Psych patients

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

I had a total of six med clearance/psych patients during a recent shift ... it was crazy (literally, ha ha). I had the first three spaced out over the first part of the day, and that evening got three at almost the same time. Thank goodness we were able to get the mental health person in to do all the bed-finding ... we used to have to do so much of it ourselves, from precerting to calling facilities for placement. At least when someone is a TDO, we don't have to worry about precerting them!

Just wondering how many of you feel like there is an upswing in the number of psych patients lately. I don't know if it's the economy, job losses, additional stressors, people not being able to afford meds, etc., but it seems like we're seeing more and more of them. Thank goodness we were able to find beds or resolution for all six of my pts the other day! For that I'm very grateful, because often there aren't any beds available.

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Specializes in Home Health Care.

I'm an inpatient geri-psych nurse. This yr we broke a number record of pt's, since our unit opened over 5yrs ago. I tend to agree the reasoning is attributed to all of the above.

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Specializes in Emergency Only.

Yes, psych pt's are on the rise in our ED as well. Lots and lots of them are showing up lately. Three years ago, I did not even really know what IVC (involuntary commit - danger to self or others) meant. We just did not see that type of pt all that often... Nowadays, it would be unussual to show up for a shift, and not see at least three or more IVC pt's on our tracking board awaiting placement (on a good night!). We have had multiple nights of housing 10+ IVC pt's, on top of the non-commited psych pt's who are also hanging around in our ED too... Very frustrating for all parties involved.

Although, there is now one thing that I know for sure, it is that I shall never choose to specialize in that area of nursing exclusively. Bless those who have decided to work in that realm...

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Specializes in Psych,Labor and Delivery, Long Term Care.

I also work in a geri psych unit and we have been staying full and having to refer out. It has been crazy. We also have seen a lot more adults in our er recenty. Unfortunately, we don't have an adult unit yet, but the demand is increasing more and more

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Hi everyone!

There is definitely an uptick in the number of psych patients due to a perfect storm of circumstances. The economy, soldieres returning from the war(s), and overall high stress levels.

My baby brother, Kevin, committed suicide on June 9th 2009. He had been in and out of psych facilities, usually against his will. He was intelligent, charming, funny, and sadly, bi-polar.

I observed my brother closely. I understand how hard it can be to deal with psych patients. It is very easy to get mad at them. But they cannot help it just as a person with a brain tumor cant help it.

I guess the frustrating part of psych is that there is really more art than science involved in treating these disorders as there is no really good way to monitor and normalize the various neurotransmitters involved.

My thanks to you nurses who work in psych. It is truly a labor of love.

I have just been accepted into nursing school and I am thinking of specializing in Psych. My brother was a pharmacist and knew his science from every angle. I hope I can make him proud.

I hope somehow he knows how much I miss him. I wish I had told him that I loved him. I cant ever recall telling him that.....just as I can't ever recall hugging him....

I won't make the same mistakes again.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

mindlor, I'm sorry about your brother. And I agree about psych nurses -- it takes very special folks to do that work! (Of course, people say the same thing about ED nurses, ha ha.) Our ED has a great working relationship with our psych unit and the staff -- they're right upstairs from us, and we respond to their "code strong" (pt. out of control) pages, and we help them draw blood on tough sticks. I feel like a good mutual working relationship probably goes a long way in them taking some of the psych patients we try to place.

I truly don't mind psych patients in the ED, but I prefer to have just one at a time! LOL. We only have 15 beds to begin with. Six psych patients in a day is a lot for our ED.

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WoW!! 6 of 15 is a lot :)

Sounds like you are part of a great team at a great hospital :0

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Specializes in Psych, Informatics, Biostatistics.

Very sorry to hear about your brother.

I graduated as a Registered Psych nurse in 1984 then became an RN in 87. I like psych. I find it's important not to be judgemental. I tend to set the mood on my unit, by playing alot of music and dimming the lights.

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Specializes in Emergency/ Critical Care.

It seems we too are having an increase in psych admissions... our psych dept is closing 7 beds though... good times ahead for the ER!

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Specializes in Emergency/ Critical Care.
Hi everyone!

There is definitely an uptick in the number of psych patients due to a perfect storm of circumstances. The economy, soldieres returning from the war(s), and overall high stress levels.

My baby brother, Kevin, committed suicide on June 9th 2009. He had been in and out of psych facilities, usually against his will. He was intelligent, charming, funny, and sadly, bi-polar.

I observed my brother closely. I understand how hard it can be to deal with psych patients. It is very easy to get mad at them. But they cannot help it just as a person with a brain tumor cant help it.

I guess the frustrating part of psych is that there is really more art than science involved in treating these disorders as there is no really good way to monitor and normalize the various neurotransmitters involved.

My thanks to you nurses who work in psych. It is truly a labor of love.

I have just been accepted into nursing school and I am thinking of specializing in Psych. My brother was a pharmacist and knew his science from every angle. I hope I can make him proud.

I hope somehow he knows how much I miss him. I wish I had told him that I loved him. I cant ever recall telling him that.....just as I can't ever recall hugging him....

I won't make the same mistakes again.

Very very sorry to hear about your brother... I think most of the frustrations ER nurses feel is because we are not equipped to properly care for these pts. In my hospital, we have two psych rooms, pts may have to stay there for up to 3 days before getting a bed. It is frustrating to have a pt stuck in a small room, not allowed to leave (if formed) and not have the time to sit with them, it doesn't feel like you're helping them at all!

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