Should I Go Right Into Psychiatric Nursing?

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I am currently in my 3rd year of nursing school in Detroit. I have been contemplating on what kind of nurse I want to be and I feel like I should know now because I am such a planner, but I know I still have time. I have completed my Fundamentals, Med-Surg 1, and Mental Health clinical rotations. I loved my mental health clinical and theory class. I could see myself being a psychiatric nurse. I would even tell friends and family that before I started any clinical rotations partly to give an answer other than I don't know and partly because I have always loved watching documentaries and movies to learn about mental health since middle school. The issue I am having is that I don't know if once I graduate I should go right into psychiatric nursing or not? Every person/ current nurses I have asked have said to get a year or two of med-surg under your belt and then go to psychiatric if I want because I will loose my skills if I don't. I do not like med-surg at all right now, I also had a really bad first clinical rotation experience so that probably doesn't help. I don't want to lose my skills and be "stuck" like people say I will be if I go right into to psych, but if I find that I love pysch I won't feel stuck I feel like. If anyone has any advise that would be amazing.

Your fellow future nurse of 2020. Thanks ?

That's a really good point you made. I can just keep my med-surg book and use it and the internet as a reference. Thank you for commenting! (:

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Thank you for commenting! (:

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11 years?! That's awesome! Thanks for commenting! (:

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When I was getting my BSN in 2015 I realized there were lots things about nursing I didn't like ...I'm very old though...I worked in a mental hospital the last 2 years of my BSN program as a mental health tech. I really liked it until I almost got clobbered by an unpredictable male who I was assigned to as a 1:1...Anyway, I quit because it scared me. My first nursing job was assisted living/memory care. I to listened to others and thought I should try working in a hospital and I got hired for an OR residency...after 2 months they told me I wasn't working out! I said I haven't even finished the residency maybe I just need a little more time and they allowed me to finish but I have never been treated so poorly in my life! Now I'm a psych nurse and really like it most days but it does take a toll, patience is key...Next year I hope to start an ARNP program for mental health...my thought is I will be less likely to get clobbered if I'm a provider...best of luck to you!

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Specializes in Mental Health.

Our mental health instructor kept telling us how badly they need nurses in that area, especially advanced practice nurses. If you like mental health there's no reason not to go right into it - it'll probably be super easy to find a job.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

1. If you use the QUOTE button when responding to a post, we'll know to whom you are responding.

2. This is completely pedantic of me, but please learn the difference between loose/lose and advice/advise.

3. I started out as a psychiatric nurse (there were separate programs for it in western Canada). I worked psych for the first 15 years of my career and did not have trouble moving away from it when I wanted to. The biggest problems were my own doubts about whether I could succeed elsewhere. I proved to myself that I could and am happy I did what I wanted. No matter where you start, you will have to acquire new skills when you move to a different area of nursing. Commit to being a life-long learner and you'll be fine.

4. It's not a bad idea to get a start in med-surg, but if you already know you'll hate it then skip it. You may feel differently at some point (at least that's what happened to me) and you'll transition when the time is right.

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