Thinking about cross-training as a psych nurse. . .advice please

[thesundowner]

Hello,

I am an RN on an acute rehab floor of a hospital. I have 6 mos exp as a neuro/med surge nurse and nearly 2 yrs as a rehab nurse. I like my job, but in the slower months often can be flexed due to low census. My hospital has a large psych unit and they often need nurses there. I am thinking about asking to orient on the psych unit so I can float over there, but want to be sure I can handle it. My only experience with psych nursing was in clinicals 3 years ago. I enjoyed my clinical rotation, but 2 wks of clinicals didn't leave me with a very clear idea of what psych nursing is about.

What skills should I brush up on? What is the one piece of advice you wish you had had as a new nurse to the psych unit?

I appreciate it - thank you.

[amoLucia]

It's been a loooooong while since I've done psych but #1 safety first - yours, your peers, your pts. #2 know your pharmacolgy and be current on the trends in the field #3 take care of yourself physically and MENTALLY, too.

[chevyv, BSN, RN]

Keep a drug book nearby to look up common psych meds, understand when most pts tell you they're going to hurt you, they mean it! Learn to be therapeutic if it's not natural. I've seen too many pts become violent because they haven't had an opportunity to talk with anyone. A simple 'How ya doing?' and follow up can really help.

Keep yourself safe, know where safety equipment is located (ie, mats, restraints, ect). Know the number for security or emergencies. We once had a violent situation, I was out in the milieu, and looked up to see 3 staff members attempting to overhead a code! We have to dial a certain number to call a code (behavior) and a different number for medical codes. They were so nervous, they couldn't recall the numbers. That is a huge safety issue.

Good luck!

[joanne.od]

if its one thing iv learned in my 1st year of training its USE YOUR COMMON SENSE.....if you feel your in a dangerous position you probably are.psych nursing can be great fun and mind your own head.....enjoy :)