new grads in psych

[delirium]

Alright, I think I'm officially out of my 'going to drop out of school' phase, but I'm still in the no way in hell do I want to be a med-surg nurse phase.

As part of my soul searching, I was trying to think of something that I enjoyed, really honestly looked forward to in school, and the only thing I came up with was psych. I loved psych so much, I actually was excited about going to class and to clinical. So that's where I'm going to do my senior practicum and that's where I am going to try to land a job after graduation.

So my question is... what are your feelings about new grads going into psych? How important is med-surg?

If I have the opportunity, I think I would go directly into psych with no qualms whatsoever, but I wanted the opinion/input/feedback of experienced nurses, especially psych nurses.

Let me know what y'all think... anyone here go into psych as a new grad? What were your experiences?

[Lainanu]

Hi all! I am brand new to this board and thrilled to be here. I have been a nurse for 24 years. I worked in LTC and hospitals through my many years of nursing. I recently began a new job in a private psych. hosp. in Philadelphia. Psych. nursing is the most fulfilled I have ever been in my life. This is my first time working exclusively in this capacity and it is amazing. I have met some of the most incredible and wonderful patients. I cannot believe how fortunate I am to be in a field helping people who need this help the most. Anyone who has the desire to be in this field should just go and do it. I wish I would have done this sooner!

[MrsK1223]

Right out of school I went to a state psych hospital. It was a different animal all its own. It was a little nerve racking at first but when I went on my own to my shift, I was placed as the infirmary RN and as valuable as the work was I was not doing a lot of psych as i was medical nursing. It was the last place anyone wanted to go that was in psych nursing and being the new girl I got it. I was on 3rd shift and that had a lot to do with my leaving...I'm just not a night person and it made me feel like I should have been admitted myself.

[adrienurse, LPN]

I'm still in the "there's no way in hell I wanna be a med surg nurse phase". Don't you let anybody tell you about where the real nurses work. That's a bunch of crap. I worked in psychiatry fresh out of school as a grad nurse. I was a float nurse in a multi-program psych facility. It was scary (working with people who are out of control usually is), but I learned a lot. It was facinating but the peds patients were really hard to deal with (as 7 year old sociopaths usually are). I'm still very much a psych nurse even though I now work in LTC.

[mumseyllama]

I went directly into adult psych from nursing school, having spent some student days working in child psych. Don't worry about having tons of med/surg background. Doesn't matter. I spent 6 months on a med floor in 2000. Everything changes so rapidly you lose your technical abilities pretty quickly. What you never lose is your ability to know if there's something wrong with the patient. You get a feel for when the presentation is medical rather than psych. I think our patients often get better medical care than on the "real" units because we feel so unsure about our medical skills that we make darned sure we're doing the right thing. There are tons of resources available from colleagues who have loads of med/surg experience to nursing supervisors. I've never felt at a loss in providing good medical care ( unless the docs refused to listen to our concerns).

Jump right in and have a ball!!

[Constance Ann]

Hmm it has been interesting reading all the comments about new grads in psych. I too am a new nurse, but I am starting out as a float in all the med/surg areas to gain more knowledge. I want a well rounded experience before I do any specialty areas of nursing. I have been told I would make a good psych nurse, but I am very apprehensive. I can at least see for the most part what is wrong with med/surg patients, I can't see what is going on in a persons mind. I do not have good gut intuitions so I don't think I will make a good one even with all the praises I get for mental health care that I give my patients. Maybe after I have worked a while and gain confidence as a nurse, I will venture out to another area. I think there has to be a special something in a person to become one, I don't know if I will ever have that quality. Sincerely, Constance Ann

[mumseyllama]

It takes a special kind of person in each of the specialties. Good luck on the floors!