What is it like working in psych?

[CNAinNeb]

I debated posting this in the CNA section, but I felt I would get a better response here. My company is opening a new psychiatric recovery center, and I have considered putting in an application for transfer so I could work there as a psych tech. The job posting said they prefer applicants with a degree in a health field (which I have), but this really suprised me. Why do you think they would want a degree for a tech?

Can anyone tell me about your experiences working in this area of nursing, so that I can make my decision? Have your patients ever put you in physical danger? If you use CNA's/ psych techs, are thier responsibilities much different than CNA duties in long-term care or anywhere else? What is your day like as an LPN/RN? Care to add anything else?

[Little Panda RN, ASN, RN]

Hello CNAinNeb,

I have not started working in pysch as of yet, but will be on the 18th of this month. There is always an inherint risk of physical harm not matter where you work. I suppose there is more of a risk in pysch.

I hope someone who has the expierence will give you some answers or you can do a search on this subject and you might come up with alot of information.

I say you never know what it will be like until you try. The best of luck to you!

[Piper12]

I am a psych RN of 25 years and it is my passion. The secret to learning the trade is to genuinely care about your patients, realizing there is a fine line between those that are diagnosed with a mental illness and those of us who are not. It may be helpful to shadow an experienced psych nurse to understand some very important principles:therapeutic relationships, emotional boundaries for the nurse and the pt, how to focus on the appropriate issue of the pt. Most psych hospitals are very short stay and the staff's role is to teach effective coping and stabalize the pt for discharge to outpatient services. Techs at our facilities keep a close eye on our precautions(pts on sucide watch, etc), do rounds to account for the pts, talk with the pts, monitor for safety, inform the charge nurse of any changes in a pt that the RN needs to evaluate. Gosh, there is so much more to tell you. Good Luck

[Piper12]

Regarding the chances of physical harm. I work in a state hospital where we used to put pts in restraints "to prevent harm to self or others". This occurred at least weekly. I will tell you that in the last 2.5 years we have not used restraints. It is our new attitude....we act proactively with our pts. We get to know them, treat them as we would want to be treated, understand a pt's trigger to anger or violence and prevent the situation from occurring. In 25 yrs I have only been attacked a handful of times and all of them could have been avoided, if I had worked proactively. I cannot imagine ever using restraints or seclusion again. And yes, we take care of very sick psychiatric patients.:redpinkhe

[KrissyPRN]

I have been working mental health and addictions now for over 2 years and I love it. Piper12 is right you have to really care about your patients. It can be a difficult area to work but it is very rewarding. Of course pt's can be verbally, emotionally, and physically aggressive towards you. We are TEAM trained where I work to learn proper ways of dealing with aggressive patients. Remember your co-workers are there to assist you when patients become aggressive. Where I work we can also call security or a code if need be if there is an aggressive pt. The role of the PCA and tech is basically the same as other departments in the hospital. There is more of an emphasis on safety in psych. Safety rounds are done anywhere from Q 15 minutes, Q 30 minutes, to Q hour. Sometimes you have to place a pt on a 1:1 or they have to be in direct eyesight of the staff at all times if they will not contract for safety. You also have to remember that these patients can be very creative if they really want to hurt themselves. Safety of the patients, yourself, and your co-workers is top priority.