What's dual diagnosis like?

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Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.

Please tell me how dual compares with general adult from a nursing perspective. Are there a lot of PRNs? Use of seclusion? Fights? I'm finding general adult to be overwhelming due to acuity versus low staffing. If we're going to staff low, would dual be a better place to work?

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Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.

Yes, there are LOTS OF prn's, No, there are not usually any seclusions,

acuity is generally much lower than on adult mental health, but the pts. are extremely needy, med-seeking, lots of medical problems when going through detox. Low staffing is not good on either unit....I am dealing with just that problem now...our staffing situation is horrible, especially on the weekends; we are actually having a meeting to address the staffing situation that we nurses feel is very unsafe for the pts. and for us....

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Specializes in Psychiatric.

Agree with Aloevera. Lots of prns, especially pain medications due to drug seeking. No use of seclusion but have had some fights but have been able to resolve without seclusion. The patients are extremely needy with requests for such things as dental, podiatry and eye consults. Staffing is kept to minimal due to hospital budget, but that seems to be the case everywhere.

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