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The area was never an issue. Campus is safe and I never felt "unsafe" (although I did commute and didn't live on site). Theory is a huge part of the BScN. We had clinical like every other school, every semester. What you get out of it is 50/50. 50% what's available skill wise on site at your placement and 50% what you make yourself available for. If you're a wallflower then you're not likely to get the same opportunities as a student who makes themselves available and known to staff for whatever available opportunity. I questioned our skills/lab/clinical time once and had an instructor tell me "you can teach a monkey a skill". In essence, you need to be able to have the knowledge, skill and judgement to make sound nursing decisions. If you can't critically think and you don't know the disease process or the rationale behind something then inserting a catheter isn't going to make a damn difference. Did I like York? Not particularly. Do I have another nursing program to compare it to? Not at all. Your education is what you make of it. I survived York and am doing just fine in the real world.

I work in Ontario on a mental Health inpatient unit. I was hired without additional credentials but with the expectation that I obtain a certificate in psychiatric nursing during my employment. Experience speaks more than credentials in my neck of the woods.

We have spit hoods. We use them during situations requiring restraints (for spitters) but once the patient has been medicated and restrained they're removed for patient safety. They are never left on under any circumstance and only used when in close proximity during acute situations.

communication is a core skill!!! Know your mental status exams, don't ignore physical complaints but learn to talk to your patients, observe your patients both when they're alone and when they're interacting with others. Not just listening to what they say, verbal communication is only one piece of it! if you're working in an acute psych setting then be able to redirect, set firm limits and de-escalate situations. Work with your interdisciplinary team.... they're invaluable. Never ever ignore gut feelings.

You can pinpoint all the potential PDs in your circle of friends/acquaintances

If psych nursing is easy then I'm in the wrong facility!!! I love my job and my patients (most of the time) and while it may not be as "busy" as a medical or surgical unit, it's it own type of specialty. anyone who thinks psych isn't tough has never been a psych nurse. Just my opinion though.

I did do a mental health placement during third year and then put in for a mental health placement for my IP. I'm also in Ontario. Feel free to send me a pm if you have any questions.

It depends on where you want to be when you graduate or whether you're just looking for well rounded skills experience. I chose to do my ip in mental Heath because I knew I wanted to get a job there after graduation. If you want to build a more solid skill base then med/surg is a great option. My IP gave me some great experience in working with an interdisciplinary team, learning to advocate for my patients and communicate with docs. I spent a lot of time learning the mental Heath act, forms, consent and capacity boards, patients rights advocates and ethics. Psych meds, ECT and CBT. The experience I gained there helped me to secure a job on a mental Heath inpatient unit at a large hospital and I really enjoy my job and this field of nursing.

Who the heck would go drinking and dancing in scrubs?!?! í ½í¸‚í ½í¸‚í ½í¸‚ oh my lord!!!!!

4 on, 4 off, 4 on, 5 off.... Repeat and my shifts are LD, LD, LN, LN. It's a new schedule for me so I'm not sure if I like it or not yet :)

I work in a SNF and have a patient who is on long acting pain meds as well as prn narcs which she asks for at routine times. I have asked her doc several times to make these prns routine since her breakthrough prns are "routinely" given (since she reuests them) at regular intervals for break through. This has been happening for 6+ months but her doc refuses to make them routine and claims she's drug seeking. I use pain scales to asses and follow protocol for my facility. I'm not sure what else I can do. I have listened to the patient and spoken to the doc on multiple occasions. He continues to refill a prn script regardless of the consistency of the use. Times down to the minute. I have questioned my staff about wether or not the patient is actually asking for the prn or if it is given out of habit. I suppose my question is what can I do about the situation. I'm a new RN and I feel as though more should be done but I'm hitting a brick wall here. am I going about this wrong? Am I naive? What can I do?

Deleted because I didn't see which forum this was in

I worked in a role as a UCP during nursing school and did the companies medication training program. Some of the girls I worked with were well equipped to be doing this and others, well.... how they managed to pass medication training is beyond me. I would think that if I was the nurse in this position I would like to be personally responsible for the screening, hiring and training of each individual working under my registration. If I was able to do that then I think I would be more comfortable with the idea of being responsible for other people's medication pass. Unfortunately, this was not the case at my facility and management just needed bodies because of high turn over rates. "My" nurse, turned and ran.... as would I!

I was told to write a student nurse CV to create a document of clinical experience which could be shared on top of my resume (employment experience) upon graduation. My student nurse cv lists all clinical placements and experience that may not be apparent on my resume. I'm not sure if this is common practice or not but I would be willing to forward you an example/copy to your pm if you are looking for this type of thing. Keep in mind that I am also a new grad and it may not be that helpful. I bring mine to interviews as an "extra" to highlight clinical experience.

Even after I graduated and passed my NCLEX, the letter I got in the mail specifically said you can not use the title RN until you are registered through your regulatory body. I waited until the CNO sent me a letter stating "you are now a registered nurse" before I used the title. If well meaning friends and family called me a nurse or introduced me as such I was quick to correct them that I was working towards my registration. I would never ever assume to use a protected title until I had fully earned it. I have way to much respect for the profession and all the nurses to do that.