GeneralJinjur

In the middle of nurse to nurse, I had to stop a transfer to my unit today because pt was unable to ambulate independently. I was so impressed with the ICU nurse on the other end who listened to my reasons for shutting it down and said, "That's okay...

Doubtful in this case, since they have been unconscious for most of their ICU stay, but I agree that balancing mental and physical health is always a concern. As have I. My go-to response is to find a way to make something work. There was no safe...

I agree that psych nursing can be very emotionally draining. I have done both kinds of shifts for at least 3 years on each type. Personally, I prefer 12s, since working five 8 hour shifts feels like I am always on the unit. Working 32 hours a week...

3 years on a waitlist...

You all make good points -- I think the irritation comes from this being seen as only a nurse's problem for not reminding the doctor of necessary orders that should be obvious, given the patient's condition. No doubt docs are being reminded about t...

Exactly! I know my patients well and no longer have to hope that I met their needs. My job satisfaction is through the roof because I have the tools to take great care of all my patients.

I would document it in my discharge note. I can worry about them, but it doesn't help the patient one speck. Recording their behavior as they leave my care can help the next treatment team address this.

My first hospital had 3 nurses to cover 26-32 patients, with the same number of techs. I left there for a better staffed facility, which also happens to pay more. Now I have 5 patients per shift and it's lovely. I feel like I'm on vacation every d...

The manager may be unable to if there is a sudden hiring freeze or some other administrative fun occurs. I am in favor of taking advantage of every job interview, even if all it means is that you have more practice for the next time you job hunt.

I only tell my bad stories to family members who work in law enforcement, because they can commiserate. Everyone else gets to hear the funny/quirky stories.

I love the 3-11 shift. Did that my first year, then moved to days because I wanted to see my children. As soon as the little whippersnappers are out of the house, I will go back to evenings. Yes, you will get the majority of admissions and a fair ...

Oh, I connect just fine and definitely prefer it that way (though I have yet to get a paranoid psychotic patient to connect with me in the first few days -- which doesn't mean I don't try). I also work really hard to find the things that motivate th...

A free standing psychiatric hospital offered me my first nursing job and thus, a psych nurse was born. I'm in my 4th year of working in psych and I really like it. I can see myself sticking with this specialty until I retire. I did not plan to do ...

Any chance you can go to one of our rural hospitals? The outlook in the Denver metro area is exceptionally tough for new grads. Channel 7 news did an article within the past year about how there were only something like 10 new grad positions open in ...

I am great at teaching laypeople and peers. In school, we called it Patho for Kindergarteners. I also seem to be good at walking in on folks as they are trying to hang themselves. It's a useful skill in Psych. :)

Twilight Zone by Golden Earring and Borderline by Madonna. Yep, I work in psych.

We had a cat that began hopping on kitchen counters during the night. My mom solved it by applying a light coating of Crisco to the counters before going to bed. We heard a crash in the night and that was the end of the cat jumping up there. We fo...

Some of my classmates failed HESI tests from time to time. Almost 3 years after graduating, I can't tell you how useless these tests are to every day practice. Please, don't let one stupid test affect your career! No dropping out! Just keep ju...

I'm glad your first day went well!

I never wear button down shirts as I don't know how well they would survive some of the wrestling that happens on a rough shift. T-shirts that don't look like t-shirts or knit tops work better for me because it would take an above average tussle to r...

I agree with your DON. Med errors are painful, but the lessons you learn stick like glue! I also work in a facility that is non-punitive for med errors. We fill out a form identifying contributing causes and if you have continued problems, there is a...

If you're already doing everything Dave Ramsey recommends, I would visit the Mr. Money Mustache blog. He has some great ideas for cutting costs. If you are able to pick up shifts after your orientation, that sounds like a helpful thing. I work 32 ...

Pts endorse suicidal or homocidal ideation, also self-injury. I've been hearing that one in psych since I graduated and started working there. I tend to use reports unless it is a physical complaint, aka HA.

So if you are burned on patient contact, how about some back office paper-pushing utilization/review type job? You need the RN license to do it, but you don't deal with needy pts, just insurance company reps. Or get certified in medical coding. On...

OP, how did it go?For everyone else, I would emphasize honesty in your responses during the interview. Remember that we have finely tuned B-S-o-meters in psych and we'd rather hear what you really think.