Hello to all, hope everyone is having a great day/evening/shift...if you're reading at work.
I was thinking about how my time as a psych nurse has led me to pick up some habits that I find myself doing when Im not on the clock. For example, when at work on the milieu, I would sit in a spot where I could scan the entire room and see everyone/everything. I do the same thing when Im out. I always sit in the very back of the theater at the top near an exit so I can see everyone in the theater, and if things start to go down, I can make a mad dash for the exit. Another example, when out in the community, always oimda step out and to the side when in line, just in case a stranger tries to grab/grope me. On the units I work, we would have pts who were know to SAO or sexually act out, I would keep enough space between us to prevent me from being a victim of a pts sexual impulsivity. Last example, I listen. As a psych nurse, its imperative that you listen and hear what a pt is saying, bit not saying. Listening to ques and hints that may let you know a pt is SI/HI, hallucinating, manic, plotting amd planning.
What about you, what habits have you picked up as a psych nurse?
