Adults vs kids

vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN · Mar 25, 2016

Sorry I just saw this. You've probably already had your interview.

I have very limited experience in child psych, and quite a bit more with adults.

From what I recall, there are less benzodiazepines and less meds overall prescribed for the youth.

The milieu of a child psych unit involves a lot more personal Interactions between the kids.

Peers on the unit seem to have an increased tendency to be affected by their peers emotions. They kind of functioned as a team in the unit I was in for a short while.

How did the interview go? [emoji3][emoji106]ðŸ¾

KaffeineFiend · Mar 26, 2016

Thanks for replying :)

I had had the interview yesterday, it went really well!

They were very nice and explained they were looking more for the right attitude rather than the right skills. They feel you can't teach attitude as much as you can teach skills.

They did emphasize and asked if I would be willing to study and brush up on growth and development, lab values in different age groups and psych material that highlights certain things not common in adults but common in kids and teenagers.

Im definitely willing to, but I would suggestions of any good books, personal experiences or any other resources.

Ive already searched previous topics that are similar on here.

I hope any answer here will be helpful for others as well:)

PG2018 · Mar 27, 2016

Check AAP and AACAP. There are so e brief texts covering C&A psych for primary care,etc.

TerpGal02, ASN · Mar 31, 2016

I have worked with all ages but I like adolescents best. The biggest difference I see is the influence of family on the patients. 9 times out of 10 its some kind of family conflict that will be the root cause of why the kiddo is in the hospital, especially with the teens. Physical altercations/self injury/suicide attempts after a disagreement with mom and/or dad are soooooooooooooo common. Most pediatic psych patients come from pretty dyfunctional families. The parents need a long of education and support if the child is to get better.

With under 12s you will see a lot more physical acting out. Common diagnoses with children are ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder. A lot more hands on. I think you have a greater chance of being hit or having something thrown at you with children because they dont have that higher executive functioning yet thus lack impulse control. If they want to hit you, tjey will hit you. The same can be true of teens at times as well. You will need to learn to employ more behavior modification techniques for this population and will have to have a strong ability to set limits. I think most child and adolescent units operate on a priviledge based system. You earn whatever privledges the unit jas to offer and lose them if your behavior is out of line.

Another thing to remeber, especially with little ones is that their capabilities for abstract thinking are not that of an adult. You have to be very plain and straightforward in yoir interactions with them. Not to mention a teen will spot someone who is disingenuous a mile away. Hope that helps.

falcon123 · Apr 15, 2016

I have worked with both adults and children and I have to say that I enjoy working with children and adolescents most. Everyone is different but for me I really enjoy working with the family unit as a team and seeing the change within the family system. In the family, I get to work with adults and the kids, which gives me the best of both worlds.