kathmerkin

I have always thought about going into psche nursing. I scored the HIGHEST on my boards on the psych section, and in nursing school, when we rotated at the mental hospital, I was strongly encouraged to go into psyche. My parents are both Pychiactric social workers and in their own private practice, so I grew up with it, and i wanted to do something different that's why I didn't. I have been in Pediatrics and Post partum, and school nursing, and home health, etc., etc.. I am on a very demanding and draining floor now, and am sort of getting "burn-out" and thinking of going into psych as we do have a psych floor on our hospital. Do you think they would want a 49 year old who has always worked OTHER areas?? I think I would be good at psyche as people always tell me I'm a natural at counseling people, after all i was a counselor more than a nurse it seemed when i did school nursing for 6 years (2 years in a huge high school)!! What advice do you all have?? I am scared to make such a change, and then I really don't know if they'd want someone who isn't going into it right from school as a specialty. Any advice would be great! Thanks.. kathie :)

We have rooming in and Do encourage that, but I am always very supportive of ANY Mom who feels a need for a nap or rest any time, night or day, and I welcome Baby to nursery during those times, and yes, you will have a much happier, more well rested Mother, who will appreciate the staff SO much for their consideration!! I have had 5 children, and those little breaks at 1 or 2 Am in the hospital were almost imperative for my exhaustion those few nights., Especially when you have a few others to go home to in a day or 2.I get very frustrated at a couple nurses on our floor who act "annoyed" when a Mom wants to put the baby in the nursery for a bit for a break. There are always nurses in the nursery anyway, so WHY NOT?? I Do think rooming in (in general) is wonderful however!! a Birthing Center must be flexible!! Kathie

There was a time when i thought about becoming a "midwife" but i went on to have 5 children of my own, and due to Motherhood, I never did persue that, but now that I have worked OB, i would personally NOT have home birth. I think that if a woman really wants to, and lives close to a hospital in case of an emergency, and has a VERY GOOD midwife with loads of experience, then I think it usually turns out a wonderful experience.But I have sure seen RAPID emergencies, for both Moms AND infants. I think there is risk involved for sure. Kathie

I started this hospital job 14 months ago, and it is Meditech, which was like GREEK to me when I started. I am profficient at using it now, but have never liked it and I feel it is very outdated and user unfriendly. It is a dos based program, and seems to be old as the hills. Many nurses have thought it a BEAR to learn if they had never seen it before. Kathie