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Discussion

So confused!!!.....

So i have always been interested in the mental health field. I just cannot decide between social work or nursing. I know i want to work with adolescents in crises. I recently got a job at an inpatient psych facility working with girls who have depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, etc. I am a behaviour health specialist, and really lucky to have fallen into this, because i only have an associates degree whereas alot of my co-workers have their bachelors or masters in social work. After talking with them, they said I really am doing the same thing they are doing, and if i stay long enough i will be able to switch to day shift and run groups, etc. My question is do you think it makes sense to skip the whole school thing (i have 2 small children at home) and work at this place, gaining experience and really doing everything that everyone else does minus a degree? Or do you think I should go for nursing? I am scared that if i become a nurse in this field, i will lose some of the patient/resident contact. Everyone tells me the nurses make so much more money, but they really just pass out meds, etc. That's not what i want. I like the contact i have with these girls. Is it true that a psych nurse really only hand meds out etc? Can some one shed some light on this! I am beginning school in the fall to become a CNA, what do CNA's do in psych units at hospitals?

thanks so much

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at my facility I have worked the Adolescent Unit for over a year...I am an RN..I do pass meds but also have very much pt. contact....I do group therapy with the children and also individual therapy...

On the Adult Units the LPN's do the med pass and the RN does have direct pt. contact with the pts.

A CNA in a psych hospital is called a Mental Health Tech...they have very much contact with the pts. also....

Hope this helps

For me it's true. My patient contact is often limited to the med window and treatments. There just isn't enough time for anything more than the superficial "how was your day" sort of conversation. I chart, give meds, chart meds, take off orders, accuchecks and provide treatments like dressing changes, etc. That's all there's time for. Once in a very blue moon, I get out on the unit for a game of cards.

Our social workers don't run groups. The mental health techs have the most patient contact. I hear social workers are sadly underpaid. Such a pity for such an important role in the mental health process.

You might consider getting a bachelor's or master's in psych or social work. Then you would make much more $ than a CNA or MHW, but still have more patient contact than most psych nurses.

In the fields of Psychology/Counseling/Social Work, the Masters degree is often viewed as the entry level nowadays. To date, Nursing is not the case....but, that could change as the push for the BSN and MSN continues.

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