Starting Monday...Any Tips?

[Java Mama]

Hello,

I just passed my nursing final and now am doing my final hours precepting in a psychiatric unit. I picked psych because I enjoyed that rotation in school and thought this would give me a better taste of what it's really like. It seems when you tell classmates what field you like, many can't believe I'd want to do that (I'm not sure why). I was just wondering what advice you would give someone that is new to this field. Thanks for your input.

[Psychopath, MSN, RN, CNS]

Congrats on passing your finals!! Double congrats for choosing psych nursing!

For new nurses starting out in this field, I always tell them to keep an open mind, be willing to learn and absorb as much knowledge as you can! As more awareness of mental health becomes accessible to the public, there will be a greater focus on treatment, care, pratices etc. to support new funding into the system.

Make sure you get an induction from your nurse unit manager or delegate!

Be mindful of policies, procedures and legal aspects particular to this pratice. e.g. legal classification of your patient/client

Be aware of occupational safety requirements for your hospital and emergency procedures.

Ask about the model of care that you pratice in your ward/hospital.

All patients deserve and should have the same respect and provision of whether or not they are a someone with a mental illness or one with a physical illness.

You'll meet great psych nurses and you'll meet other who may not be as good. I'd stay out of area politics intially until you get a feel for the ward culture and dynamics of the place. Listen to experienced nurses and watch and learn what they do, how they interact with patients, and identify what is it about their practice that you feel that you can adapt to. If there are times when you feel you are doing nothing but sitting around and watching patients.. remember that one of the important skills of psych nursing is observation - you are constantly assessing their interactions, signs and symptoms of illness, behaviour, response to treatment etc then you can formulate a plan of care and act on it.

Be professional in your interactions with people, be honest and don't be afraid to ask lots of questions! Not only does this show that you are keen to learn, but its also important that others don't assume that you already know about some important things about your service. Psych nursing is no different in terms of professionalism and the value of caring that you are expected to provide in any area of nursing. Learning is an ongoing aspect to all fields of nursing. You may be suprised that even the most senior nurse can learn a few things from a freshly minted nurse!

Take things slowly, theres a lot to absorb when you first start.. you are not expected to be an expert clinican. As you progress in your career, keep an interest in new developments in psychiatry/nursing/psychology etc to keep you up to date with current pratices and issues. You may asked to join a program for new grad nurses and/or forum, inservice and courses in the near future, so keep an eye for those.

Don't be afraid to identify yourself to everyone (from other health professionals, patients, families and other staff etc) and communicate anything that you feel is relevant. Remember there have been many many other nurses that have been in the same situation as you and many more will be after you. Everyone is a newbie at some stage!

Identify staff that you feel comfortable with and can act as a potential mentor/buddy that can ease you into psych nursing. Even as a new nurse you'll have an innate sense of what is the right and wrong thing to do. If you see a fellow nurse do a particular procedure/therapy/or an aspect of nursing care that you may not understand, don't hesistate to ask them about it e.g. ff you're not familiar with some technical aspects of psych nursing e.g. PRN medication administration then obtain help from another nurse.

Make sure your documentation is contemporaneous, to the point and identify key aspects of how you interacted with the patient you are allocated to. Document their mental state/risks/concerns etc in notes and read through histories, reports etc.

Even in psych nursing there are sub-specialities that you can go into e.g. working in areas with specific catergories e.g. age groups, diagnostic focus, treatment focus e.g. acute, rehab etc, different settings - hospital, community, forensic, inaptient/patient etc. You don't have to stay locked in on particular place or setting for the rest of your life! So once you get some experience, you have the opportunity to move on to other specialties if you wish.

Most of all, look after yourself at the end of the day!! I always say to my fellow nurses, you can't look after other people if you haven't looked after yourself first. i.e. make sure you have that cup of coffee and breakfast first thing and don't forget your lunch break! :) and Enjoy psych nursing!

[Java Mama]

Thank you SO much for all your wonderful advice! I am really looking forward to my first day Monday. A friend of mine said the instructor I have is suppose to be really nice, so that is a real plus :)