1 yr out of school, no floor experience - Mental Health nursing info

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Hello everyone -

So I've got a question for you. After graduating and passing boards in June of 06, I went to work in a corporate job where they wanted my nursing knowledge.

Anyway, having never worked on the floor, I'm contemplating taking a mental health nursing position, working just weekends - well, I'm interviewing on Jan 2, so wish me luck there.

Having been out of school and not practicing on the floor, I have a few questions.

First, I'm trying like heck to remember the term for court ordered passing of involuntary meds (forced meds, basically). Anyone help me out there?

Second, do you guys know if there is a demand around the country for mental health nursing, should I decide to pick up and move in a few years?

I tried the med/surg route, but hospitals won't touch me bc I only want weekend work (as I can't make it to any kind of orientation due to my corporate 9-5 job).

Thoughts anyone?

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Is the term you are looking for: "chemical restraint"?

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Thanks for responding, but no...isn't there a law term - kinda like the Miranda rights?

I'm sure of it....I just can't remember the term - court orders that they are to be given their meds.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatric, Behavioral Health.

Simply "Court Ordered" ?

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Specializes in Psych, substance abuse, MR-DD.

We call it meds against will, and there is a process of evaluations by different psychiatrists and then a court hearing to determine if the pt can be given meds against will if they refuse po meds. But that is different than giving injections to a pt who is a danger to self or others and may be restrained.

I don't think you will have trouble finding a job as a psych nurse in most areas, but that of course depends on where you move to.

Good luck at your interview! Make sure you shadow a nurse before accepting a position, and also you most likely will need to attend orientation during the week, so make sure you address that as well.

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In my state, we just call it "forced medication," but, yes, there is a legal process that must be followed (you're talking about non-emergent situations, right?)

I don't want to sound negative or critical, but I encourage you to look very carefully at what you're getting into when you interview for this new position -- based on my many years of experience in psychiatric nursing, I would be very skeptical of any facility willing to hire a (comparatively) new graduate with no previous clinical experience into a weekends-only position. Often the places that are most willing to be accommodating about people's specific scheduling requests are the places that are really desperate for staff and there are often very good reasons why they have a hard time getting & keeping staff ... :uhoh21:

I would also be extremely skeptical of any facility that would be willing to hire (you; me; anybody) without at least a couple weeks of Mon-Fri full-time orientation (or the equivalent -- but spreading that much orientation out over just weekends just isn't practical for the facility) -- that is just setting you up for trouble. I have >20 years of experience in psychiatric nursing, just recently started a new position as a prn nurse in the psych division of a nearby medical center, and they put me through a full month of full-time (Mon-Fri days) orientation, part of it facility-wide (all nurses, regardless of specialty) and part of it specifically psych. This is how responsible organizations with good institutional values do it -- I would be very suspicious of any organization that didn't feel that was necessary, esp. for a new graduate.

Best wishes, and be careful out there! :balloons:

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The legal process varies by state, I think. In California there is a thing called a Reise Affadavit that a judge can sign that means the patient cannot refuse psych meds for the rest of that hospitalization. There's also an Affadavit B, but that refers to people on conservatorship. But I'm pretty sure this is just for California, other states have other terms.

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is the term "5150" used everywhere? or just in california?

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Specializes in Psych, substance abuse, MR-DD.

I've never heard of 5150

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Here in WA we call it "Second Opinion Involuntary Injection" of medication.

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

As a mental health nurse in an adult psych/dual diagnosis facility, I am concerned that you have had no med/surg or general nursing experience (clinical).

We come across a lot of health problems that need to be assessed. You need to know when to send a pt. to hospital, when to notify Dr. of problems, labs, etc.

You may want to get some floor experience first, unless they are giving you an extensive orientation training period. These pts. do not always tell you the truth about their health condition and you must have good assessment skills.

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In Mn it is a Jarvis order.

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