3 answers
Onyx
Student
Beaverton, Oregon
3
Questions
Updated
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What was the hardest thing about becoming a psychiatric nurse?
I'm a current Job Corp student and would love to understand this field better. If you have other info on this field, please let me know.
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3 answers
Cameron Z.
9
Answers
Updated
Cameron’s Answer
Hello Onyx,
(For context I am current nursing student, former psych ward&memory care tech). The hardest part was not flinching. You are seeing people are their worst. Just to name a few, I've seen people play with their bodily fluids, have a full argument with a wall. Like with children, you can not overly react or else it can make a situation even worst. Stay calm, breathe, just remember"any situation can be a lot worse". I'd encourage you to volunteer at a hospital,so you are able to interact with plenty of patient populations, not just psychiatric patients.
(For context I am current nursing student, former psych ward&memory care tech). The hardest part was not flinching. You are seeing people are their worst. Just to name a few, I've seen people play with their bodily fluids, have a full argument with a wall. Like with children, you can not overly react or else it can make a situation even worst. Stay calm, breathe, just remember"any situation can be a lot worse". I'd encourage you to volunteer at a hospital,so you are able to interact with plenty of patient populations, not just psychiatric patients.
Your advice was so helpful!
Onyx
Hailee Gilliam
Phlebotomy
3
Answers
Greenville, South Carolina
Updated
Hailee’s Answer
Hi Friend!
I worked in an Emergency Room Psych facility as a nursing specialty tech. It was hard at times for sure but it is also rewarding. Being there for people and letting them know you are there to help them is key. In my experience we had people that were violent. Dealing with violent patients takes a lot of practice and patience. Being compassionate towards people that are cussing you and being very hateful is a challenge. Some people have special needs and just need to be understood. One of the hardest parts in my opinion was restraining people. There are restraints that are tied to the bed and the patient that prevent them from hurting themselves or others. At our facility, we had to get the patient undressed and take all personal belongings. Everything had to come off including jewelry and undergarments. That was hard for me to do just because i felt bad for doing that. I felt like i was taking everything they know away and putting them in a uniform and putting them in a place they are not familiar with. Working further in this field I understood that this was for everyone's safety. There is a lot of education that goes into this specialty. We had training on defense that followed hospital protocol, how to use self defense equipment that was provided, and how to speak to the patient. Being around people that were struggling with addiction and were in drug educed psychosis was also pretty hard. Most of the time they came from rough backgrounds and was super sad to see what life has done to them. It was overall a very interesting job. Something new everyday for sure. Overall I liked this position. It was rewarding bonding with the patients and knowing that you are getting them the help they need.
I worked in an Emergency Room Psych facility as a nursing specialty tech. It was hard at times for sure but it is also rewarding. Being there for people and letting them know you are there to help them is key. In my experience we had people that were violent. Dealing with violent patients takes a lot of practice and patience. Being compassionate towards people that are cussing you and being very hateful is a challenge. Some people have special needs and just need to be understood. One of the hardest parts in my opinion was restraining people. There are restraints that are tied to the bed and the patient that prevent them from hurting themselves or others. At our facility, we had to get the patient undressed and take all personal belongings. Everything had to come off including jewelry and undergarments. That was hard for me to do just because i felt bad for doing that. I felt like i was taking everything they know away and putting them in a uniform and putting them in a place they are not familiar with. Working further in this field I understood that this was for everyone's safety. There is a lot of education that goes into this specialty. We had training on defense that followed hospital protocol, how to use self defense equipment that was provided, and how to speak to the patient. Being around people that were struggling with addiction and were in drug educed psychosis was also pretty hard. Most of the time they came from rough backgrounds and was super sad to see what life has done to them. It was overall a very interesting job. Something new everyday for sure. Overall I liked this position. It was rewarding bonding with the patients and knowing that you are getting them the help they need.
Thanks for your encouragement!
Onyx
Jessica Gonzalez
Medical Assistant
5
Answers
San Bernardino, California
Updated
Jessica’s Answer
One of the biggest qualification for being a psychiatric nurse is being a good listener. This job does not require scrubbing in for surgeries, and often times patients are not willing to take their oral medications so you must be extra diligent in making sure they are compliant. Psychiatric nurses are also in demand nation wide. I have a friend who travels all over the country as a psychiatric nurse so the possibilities are endless.
Thank you, this is really helpful.
Onyx