ChelleNurse

I have an MHA who is very difficult to ask to do things. The person has alot of experience, but are not doing all of their 15 minute checks on my shift. I am new, and don't feel comfortable reporting him to management at this time, as he is an integral part of our staff and works the schedule no one else will work. However, my license is ultimately responsible for what goes on. I, too have been uncomfortable asking the MHA's to do their job that they already know they are doing. So, when the MHA's aren't watching pt.'s or doing all the check or making beds, I just do it. I take my charting down to the day room and watch pt.'s for safety, I get up and do a round of checks anytime I want. It honestly takes me less time to get up and do stuff myself then it does to ask someone else to do it. But it is our responsibility to delegate these things so we may do our license-required nursing work. I happen to end up with enough time to do things myself....I come to work to work.

Familiarize yourself with: your state's legal-holds codes, such as 5150, DTS/DTO/GD, 24 hour, 72 hour holds, 14 day holds, conservatorship status, pt.'s rights, using restraints on pt.'s {different in psych facilities then other medical facilities.}

Is it an acute psychiatric facility? I graduated last year and am working in an acute psychiatric hospital, locked emergency & inpatient facility, in my 3rd month of employment. I received 6 weeks of formal training, 2 weeks on days, 2 weeks on evenings, and 2 weeks on night shifts. To cover your liability, you may want to formally, in email writing, request for training citing you're not comfortable working alone until you receive more training. Also, I would try building rapport & trust with a veteran nurse and ask her how you can do well with so little training. If you can gain a good working relationship with an experienced staff member, they will be mostly happy to help you. Especially if you stroke their ego a bit.

So Sorry you have been beaten down like an old rug.....I know how you feel....I also am a new nurse grad, graduated last year, and currently in my 3rd month of my Psychiatric nurse position. I am primarily a night nurse, but didn't want to end up in your position, so I asked my managers early on if I could train in every shift, days, evenings, and nights so I know how to work in case I ever pick up a day shift or have to deal with something I wouldn't normally see on my night shifts. I also thrive on critique, probly not a long list of corrections like you got..but I encourag emy coworkers to give me corrections and tips for how I can be better at paperwork & such. I think you printing out a list of your corrections is good. I save every email I have from my QA departments and from my administrators about corrections I have had to make. Don't be afraid to ask for more training on day shifts, its SOOOOO very different from nights Its definitely worth it.

Loving it! The coworkers have been great so far! yes, many jaded staff, and people who are a little burnt out, but I am using it as inspiration to not let myself do the same. I am also suprised by how mocking, or derogatory some of my coworkers can be when speaking about staff....But like I said, It reminds me of what kind of nurse I do and DO NOT want to be. So far, I am delighted with my new job, I am over 3 months in and have plans to stick it out!

I graduated nursing school last year, worked an LTC for 6 months as my first job out of nursing school before moving into a Psychiatric Nurse position, which I have been at for the past few months. It has been a prudent move for my career and I am not sorry for a second that I made the change. Not only am I working a job that is paying what the local ER nurses are making, but My office is fully if not overly staffed, and pays overtime/benefits properly as we deserve as nurses. I felt like The LTC was a great learning tool to jump off into nursing with and I will always carry with me the experience of working with 30-60 patients in any given noc shift at the LTC, and getting to know the LTC patients closely and for an extended period of time was also an endearing. Another advantage: There is very little, to no cutting corners or going around policy in the psychiatric setting. Not compared to the LTC. I felt that the LTC's always had such little moneys there were very high liabilities simply because there was never enough money and never enough staff.. Also, I received extensive and intricate training as a new psychiatric nurse. That was very much appreciated as someone who was new to the field. The difficulties I have entailed with psychiatric nursing? -Patients being medicated against their will, when their behavior becomes dangerous/meets criteria. It takes some getting used to. -Seclusion and Restraint of violent patients: I am ok to do it, but it definitely breaks my heart to see someone get to that extreme. -High population of acutely psychotic hard-drug users -Less vacation time off {the LTC was so desperate for good nurses, I was able to basically make my own schedule.Psych nurse job is very normie, meaning, I have no seniority and have to wait in line for my vacation time off, like most jobs} -8 hour shifts, which I don't mind.

I am leaving my SNF job for a new position at the County emergency mental health facility. I am 7 months graduated RN, and am very excited to be given this opportunity. I am a little nervous, as my only experience in psych was a 6 week rotation last year in school and helping my schizophrenic cousin with his issues while I was growing up. Another nurse in the community is telling me the senior nurses at my new job "eat their young", in regards to an inexperienced nurse coming aboard. What advice do you have for a younger, newer nurse on asserting a strong and respectable disposition around new psych nurse coworkers? I'm dying to make a good impression.....ie, I'm reviewing psych meds, DSM, therapeutic techniques, etc.

I am a new nurse at long term care/ skilled nursing facility in California. Every night shift is grossly understaffed: 85-90 patients with 2 nurses and only 3 CNAs. People are dirty for lOng periods of time, dementia patients are wandering unsafely, and people are not repositioned as often as they should be. Administration has been notified with no solutions or anything to fix the problem. Because the managers and directors only work day shifts, so they never see a short staffed issue. The night shift suffers. I am ready to quit, as I fear that I am working in a unsafe environment that could cost me my nursing license r/t a patient injury of some type. What, if anything to do? I am ready to quit come Monday morning. It seemed like such a nice job before the staffing got to be do unreasonable.