edie1

hi could someone please give me some references to study up on to look into addictions nursing - thank you tons!

MrChicagoRN unstable behavior, moody, difficult to be around, takes no responsibility for consequences of behavior etc and i do think they are similar no matter what the cause - i have never been around a borderline person so i was simply asking for what i might see/feel as opposed to the clinical picture which i could google "would one or both of them make you start to question your own sanity when dealing continously with the ups and downs and would the person never be wrong about anything and somehow be able to turn everything back on to you?" this is what i got per psych central borderline - Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation Identity disturbance, such as a significant and persistent unstable self-image or sense of self Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating) Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior Emotional instability due to significant reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days) Chronic feelings of emptiness Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights) Transient, stress-related paranoid thoughts or severe dissociative symptoms bipolar - During a manic phase, symptoms include: heightened sense of self-importance exaggerated positive outlook significantly decreased need for sleep poor appetite and weight loss racing speech, flight of ideas, impulsiveness ideas that move quickly from one subject to the next poor concentration, easy distractibility increased activity level excessive involvement in pleasurable activities poor financial choices, rash spending sprees excessive irritability, aggressive behavior During a depressed phase, symptoms include: feelings of sadness or hopelessness loss of interest in pleasurable or usual activities difficulty sleeping; early-morning awakening loss of energy and constant lethargy sense of guilt or low self-esteem difficulty concentrating negative thoughts about the future weight gain or weight loss talk of suicide or death

Cackalacky thank you! i dont care about the cause ie genetic or whatever - i was simply looking for what i might see - its a personal situation and sometimes its hard to be intellectual / objective when dealing with family / friends - thank you so much!

hi! could someone help me distinguish bipolar from borderline? someone told me the two have very different presentations but i dont see it. in the "real" world could the two be easily confused? i would love examples of "typical" presentations of each and yes i know that every case is different and i understand labeling - just want a picture please :) thank you sooo much. would one or both of them make you start to question your own sanity when dealing continously with the ups and downs and would the person never be wrong about anything and somehow be able to turn everything back on to you? edie1

I too Orca apologize - I worked really hard to get my education and experience and it would mean nothing to me if it was not legit :). sorry :)

thanx for attempting to explain the accusation made by orca and I still dont understand why respond to anyone unless you are trying to help them. i re-read what i wrote and if it was not clear i meant APPARENTLY lacking as stated - i didnt go into full explanation and yes my resume is very clear what i did in the jail (actually jail nursing is probably 10 percent medical and 90 percent psych (including the feigned medical illness) And yes it is amazing to me that nurses who run a psych unit would not know that a huge percentage of criminals have mental health issues. Thanks for your response. I am taking the wrong tack here :).

Orca Am I the OP and what is that and as above a jail is pretty psych related - ie gave and monitored psych meds, suicide watch, hostile behavior, schizophrenics. bipolars, people very high on all types of substances with withdrawal monitoring, ran psych clinic with staff psychiatrists - i think the major difference is that I also had to have medical knowledge and had little time to worry about what others thought of my training/education. Seems I asked for help/advice and I have been put in that criminal category - NOT HELPFUL. Typical nurse eating their young I guess. I really came here for help/advice and I may read to much into this but I should get a trial first so I shall look for a response and then find a professional site where I dont have to justify my existence. This makes me feel really sad.

Hi Meriwhen Thanks so much. I worked for three years in a jail so yeah I have more psych experience than I ever thought I would want. Inpatient hospital seems to not be liking that experience I guess because some of my patients have actually murdered people. I have no idea just thought it might show my interest/dedication to mental health but hmmm :).

hi - I need some advice or not sure what to call it. Can someone explain the point of psych techs? Are they the same as patient care assistants on a medical floor only they work in psych? And.....would it be wrong/conflict of interest/etc for an rn to work as a psych tech? I am looking at a position and not sure if they would even consider me - I am an rn with many years medical experience and wanted to get a position in psych but have not been successful even though i am ancc certified in psych and have a BA in psych. I thought it would be fun for awhile and I would gain the experience I am apparently lacking. Any opinions? I was wondering if the job descriptions/role would in any way conflict with each other ie as an rn i know to do certain things and as a psych tech i would report to rn thus delaying care that i would automatically do as an rn or am i thinking too much here? :) thanks in advance edie

well well at my facility the staffing is so poor the nurse giving report may not know if the patient has an access so it may be ignorance rather than lying. what a dilemma and poor patient all the way around.

thank you Psychcns :) are you a cns? :)

ha guess i wrote it all in the title but.....anybody have advice / opinion on what would make a good substance abuse registered nurse. i have never had a problem in this area and i will study up on it very thoroughly but can i be effective without having experienced issues in the area? THANK YOU IN ADVANCE :) qualities? knowledge needed? cutting technology? etc

hi Hygiene Queen that is really odd/funny because even though I have worked in medical and just new to psych, i certainly would know better than to wear something around my neck :) i did work with a super rich nurse one time who lost her rolex in a laundry bag and of course we helped her look but she knew she was an idiot and really did not complain. i always look at it like a germ thing and though i may be ocd about it i am a nurse and hospitals are the germiest places in the universe so my rolex stays at home (yeah right rolex) :)

haha Hygiene Queen i wont wear heels - funny :) thanks edie

recently looked at Rush University - they told me almost all the programs are going to DNP but you can still find a few. My concern would be your competitive edge in the market when you have a MSN and everyone else is getting a DNP. I am going to do the DNP although I too would have been very content with a MSN .

hi anybody know why most psych nurses wear street clothes? the places i am looking at are REQUIRED to wear them vs scrubs and I am just curious why that might be. this is not their problem but I have been a nurse for SO long that I have no clothes . i only can think of the milgram experiment where people seemed to respect (ah too much) the medical situation and thought it almost might be more therapeutic - not just cuz I dont want to buy new clothes :). thanks, edie

try.....a different area of nursing - i loved correctional nursing where the "patients" are inmates and they LOVE the nurses because they are the only ones who dont treat them like animals try.....insurance - that is computer work and referrals, etc try a va where everything you give can never be enough for those who put their lives on the line for us the BEST thing about nursing is there are SO many opportunities - keep looking and you will find a fit :) edie

Hi Meriwhen Interview of Tuesday - just thought they might ask about the meds :). Thank you!

ok apparently i am not smart enough for this site - I am trying to reply to all the assistance i got and my thank yous all end up at the bottom even thought i hit "reply." THEREFORE THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE. I SOOO APPRECIATE THE HELP :).

thank you - i need lots of help :) its a new field for me :)

thank you and thanx for clarifying what HA is (would not have got it on my own) :)

Could someone tell me the most common medications used for psychiatric emergencies? I am guessing most of them are IM but the information I have found has been from a drug company or wikipedia and not sure I can entirely trust these sources. Thank you. edie

hey MrChicagoRN i just re-read your advice - you are a nursing care coordinator or nurse manager or supervisor or director or whatever they are called now huh? :)

THANK YOU MrChicagoRN yall are amazing and i REALLY appreciate the help!!!!!

yes TerpGal02 i have but i am nervous thank you!