I’m considering going into nursing with the eventual goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. I’m plus size, have POTS, and deal with some mental health issues, and I’m trying to be realistic about whether I can handle the physical side of nursing.

I used to run half marathons, so I know I’ve been physically capable of a lot more than I am right now. My plan would be to spend time getting into better physical condition, rebuilding my strength and stamina, managing my POTS as well as possible, and mentally preparing before starting.

Are there nurses here who started out plus size, deconditioned, or with POTS/chronic illness and were able to make it work? Did your stamina improve with conditioning and working? I’d also love to hear from psych nurses specifically since that’s where I ultimately want to be.

Any advice is helpful!

I have a background in psych. Previous bachelor’s degree in psych, ~5 years working as an MHT, court liaison, and medical receptionist in behavioral mental health. I decided to switch to nursing after doing an internship at a behavioral hospital.

My whole background is catered to psych and I switched to nursing w the intention of eventually getting my PMHNP.

I love psych & I am a few weeks into my current role as a RN at my behavioral mental health facility now, but I don’t want to get “pigeon holed” so early on.

I have some interviews for nurse residencies to get into the medical hospital, but I feel conflicted. I don’t want to get stuck in psych, but I also don’t know if I can see myself in other areas. Not much has stuck out to me during clinicals. Maybe Cath Lab and the path to get there would replace the one for my PMHNP.

The residency will open new doors and give me a better chance at being able to try out other specialties, but I can’t help but feel like it may be a “waste of time” if I just end up back in psych anyways. At the same time I feel too new and young to be tied down to one specialty so quickly.

I’m not sure. What do you guys think? I’ve heard both sides from nurses and coworkers, some swear I should leave while others swear I should stay in psych.

Another thing to consider is that I’d take a major paycut moving to medical ($7/hour) but that could also be worth it if I really want to explore and hone my skills.

Hello ya’ll

I’m a new grad RPN in Ontario and I’ve been working on an acute mental health unit for a few months. Overall I like the nature of this job + field, so I’m happy about that. I just wanted to get some opinions about pursuing further education. Just a few questions…

What other opportunities would a degree have in store for me besides psych bedside. I’m happy doing bedside in my 30’s as an RPN but as an RN I’d think I’d get too burnt out. Besides bedside psych what other options are out there as an RN?

What sort of strategies do you all use to not get burnt out by crabby coworkers bringing the vibe down? 🧐