Questions to ask potential Employer at Interview for In-patient Psych Job

Specialties Psychiatric

Published

  • by KR
    Specializes in ICU, Agency, Travel, Pediatric Home Care, LTAC, Su.

Hello all:) I am currently an ICU RN. I am thinking about making the switch to In-Patient Behavorial Health (adolescent, adult, and geriatric). I was wondering what questions would be good for me to ask my potential future employer? What things did you wished you had asked at your interview, or would you want to know?

Thanks in advance for helping a fish out of water,

Kimberly

Whispera, MSN, RN

3,458 Posts

Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

staff to patient ratio, diagnoses, usual acuity, responsibilities of the nurse (medications? groups? takedowns?)

wonderbee, BSN, RN

1 Article; 2,212 Posts

Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.

That's a great question. I came from a critical care background too. I find that I have just enough time in my day to prepare meds, administer scheduled meds, give prn med, sign off on meds for 13 patients and chart on 5.

Questions: shifts 8 or 12's or a combo, What are the diagnoses. What is the minimum number of nurses the unit will function on. How many patients:ratio to nurse. What is the restraint policy. What mechanisms are in place to ensure your safety and that of the unit. Will you be facilitating groups? Will you be expected to function as a nurse while other staff handle the psych end of it. Some doctors I work with don't want us doing any kind of "therapy" with the patients.

Jules A, MSN

8,864 Posts

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
Some doctors I work with don't want us doing any kind of "therapy" with the patients.

Ick. I never really thought of that but it makes me even more thankful for our Docs who really value our input.

stellina615

146 Posts

Specializes in Med-Surg/Oncology, Psych.

If I were to be able to go back to my initial interview, I would ask about the orientation process, including how long it lasts, if it can be extended if you have additional needs, if there will be one person or multiple people you'll work with, etc. I started working on my unit without any prior psych experience and never had one specific preceptor. I had no idea what the DSM-IV was, I didn't know anything about axis diagnoses, and didn't know what borderline personality disorder was (it didn't take me too long to figure that out!). I think I would have really benefitted from having one preceptor to maintain some consistency while I found my own groove. I'd also ask about the general patient population, what the admission process is like, safety measures on the unit, and what the mission statement or goal of the unit is. The last one sounds kind of silly, but it was something I didn't ask and it took me awhile to really understand what prompted patients to come to us, what constituted safe grounds for discharge, and what the heck we were supposed to do with these folks in between! I wish you all the best

Erin

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