GalRN

GalRN has 14 years experience and specializes in Psychiatry and addictions.

Latest Activity

1. Don't want to be scalped!!!! HELP!!

   GalRN replied to catnfl's topic in Psychiatric

   Reminds me of a place in San Leandro where I did part of a travel contract. Big psychotic dude was stalking me and staff didn't notice or do anything about it. A fellow traveler called another unit for help, and fortunately they showed up just as he ...

2. Dangerous Patients

   GalRN replied to Purple_Clover's topic in Psychiatric

   Small feisty people can do a lot of damage when they are psychotic enough. Spice will do the same. The most important factor is the environment. Some places don't take safety seriously until after someone gets hurt, if at all. When the unit is runni...

3. Psychiatric Home Visits

   GalRN replied to QTNurseBSN's topic in Psychiatric

   I work as an ACT nurse and do a lot of home visits. At first I wasn't sure that I could do it safely. I have worked with the mentally ill in my area in multiple settings including in the correctional system, and I have seen many people, including so...

4. Invega sustenna question

   GalRN posted a topic in Psychiatric

   I'm an ACT nurse and have a lot of clients on invega sustenna. There have been some dramatic improvements- people who went from nearly mute with flat affects to euthymic and speaking in full sentences, so delusional that hygiene was not possible to f...

5. New to Correctional Nursing, any tips?

   GalRN replied to ckbreathing's topic in Correctional

   Thought I'd throw my 2 cents in as someone who started working at a jail about 5 months ago. It was originally a 13 week assignment, but has been extended and I'm starting a position that has an opening. Last week I knew they were deciding whether th...

6. Borderline Personality Disorder on the Behavioral Unit

   GalRN replied to Thunderwolf's topic in Psychiatric

   Realized I hadn't ever thanked you for this info! Thank you! I've worked on a lot of units as a psych traveler, and a lot of them didn't know how to deal with patients who had severe borderline personality disorder. Travelers can't just tell them how...

7. fearing for my license at a dangerous psych facility

   GalRN replied to RNfor918's topic in Arizona

   To the OP- Did the hopsital's name begin with the letter A? Because I left a facility that begins with that letter in 11/10 and will not go back through the registry I work for now. They were changing documentation after the fact, among many other th...

8. 2010-2011 AZBN new grad survey

   GalRN replied to boru's topic in Arizona

   I was on looking for info on a local travel position I just picked up. I live here but haven't for too long, and was curious about where I'll be working. Anyhoo, I read this last yr when it was posted. At that time I was one of the experienced RN's b...

9. Best Psych/CD nursing facilities in AZ

   GalRN replied to justice for all's topic in Psychiatric

   DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT take a chance with your license. There is a reason they are hiring. I work for a really good registry and every nurse I met was sent there and wil NOT go back. Pt care is OK only bc of amazing techs. The campus I was at was on...

10. Drug Seeking Patients

    GalRN replied to nursemelyn's topic in Psychiatric

    As my sis would say, tru dat! The risperdone made me think of a situation I was in about 10 yrs ago. Pt had a hx of non adherence. They put him on risperdone. For a few nights he paced, clearing his throat, saying it felt like a lump was preventing h...

11. Delirium?

    GalRN replied to GalRN's topic in Psychiatric

    I know exactly what you mean.... And it does happen all the time with older patients. I had been a nurse for at least 5 yrs when I got a job on a dementia unit. We had a new lady, from an acute care unit, still with a UTI resolving. I was floored whe...

12. Drug Seeking Patients

    GalRN replied to nursemelyn's topic in Psychiatric

    A unit that I worked on as a traveler had a rep for giving out MS Contin And oxy's like they were candy. Had a couple of pts that came in when their drug dealer went on vacation or their SSDI check ran out. They would stand and ask for whatever prn t...

13. Delirium?

    GalRN posted a topic in Psychiatric

    OK, maybe this is a pet peeve, but curious... Have you noticed the huge group of patients with delirium - do they get ignored in your facilities? By ignored I mean no one notices that there is something organic and reversible going on. Most nurses I ...

14. Interview Tues, leaving ICU for LTC

    GalRN replied to kimmersRN's topic in Geriatric

    Hi, I went from resp step down ICU to psych, where I come that is considered a step down from regular nursing and not paid as much per hr. LTC is around there in "status" and a little lower in pay. God forbid we pay our nurses equally, skills are dif...

15. Weirnike-Korsakoff Syndrome

    GalRN replied to my2sons's topic in Psychiatric

    I've had acouple of pts with the disorder and remember them being pleasant but in lala land and could not care for themselves. It's also near and dear to my heart b/c we are still wondering about my dad.... He had several psychotic episodes and had t...