Types of units at your hospital

[Topaz7]

How many patients on each unit? Do you have units specific to a certain type of Pt/mental illness or are Pt's mixed in?

We have 6 units- 4 adult, 1 child and adolescent, and 1 Older Adult unit. They each hold anywhere from 20-24 Pt's each with the exception of Child/adol which holds around 30ish plus the kids from the Partial program come in on the unit during the day so it's quite packed. Pretty much the units are mixed but typically they try to put the same types of Pt's together- we have one unit mainly for Depression and Bipolar typically Pt's here are just high suicide risk and there usually is never a Pt on that unit that is violent, it's the most "easy going" unit so to speak. The other 3 adult units are higher acuity- 1 is known as the "jail hold" unit and also has a lot of psychotic Pt's, 1 unit is where the most violent/aggressive Pt's go and some psychotic, and the other is considered a mix of both of those. The only other psych hospital in the city is a lot smaller I believe they hold 40 Pt's max but they specialize in eating disorders and trauma. They do take other types of mentally ill pts but these programs are what they are known for. We are also building a 7th unit which is to be a Co-occuring disorders unit.

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

Four units -- adol/peds; mood disorder, thought disorder, and gero. All are locked units.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

In my main facility, there's ICU, CD, older adult, a few general psych (three locked, one not), and a child/adolescent unit. Patients are usually grouped by acuity.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

3 inpatient units:

child/adolescent, for ages 10-18; holds about 30 patients, plus some that don't sleep there

adult: holds about 30

adult ICU (psych ICU): holds 8

All are locked.

There's also a spot for long-term treatment for children/adolescents, and partial hospitalization and outpatient treatment. The long-term treatment spot will take younger than 10. I don't know where children in my area go for inpatient care if they're younger than 10.

[Topaz7]

Do children younger than 10 go to a different facility? I think the youngest child we have had was 4. Our Psych med unit is attached to Saint Mary's hospital and that holds i think 20 Pt's, but they are getting ready to add 12 beds so I've heard.

[IdrilRN, BSN, RN]

Child, adolescent, LGBT, Detox, 2 adult units (regular) and one forensic. A uniformed service program, intensive outpatient program for adults, children and adolescents and residential programs for children and adolescents.

[Topaz7]

The forensic unit sounds very interesting. What is it like? We also have some PHP and we are beginning a PHP for postpartum moms where they can bring their newborn in with them.

[IdrilRN, BSN, RN]

It's for people who have commuted a crime and at some point are suspected of having or already have a diagnosis of a mental illness. They come to the suit usually psychotic (they've been off their meds) with in two weeks they have an eval by a forensic psychiatrist. Who will determine if they were mentally Ill at the time of their crime. (Competent or incompetent) They go to court with that information and either go back to the community, to jail or back to us for at least 90 days.

It's managing a lot of psychosis and trying to get people to take their medications. We have very manic people as well. There is a lot more that happens but that's he gist of it.