What's it like on an inpatient geri psych unit?

[brendacg]

I applied for a med surg position at a hospital, but instead my resumé was forwarded to the nurse manager of an inpatient geri psych unit who is interested in interviewing me. I've been on a SNF floor for almost a year, but previously worked as an aid on a locked dementia unit at an ALF for a couple years.

So, I'm just curious if anyone works on a unit like this at a hospital and could tell me what the patients are generally like, duration of an average patient's stay, and any other information. Thanks :)

[Chris Caulfield RN NP-C]

Geri-Pysch.... agitation and hallucinations. Pt's trying to walk, but can't, so they are on restraints in their wheelchairs and are dragging them around the hallway for hours and hours. Sometimes having to hold them down for inject able anti-psychotics, while they are kicking and punching. Oh, and sometimes they will not let you clean them... so you have to use you have to use your imagination on good ways to get that done.

That is usually how they come in, after a couple of days on various anti psychotics they usually are usually much better, however, some HCPs say no to anti-psychotics which means they come in like that and the leave the same way. Then there are always a couple of patients who are sexually inappropriate, or were just acting up and have attitudes a SNF's and they are on their "vacation" from their staff.

[elkpark]

It varies; there are some really good geri psych programs "out there," and many that are just glorified nursing homes (providing SNF level care (and nothing more), but charging a lot more for it ...)

[Hygiene Queen]

We don't use physical restraints at our place.

Yes, there is a lot of agitation and aggression.

Sometimes we get a pt who tore it up the nursing home... but when we get them, they are so well-behaved... lol. The nursing homes think we're lying when we say we aren't seeing any aggression... but ya know, we are smaller than a nursing home, we aren't on as strict of a schedule and we have a little more time to slow down and work with them.

It is like a mini nursing home, I guess.

Some pts stay for a week, but most of our dementias tend to stay about a month... and we have had some stay even longer. The problem is finding a good place that will take the pt after they have been marked by the unholy psych admission stigma.

There will be dressing changes, foleys, colostomies, IV's, NG's, g-tubes, wonky labs, blood draws, fall risks, full/partial ADL's, blah blah, blah!

It is a good experience. If you want med-surg experience, but you find yourself in psych instead, then geri is the part of psych you want to be in.

Know that not all of the geros are aggressive or agitated. Some are rather physically healthy and independent, but are just very depressed.

Geri is considered the most challenging in my hospital, but can actually be fun, too.

[lkulmann]

I recently read an article stating they will be trying 'talking siderails' that will replace alarms and restraints. Any suggestions/comments? I guess if someone tries to get OOB unassisted instead of an alarm this mechanism will talk the patient down....?