Honu0612

I suppose this is a battle I will never win, since most people (according to you) will read into my original post and assume things about me that are not true and take this thread to a whole new level of their own personal understanding, so...so be it. I have heard enough and said enough and maybe I'm too sensitive, but darn do you all really know how to make someone feel welcome! (That was sarcasm for all you serious fuddy-duddies.) Maybe I'll come around again sometime, but for now I don't wish to hear your replies and that is my choice.

I thought I would toss in my 2 cents too. I just recently accepted a new position in child psych and won't start for a couple of weeks, but it is my dream and I'm looking forward to it. My new job is inpatient, but I'll only have 4-5 kids assigned to me each day and I think that ratio is pretty good. My current job that I'm leaving is also psych, but adult residential, where I oversee 30 residents medical and psychiatric care. It does not allow me the time I want to spend with each one, but it's a good job and I've liked it a lot and am only leaving to work with kids instead. I've been able to keep up a lot of the medical skills because many have medical problems and they are getting older too. A typical day does allow me to really sit down with someone in crisis and put other things on hold, my schedule is very flexible, and in fact I'm salaried so it gets done when I get it done. Anyway, find out about the options in your area, you never know what you will find. There are quite a few opportunities here and I don't consider the Midwest to be very intuitive to the mentally ill. Hope this helps, good luck!

Elkpark - "...if you had anything like a "normal" childhood yourself, you will see and hear things it will be hard to believe." "I'm hoping that the pens you talk about are for you to write with, and not for you to give to the kids to play with. If you let the kids have them, they will get broken or disappear (and may be used by a child to self-injure)." "Remember that you are there to have a therapeutic relationship with the kids, not to be their "friend"." I'm sorry I asked, thanks for the criticism, I knew after I typed it that would be the main response I would get. You know nothing about me, as I know and presume to know nothing about you. I know what I'm getting into, as I have worked with kids at a crisis nursery and through DFS. I was not looking for the advice you gave, but I suppose it is your right to give it. I'll be more careful from now on as to what I ask for on this forum. Of course I would not bring things to the unit that I did not know ahead of time were okay, what am I a clown with a bag full of tricks? I also would not give the children the pens I was talking about. They were strickly for fun. Every unit needs more fresh ideas and at times becomes stale, that's truly all I was asking. Instead you went on and on like I'm an idiot, I'm so sorry you are so skeptical and paranoid of people. Chill out a little and don't jump to so many conclusions about people and things you know nothing about. I've never seen so many assumptions made with nothing to back it up. I suppose if I was fresh out of school you'd tell me I was crazy and didn't know what I was getting into and should go to med-surg. Well, that's not why I became a nurse, but it was to work with kids in the field of mental health, and I'm greatly looking forward to it. Well, now I'm going on and on, I just hope you don't treat your patients the same way. You definitely would not give them the benefit of the doubt and would tear them up instead of healing them. Maybe I just don't belong here, I'll wait it out and assume most here are not like you.

Hello everyone! I'm new to the group and will be starting a new job in a couple of weeks in peds psych. I'm brushing up my skills and knowledge with my psych textbook from school and a book from the library on psych meds for child and adolescent so I'll have a little info going in, but wanted to know more about the fun side of working in peds. I'll be in an inpatient area for 4-12 year olds and I know some play time and enjoyment is to be had there. I actually bought some fun pens that light up and with animals on them, then I already have some kid oriented scrubs. What other ideas do you all have? From the simple to the extravagant, I want to hear how you interact and break through barriers with kids. I know the place is decorated with a sea theme, so that is fun, maybe I can think of something else with that in mind, they even have a giant sandbox outside. Anyway, thanks for the ideas, have a great Monday everyone!

I just joined today, but thought I would jump right in and respond to your questions. I just graduated in 2002 and went straight to psych nursing and am very happy with my work. Sure I've forgotten a few things, but like another said you can learn them again easily. Medical stuff still comes up in psych, as many of my residents have medical issues for me to help them with. Everthing from kidney failure to emphysema to Diabetes. There are a lot of health issues in psych and the population is aging, at least it seems to be around here. Plus my boss pays for me to take classes to update my knowledge and skills. Often your place of employment will offer them or you can find them pretty inexpensively. As far as moving up the ladder, well actually I'm leaving my current position in 2 weeks as I have found a better paying job in the field I truly desire, ped psych. I'm near St. Louis and we are not huge in psych, so if I can advance in my career just about anyone can. Also to add, no one else in my nursing class had any interest in psych, but my instructors never discouraged me and to this day still give me great references when I need them. Hope this helps, you just got to do what's right for you!