Psychiatric and mental health nurse-certified

[Rocky "3"]

Hi, My name is Mary and I work at on Outpatient Counceling Center of which I am the only nurse with all these social workers. I have been there for about 11 yrs. Job description is rather lenghty however I really enjoy working with the chronically metally ill and then the other diagnoses such as; Schizo-affective diaorders, major and chronically depressed, OCD, ADHD, and the numerous other diagnoses. I thouroughly enjoy the criises and working with the psychiatriats and ARNPs. It has been a challenge since the Counseling Center is the only one on this Long Beach Peninsula in Wa State and so much different then inpt psych nursing. The nurse and social worker basically have different personalities. Nurses want to get all the facts, document and get the problem taken care of. The social workers mainly, in my experience enable alot and look at most problems as psychosocial..the nurse looks at all avenues especially the possiblity of a health disorder or drug interaction between medical and psych drugs. I find it extremely challenging and offers me the chance to eduate social workers case by case. I graduated in 1964from Mt.Sinai School of Nursing( can't be many from the Schools of Nursing left actaully working but then I don't know specific statstics) and have worked in all areas of nursing including setting up two GI centers in Ogden, Ut. However, I continually am drawn back to psych nursing and feel I have a great deat of knowledge to share. Presently, I am not looking at retirement since I so enjoy what I do even though I just had a bad kidney removed and have 70% function in the other..and it is functioning like two. I am married to a retired surgeon and have two lovely daughters in the midwest living 1 hour from each othr and the grandchildren can get to know one another. Thank you for letting me share and hope to hear from some other psych nurses working in an outpt setting..Mary

[RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN]

hello and welcome to the wonderful family of allnurses.com. enjoy your stay, and best of luck to you. :)

:balloons: :balloons: :balloons:

[RM23]

Did you go to Mt Sinai Hospital in Florida by any chance?

Are you near WHidby Island?

[Rocky "3"]

I went to Mt. Sinai in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Graduated in 1964 and am still working. My location is about 3 hrs from the Seattle are and the Island you inquired about. The Long Beach peninsula is about 2.5 hours from the Tacoma/Seattle area and 2.5 hrs from the Portland area. The peninsula is about 31 miles in length and about 2.5 miles in width. To the west is the Pacific Ocean and to the east is Willapa Bay. We are on the Bay side since it is somewhat warmer--soil is just not sand so one can have a garden and Willapa Bay can be seen from our 2nd and 3rd floor windows and is about 5 minutes away. It takes me only 10 minutes or less to get to the ocean and at night one can hear the ocean roar. We are located at the top part of 2 acreas and look across the street at a Cranberry farm which is a delight. In the summer one dan hear thousands of frogs from the cranberry wetlands and it is so soothing. My work is about 20 minutes from my house and traffic is mainly schoolbuses and localsl In the summer we have a flood of tourists which at times can amount into the high thousands and now are even getting them in the winter months when a nice wkend comes up. Our rainfall is heavy especially starting late october. The culture of the peninsula has been slowly changing over the last 10 years and many wealthy people are buying up both ocean and bay properties which are exremely expensive. Land is definitlely at a shortage and to sell the bottom acrea at this time would be rather foolish. Hope this ahs aswered your questions and probably more information then you wanted. Am open to more emails..Mary, RN,C