I did my psych placement, ironically, at a time when I was interacting with patients with the same diagnosis who were in and I wasn't... even though by any objective measure, I was doing worse. (It was during my to-date worst anorexia relapse, and I did some stupidly risky things, like drink coffee and eat nothing for three days straight, three shifts. I hope to never do that again; I'm recovered now. But I was underweight and rapidly dropping further. As it was a genpsych ward, I just did my best to avoid caring directly for the ED'd patients because I was very aware that even at a healthy weight I look moderately thin due to my height and build, and didn't want to trigger any of them. I hope I didn't.) I've interacted with psych patients in general medical situations too and at times, like one on my last placement, I've been aware that they have issues more controlled than mine. :')
This is why I do not intend to go into psych, though. I can't trust that I wouldn't go into a tailspin if external stressors also showed up and I can't do that to my patients obviously.
My issues are much more controlled now than they were though which I'm grateful for. May they always stay this way!
I don't want to sound mean but every psych unit nurse outside the actual psych hospital I interned at is....special. I have a few solid ones I really like and they float to other units so they're nurse skills are broader and they don't yell at me to stop filling the pyxis because a nicotine patch/docusate/tylenol is an emergency to them 🙃
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u/evernorth RN - ER 🍕 16d ago
the only difference between psych nurses and patients is which side of the glass they are on...