What do you prefer?

[RN315]

Hi everyone just wanted to know which aspect of psych nursing do you like and why? Child psych/adolescent psych/ or adult?

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I prefer adult over child/addy. Working with minors can be very challenging because not only are they psych patients, they're also minors going through all of the growing pains that minors do. Also, I get frustrated with dealing with the minors' families. Some of the families are so messed up that half the time I think the kid is fine and it's the parents who really need to check in.

If I have to split hairs, I'll take children over adolescents. I remember what I was like when I was a teenager, and it wasn't pretty :)

[AndyBRN]

Have not worked with adolescents, but I'd probably not really enjoy working with them. Currently work in a teaching hospital in Toronto with a large population of homeless and underhoused populations. No pediatrics in this facility beside LnD.

Love working with adults, and particularly the population that I work with being in the inner city. It's incredibly rewarding and humbling. I'd imagine that I would have WAY too much counter-transference with the adolescents and there would be MANY instances of eating disorders/adjustment disorder/Axis 2/Cluster B traits on an adolescent unit. Thank goodness the DSM V is removing age restrictions on personality disorders!

[elkpark]

I am a child/adolescent psych CNS, and really prefer working with the younger folks. I'm working with adults now, but it's not my thing. However, child psych is not for everyone -- my own observation, having done both, is that the "highs" are higher and the "lows" are lower than in adult psych. You see a lot of really gut-wrenching situations. I have talked to a lot of students who think they would like child psych "because I really love children," but I always tell them it takes a lot more than just that -- in fact, IMO, "really loving children" can be a handicap to success (too easy to get too emotionally involved).

[TerpGal02, ASN]

I do like C&A and I never thought I would. What I like about the kids is that they tend to respond a lot better to non pharmacological techniques than adults do. For instance, I got a very panicky 10 y/o his first night in the hospital to sleep in 15 mins using guided imagery. That usually would not work on an adult, especially a chronic adult.

Flipping the coin though, I LOVE the chronic schizophrenics. I loved em when I worked in the community and love em now. They are such a hoot and so interesting to get to know.

[Davey Do]

which aspect of psych nursing do you like and why? Child psych/adolescent psych/ or adult?

One of the qualities of what I consider to be an interesting thread is when the questions are as interesing as the posts. Often, interesting question are often ones that I haven't previously considered.

It would seem that my choice of patient age corresponds with my own: I worked with troubled teenage boys when I was 22 years old as a House Parent/EMT. As a young man and adult, I worked primarily with an adult psychiatric patient population. Currently, I work primarily with an older adult psychiatric population; a population where I meet the age criteria.

Thanks for asking, RN315!

Dave

[RN315]

Thanks everyone for your response I am going into a new psych job since I'm new to psych I only have med surg experience and like working with adults I don't know if I'll be able to handle teenagers and children

[lynds80]

I came from psych which I miss. I'm in a task orientated med surg position , totally by for me! I have applied for a psych position working with children/adolescents. Good luck :)

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

I've worked adult, and geri? Little interest in kids

[ackiepieRN]

Adults for me please, or geriatric. Patients that are my own age or younger usually get under my skin more quickly than I would like to admit.

[lynds80]

I've worked with adults. I also have an interest in children. Good luck, I'm hoping I can get back into psych :)