Psych. RNs

[lion09]

I am a New Grad RN and have gotten an offer for an RN position at a psychriatric hospital. It's per diem and I would be scheduled for one 8-hour-shift per week. There are only one RN per unit and there is a total of 5 units at the hospital. The hiring manager says I'm likely to get more shifts to fill in as needed, but that there are no guarantees. Anyone been in the same situation and how did it turn out? Remember there is only one RN per unit. I can't afford only working 4 shifts a month.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

Well, now I see why you are not really responding on your other thread that you started on this same topic. You're over here on THIS thread!

So what are you going to do?

[mccartjm33]

I have a BS in psychology. I worked as a psych tech for two years before deciding to go back to school for nursing instead of pursuing a masters in counseling. I HATED working in a psych facility. The patients attacked the nurses and the psych techs on a daily basis...multiple times per day. HAHA They even kicked the crap out of the CEO if he came down on the floor. I was the shift coordinator on the peds unit where i worked when i was a psych tech, and IMO if they are putting a new grad nurse in charge of a unit, in a facility with a high acuity level, they are hanging you out to dry. The place where i worked always hired new grads and lpn's because they couldnt get anyone else. And this is exactly what they did to them. I remember hearing the new nurses saying "I cant believe i went to nursing school for this!" and i remember thinking..."at least your getting paid 30 bucks an hour now shut up and hit em with that thorazine!!" hahaha. Of course there are different degrees of craziness in mental hospitals, the one i worked at was like the wild west...nurses getting their heads slammed into patients' knees, punched in the face, spit on, hair pulled etc.... I hope to god i dont have to go back to psych when i graduate...but with the way the job market is for new grads i may. Argh i shudder to even think the thought!

[showbizrn]

in my professional opinion

i don't advocate new grads

working alone on any unit

in any specialty.

it's unsafe for the rn and the patients!

lives and your license are at risk!

professional nursing (in most cases)

respects the time/experience needed

for a novice rn to transform into a seasoned rn.

i don't speak for the penny-pusher administrators

whose bottom-line is making the profitable big bucks

at the risk of patient/staff safety---

especially in psych-mental health nursing!

if i were in your shoes, would i take the position?

like it's said in the 'hood, "h--- to the no!"

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

I was given a charge position on a mental health unit right out of school, and frankly I wasn't ready for it. I managed to survive thanks to having a companion unit next door with more experienced colleagues I could consult. I don't advise a new grad going into any position where he or she is the only RN. I've been there, and things come up that you have no idea how to handle.

[elkpark]

I was given a charge position on a mental health unit right out of school, and frankly I wasn't ready for it. I managed to survive thanks to having a companion unit next door with more experienced colleagues I could consult. I don't advise a new grad going into any position where he or she is the only RN. I've been there, and things come up that you have no idea how to handle.

ITA. I understand it's v. flattering or gratifying for new graduates to be offered these kind of positions, but the facilities that do so are not doing you any favor and, to me, this is an indication that the facility has pretty low standards and doesn't really care what happens on the units. I don't mean anything negative or derogatory about new graduates by that, just that they are not prepared to be in this kind of position and it's v. risky both for them and for the clients and co-workers for whom they're responsible.