be screaming at my Dr. for an IM B-52 or Geodon --- SOMETHING to slow that one down!!! If nothing else, someone - ANYONE - should be dressing that Dr. down for letting patient get that far out of hand --- Obviously not thinking of Staff & Pt. safety.

A lot of my patients are looking at jail time or are from jail, after they abused those children, women, others - & then made suicide attempt (real or half hearted). The ones you all have worked so hard for, pulled back from the brink of death, back to life & sent to my unit for eval. And sometimes it is hard to be that patient advocate - when you have patients act like the world owes them - there should be a mint on their pillow, they are inconvenienced because there are actual rules on a Psych unit..(who woulda thunk?). We don't wake them up to take their Valium to calm down...(seriously I have been chewed out for this by several pts.!). And after too many extra shifts, being yelled at, cursed at, being called the B or C word all weekend --- when one that is blatantly avoiding jail - there is NOTHING wrong with her other than not wanting to go to jail, draws back a fist at me for telling her she cannot have cover over her head & then threatens to kill me "because I've been to jail before, I'll beat you up" ???? Oh lord, I almost dropped her right there. I walked away. I took the next day off --- and I realized there are some times my patience can be worn too thin & that my license is not worth risking over jerks like that & I don't look good in Jailhouse orange. Never a dull moment on a Psych Unit........

I've learned that being able to assist someone with their emesis, clean them up & go back to nurse station starving is an actual "asset" on the Psych Unit. So is being able to perform wound care on nasty & scary wounds, clean out bedside commode,& still be hungry --- always get the "in awe" look when I wash up then head for my snack!!! I've learned that I really am a Psych Nurse (dang it!)

LPC2RN Your quote "am repeatedly shouting for help only to see one or maybe two of the techs open the door, watching the patient attempting to rip my face off, only to see them close the door" make my head spin!!!! My first thought - Oh helllll to the NOOOOO!! After I have gathered myself from all the red alert alarms going off in my head I can tell you this --- I would go to my Nurse Manager or Program Director immediately!!!! My unit is small, plenty of out of control, plenty of restraints - we are all well versed. When someone gets loud, a sharp noise you will see nurses & techs BOLT towards the danger! If it is delicate, we will hang back but close --- You are NEVER alone when the fur starts to fly! And to CLOSE THE DOOR???? OMG --- I am simply outraged! Psychotic can snap - all the more reason for co-workers to keep on alert while you are talking to him.... There is no excuse for not backing your team member up --- even those I would love to throw under a bus will have me next to them with violent pt. - I will not leave them alone. Incidents like that will get you killed - this is not an dramatic statement, I have a co-worker that has a wicked scar around her neck where pt. grabbed her & slit her throat - she is not dead because her team members intervened.....just sayin'! Good luck to you - I know I'd be having melt downs on my co-workers & quit if that happened to me!

ni_garrett - Get your BSN ---- Can't go into Administration without it & it will only broaden your possibilities!!! If you are feeling like this is what you need to do then you are being called --- no matter what age --- you will never go wrong following a calling. Good Luck!!!

Older New Nurses --- stand tall, put that chin out, square those shoulders & remember --- We have stuff that those young nurses don't have & that is Life Experience. We will stay our ground, keep our job. We don't call in unless we REALLY are sick or we REALLY have emergency. We don't pop around job to job just because we are fussy & "it isn't fun". We know work is work -- sometimes we get to love our job, sometimes not. We don't expect to love everyone, but we know how to get along with everyone because we don't sweat the small stuff. We don't go running to the boss whining about this & that - we work. We are stable, we are reliable, we are dependable & we work weekends!!!! Please do not let the Bull-Crap of "ageism" suck you in --- Stand Your Ground & Let your interviewers know you are valuable BECAUSE of your age!!! And one more plus --- at 53 you won't have to worry about me being on maternity leave! Wisdom balances out young impetuous workers every time.

usnretired1997,RN --- I am looking forward to getting BS so I can do Med Review / Utilization Review for Insurance companies. You can also look at health dept., other type of nursing --- Psych is interesting! Wound Care - Home Health. Agencies as PRN for right now??? Wow - there are tons of options, you are just looking at hospitals??? Use your class mates & your instructors..... You will find something soon - Trust me --- just keep confident & pray --- the right job for the right nurse at the right time.... Let the time be now!!!!

Work a psych unit - BSC - Bat S Crazy; Circle with a Dot = Borderline/attention seeking; Special = Diva; M.R.ish - high functioning or not! Active family = Calls screaming & demanding this & that for the pt. I am sometimes heard whispering "Lord have mercy, Christ have Mercy, Lord have Mercy" on particularly bad days usually followed with quietly asking the nurse next to me to please stab me in the eye (to take my mind off of how crazy it is today!) We also have a few hand signs --- the OK sign (always with a smile) = A. Hole. Crossing self = Psychotic like in the movies. We all shake it off during report - but it can get pretty intense at times!!!

I was 48 when I started Nursing School, 51 when I passed NCLEX & got my job on a psych unit (I always say age plays well there!) The only problem I have is the 23yr old nurse with 6 months more experience than me pissed off because everyone thinks I'm the charge nurse or the one with most authority because I am older:) I get the stink eye from her every time --- ask if I care