Psych Nurse ="not a REAL nurse"?

deedee30 · Mar 22, 2006

I work med-surg (basically). I laughed when I saw your question because at least where I work, I often hear myself and other nurses groaning about our "psych" patients and comment that we are not "psych" nurses. Many of us have stated without a doubt that we lack the skills and patience to be full time psych nurses. So, are you a real nurse? No way!!! You are a GOD (or goddess if we must be politically correct here).

deedee

rn/writer, RN · Mar 22, 2006

BTW, you really do need good assessment skills in psych nursing, and not just for psych issues. You need to be able to pick up signs and symptoms from people who are often a whole lot less able to get a good history (much less a current description of their present status).... real nurses, yup, that's us.

It's true that some psych nurses let their assessment skills lapse, but for the most part, the above quote applies. I was a psych nurse for a long time and found that I had to be alert to subtle s/s having to do with drug interactions, adverse effects, med-increased sensitivities (food reactions to MAOI's, heat-sensitivity to anti-psychotics, etc.), anorexia/bulimia-related issues, AODA issues, etc. And, as the quote said, I often had to do this with people who were at either age extreme, hostile, oppositional, suicidal, delusional, and so on.

Don't think I'd want her to start an iv on my child...but I know I couldn't do what she does, w/the skill and grace she does it.

You can't tell by looking who is good at starting an IV or not. Depends a lot more on skill and experience than on the unit the nurse currently works.

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 22, 2006

Of course psych nurses are as real as it gets.....i admire all of you. You do amazing things.

KAW1962 · Mar 23, 2006

Personally I have to chuckle when I am summoned to the psych unit to start an IV (rare occasion perhaps, but it still happens). I find it difficult dealing with psych patients in the med/surg setting simply because I lack to expertise to care for them properly. That's no different than me being expected to care for a peds patient or an expectant mother ready to give birth. I don't have any experience with these types of patients, but that doesn't mean I am not a real nurse either!

rosemadder · Mar 23, 2006

A psych nurse is not only a nurse but a saint...

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Mar 23, 2006

I am a per diem LVN psych nurse at a behavioral health facility and all I do is pass medications. All the RN does is chart and transcribe orders. Psych nurses are real nurses; however, psych nursing is not for me. The mental health patients are simply too obsessive about their meds, as if their very existence is based on receiving their PRN Ativan or Lortab every 4 to 6 hours. I praise the other nurses who have the patience to deal with this sort of crap.

HeatherLPN · Mar 23, 2006

Mental health is just as important as physical health, and mental health affects physical health, so yes, psych nurses are definately real nurses. I work with a lot of mental health patients and you may not be doing alot of skills, but you have to know your patients, their quirks, what sets them off, what calms them down, ect. Then you have the families that feel that their family member is in no way mentally ill that you have to deal with and explain things to. Sometimes I think some of the family members are in worse shape than the patient. There are days LOL.

jillyk*rn · Mar 23, 2006

Being a psych nurse..way too hard for me. I give you a lot of credit. I think you have to be tough and compassionate. I just don't have that kind of patience. No doubt you in my mind folks in psych are REAL nurses.

:yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat:

grinnurse, RN · Mar 23, 2006

I have heard that stated several times but know it's not the truth. Alot of student nurses were saying that the last semester until they did a rotation through our local MHR facility. Or local state facility has a Med/Surge floor as well as the others. I think maybe the confusion is that Psych nurses who are not on the Med/Surge floor, like someone else said, tend to not "do" as much with the skills physically ie., i.v.s, foleys, etc. but oh do so so much more mentally working with these patients. That is strictly an observation on my part when I did my rotation through there that is what I saw on the non-med/surge floors.

postmortRNhere · Mar 23, 2006

Psych nursing I think is one of the most difficult areas of nursing there are...I would not be able to do it well. It requires so much patience and sensitivity. Those character traits are needed in any area of nursing, but I do think in psych it is needed even more. Of course they are nurses and I respect them for their work. Mental illness is not easy to cope with.

Josefin, BSN, PhD, RN · Mar 23, 2006

I work at a community mental health unit and feel that I recieve a lot more respect for the job I do, compared to other nurses I know who are working in other "traditional" areas. It might be a bit different since I work in Sweden, but my job as a "psych nurse" is really independent and advanced. I have my "own" patients and run CBT(cognitive behavioural therapy) sessions, do my own consults at other parts of the hospital etc. My job is not much about routine, I plan my own day, from my own office. I feel that both other nurses and physicians give me a lot of cred and respect, my opinion matters! I also believe that many nurses (and physicians as well) might not be aware of what great opportunities there are for nurses in psychiatric care. I love my job, although I am now offered a job as project manager, which means that I wont work with patients at all. A pity since I love working with people, but ofcourse also a challenge.

SharonH, RN · Mar 23, 2006

It's funny I should read this topic today. I have a patient at clinicals with a long psych history including bipolar disorder and I am absolutely clueless in how to deal with this lady. I am very impressed with the skills that psych/mental health nurses possess. My hats are off to you all.

Now if you want to talk disrespect, you should see the looks I get sometimes from other nurses when they learn that I work in employee health.