PsychRN05

As a mental health professional, I have to laugh at the comment that was made. I also receive treatment for depression- and half of the other nurses I work with as well! Call me crazy, but sometimes I think because of what we have been through, it makes us better nurses and enables us to be more empathetic I guess. It is inappropriate for them to even ask you about your own mental health, that is a private issue totally irrelevant to your job. Thats like saying a nurse with diabetes shouldnt be working with diabetic patients. Thats just crazy talk! =) Dont you worry bout it, and good luck!!

Help! I'm a new grad working in a Geriatric Psychiatry Unit and I'm really worried about my documentation. We use the BIRP method of charting and I never know what to write for my interventions or the plan part. I'm having difficulty recognizing what interventions I perfomed. In nursing school, our psych rotation was very brief and we never even charted during our psych clinicals. Med-Surg interventions have always been obvious to me, you know- changed a dressing, yada yada.. But psych.. I never know what to write!! The basics are always there, but I feel like I leave out so much and that there's other things I did. Is it appropriate to put a therapeutic communication technique as an intervention? I spend so much time with my patients and I want my charting to reflect that, but I really dont how to put into words my interventions. Anyone have any charting phrases that may help out? I'd appreciate VERY much!!!!! Thanks=)