Want To Work in Psych, Should I Settle for Med-Surg?

[Evergreen09]

Hi Everyone,

I need some advice. The only area of nursing that I want to work in is Psych. Unfortunately, there are hardly any psych job openings for new grads in IL (I have already applied to all of them).

I have seen several openings for med-surg. The last unit I want to work on is med-surg. However, I desperately need a job, so I think I may be willing to give it a try out of desperation. What do you think? Are there any new grads out there working in med-surg who are enjoying it? If so, please let me know!

Also, I know folks have commented that med-surg is great experience for any unit that you want to end up on. However, I talked with a psych RN who has a lot of experience and she informed me that you absolutely do not need med-surg experience to be a great Psych nurse (her words). She said that people, especially nursing teachers, try to tell you this, but that it is not true.

Any thoughts/feedback would be most appreciated!

[pinkiepie_RN]

I knew I wanted psych as a new grad and it showed when I went on a m/s interview and they looked at my resume and asked me why I had experience as a psych tech and what I was looking for in a job on a m/s floor. I'm a new grad (graduated in May '09) and although we've had some patients with medical problems, I've been able to ask my colleagues for help if there's something I'm not familiar with.

[Orange Tree]

It might depend on the population you're hoping to work with. My mental health clincal site was a long-term institution that cared for a severely affected population. Patients would cut themselves, punch each other, swallow screws, and even try to to fracture their own skulls in some cases. Water could even be dangerous around some.....because they would drink it in such excess that it could kill them. Stomach pain caused by a tumor might be described as "a demon". Patients were also so paranoid that they would hesitate to tell their nurse when they did recognize a physical problem. A blood draw for labs could be seen as an attempt to drain all of the patient's blood and cause his/her death.

I would really love to work in psych, but I would be terrified of failing that population without some med/surg background and VERY strong assessment skills. Working with clinically depressed people or people trying to overcome drug addiction would be less scary.

[Evergreen09]

thanks for your reponses.

dolcebellaluna - how do you like your job thus far?

orange tree - interesting insights. i would prefer to work in a hospital setting. i talked with a psych rn who has worked in the field for many years and she told me that she prefers the hospital setting as opposed to the stand alone psych facilities for exactly some of the scenarios you mentioned. she told me that, at times, it can be more difficult and scary to deal with sicker patients if there is not a hospital on site.

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

med surg is a waste of time for anyone trying to working another area of nursing because other areas are so specialized that when you do transfer you have to start over. within the specialty areas nursing assessments, nursing care plans, focus, interventions, priorities, etc. are not the same as med surg. plus when an emergency occurs, you have to call 911. you will get trained to deliver pre-hospital care but the type of care you give in a hospital (learned in med surg) is not the same as pre-hospital care. as a new nurse you are perfectly capable of learning the right skills and developing the right instincts to be a great psych nurse over time. with that said i agree with your friend that you can be a great psych nurse without a med surg background. no, the real issue is the economy and the lack of a nursing shortage.

these days employers want acute care background experience in their psych nurses because there is no shortage of nurses trying to work in any area of nursing any more. i suggest that you put in at least 6 months med surg then try to get a pt job in a psych facility. once you have your foot in the door, then quit the med surg job and work ft psych. gl!

[Evergreen09]

Thanks, MBARN08!

[pinkiepie_RN]

thanks for your reponses.

dolcebellaluna - how do you like your job thus far?

orange tree - interesting insights. i would prefer to work in a hospital setting. i talked with a psych rn who has worked in the field for many years and she told me that she prefers the hospital setting as opposed to the stand alone psych facilities for exactly some of the scenarios you mentioned. she told me that, at times, it can be more difficult and scary to deal with sicker patients if there is not a hospital on site.

i like my job. it's in a hospital, so we do see patients with simple medical problems, like colostomies and iv rehydration in addition to their psych problems.

[Jules A, MSN]

I'd take whatever job I could get and continue to apply for psych jobs. Med-surge is a good background for any nursing speciality, imo and it won't hurt your chances of getting hired in psych. I went right into psych out of school but we kind of had our pick of jobs back then. Good luck!

[swirlything]

Why don't you try a job in pediatrics or neonatal? You will get a ton of use out of your psych skills when dealing with the parents!