Stand alone psychiatric facilities

[avon123]

Hello, Nurses.

I have 2 years ICU experience and 2 years dialysis experience. My sister works in a stand alone psychiatric facility that admits patients with chemical dependency problems and other mood disorders such as bipolar disorder. I was interested in working at this facility and told my sister to talk to the DON. The DON asked" does she have psychiatric expereience"? My sister was sort of taken aback and told her that I have ICU and dialysis experience so i can handle working in a stand alone psychiatric facility where there is really no skilled nursing involved. My sister say the RNs draw blood and the LVNS administer P.O and IM meds, no IVS. If the patient is having SOB or not doing well, they send them out to the hospital. I finally got the job but was just a little disappionted with some of these DON and their " Do you have experience question". The job is mainly paper work and milieu management, meaning how you can prevent a situation from possibly getting to the point where patients are throwing furniture along the corridor . Why exactly will a nurse need to have 3 years psychiatric experience doing this kind of nursing. It is was just annoying to me. What do you all think?

[IVXLDCM]

Avon123, are you still active on this site? i need to ask you about deferred action

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

The job is mainly paper work and preventing patients from throwing furniture along the corridor? You're interested in this sort of job? That sort of job surely isn't one I'd want! By the way, on every psych unit I've worked, most furniture was way too heavy for most patients to throw.

You truly have no idea what happens on a psych unit. If the unit you're describing is truly as you described...wow! I doubt it is as you wrote, however. There's so much you haven't seen, yet.

What about the patients who wouldn't dream of throwing furniture?

I could go on and on... I need to go calm myself. The attitude your posting suggests upsets, angers, and saddens me greatly.

[Abbyrose]

I would love to be a fly on the wall the first time you interact and try to manage a patient with borderline personality disorder or attempt to set limits with a patient with antisocial personality disorder...They would love you!!!

I can tell you one thing you are definitely capable of... Disproving the old saying, "there's no such thing as a dumb question".

I don't want to be harsh, but you aren't helping the common stereorype of ICU nurses being arrogant and looking down on other specialities! ...good luck.