gatigress

we use Haldol/ Ativan or Zyprexa/ Ativan depending on the doctors preference..

I went into psych straight from nursing school three and a half years ago and I love psych! It is not for everyone but it is very much my passion. I have always worked with adults and shy away from the adolescent unit. I have done chemical dependency/ Geri Psych/ Adult Psych and Crisis Stabilization- last night I worked on an adolescent unit for the first time. I guess its the initial fear of the unknown but try it all and see what you love.

I broke the fear and worked a pediatric psych unit for the first time last night. (I have worked adult psych inpatient for three and a half years now and love it) I amazingly found I loved working with the "kids". I was always scared by the challenges that were faced by many of the nurses who worked pediatric psych. Honestly with a lot of patience and a strong spirit it can be done. Just this morning I pretty much saw everything on the list above within the patient population that was there. As long as you are honest, respectful and treat others fairly there is hope. :) Good luck on the interview.

I work in an inpatient psychiatric facility. We have a detox unit as well as a general psych unit. We wand a patient when they come in the door. Once they are in a more private area, we have the patient take their clothes off and put a gown on and do a visual inspection for contraband. (checking pockets and sems of clothing etc). If a problem arises once the patient has been admitted to the unit, we can get a Dr order and perform another check for contraband which basically is repeating the admission process and then checking the room thoroughly.

Keep educating him on the fact that there are many meds out there, and like others said find other ways to help him cope. Does he have a hobby or did he have a hobby? Find something out from him that he used to see as important in one part of his life and start talking to him about everything and anything that he is interested in. Once you have a good relationship maybe he would be open to at least trying a type of medication. I know many women have weight gain worries and many people do worry about side effects and having to be dependant on meds to make it through the day, Also if he is younger he may have worries about his libido and that is important to many.

My fave topics are. 1- How to talk to a healthcare provider. ( It is amazing but many psych patients do not understand that nurses and Dr's want to know symptoms that they are having and how the meds are making them feel and their reasons for refusing meds) 2- medication compliance- the biggest reason we see people frequently is that they start to feel "fine" and they " do not need their meds anymore" I encourage patients even if they feel fine, that there are reasons they need to maintain on their medication. 3- how to use relaxation and guided imagery for anxiety 4- how to use positive coping skills- and short term/ long term goal setting 5- followup care and importance of making their outpatient appointments 6- everything else in general like healthy eating and very simplified info on Disease processes such as Diabetes, Hypertension and Increased Cholesterol

Just random questions.. How comfortable are you of taking care of a pregnant patient in a psych facility? (not med/ psych just a free standing inpatient psych setting) For those that do take psych patients who are pregnant. Here are a few questions.. 1- How do you determine the health of the baby? 2- Does your facility take pregnant patients that also have substance abuse problems? 3- Are there any protocols in place to protect the mother and child? 4- Is the pregnant patient being medicated? just curious..

Where I have worked, we hand out medications. We hold groups, educate patients on whatever we need to educate them on. My fave educational topic is med compliance and follow-up care. I assess patients if they are feeling ill and do tons of paperwork. I spend time listening to patients and getting to know them and watch the progress of their treatment. I think it is amazing to watch patients progress in treatment and the way medication helps many people function. :) I love helping those people smile at the end of the day no matter how bad of a day they have had.

I am pretty honest with new nurses when they come into psych. You are either going to like psych or you are not. It is not worth it if you take the job home with you. I enjoy the patients and find everyday rewarding. The biggest advice would be to be aware of your surroundings at all times and look for body language more then the words they say. You can find out so much from people if you listen to them. Patients often will tell you how other patients are doing. If you have a good rapport you can see trouble brewing before it happens. Being aware of your surroundings means to not put yourself in an unsafe situation. I would always keep yourself near an exit from a patients room, never be with a patient alone (at least be within earshot of help) and always call for help before you need it if a situation is escalating. Stay calm no matter how unsafe you feel on the inside. Always fake the funk.. if you feel like someone will hurt you do not act afraid- and get help before you cannot ask for it :) ps... things do become unsafe in psych hospitals from time to time.. but its usually cause of the first two things I said.. 1- someone was not aware of their surroundings and 2- the staff did not listen and pay attention to nonverbal cues that something was about to happen. (sorry if I scared you about your first day- just remember psych patients are people too so talk to them like you would talk to any other patient you have in a hospital setting)