Any Mental Health Nurses Here?
- Thread starter Phoebica
- Start date
Be absolutely, positively sure that this is the area you want to specialize in. It has to be your calling. It really takes a special type of person to work in that particular field and it takes an amazing amount of patience to deal with the mentally ill on a daily basis. You will be abused verbally, attacked, spit on, have objects thrown at you, et cetera on a regular basis...and I only worked in patient registration, so imagine what the nurses deal with! I hope you already have some experience working with the mentally ill, if not, I very highly recommend volunteering or checking to see if you can observe either a group home or a psychiatric unit at a hospital and make sure you can handle it before making the decision to specialize in that field. I'm a nursing student myself and have 2 kids with some mental issues, and I don't think that even I have the patience to work in that specialty...rather, I'm going for Emergency Services. Hope you find this helpful...and good luck! 
I'm currently a group therapist at my hospital. Know your boundaries and how to express yourself. The mental health field is great for INFJs since this is basically our home turf. That said, this is where clients can also potentially confuse our emotional landscapes. Take care to constantly check your well-being and use an authoritative but friendly tone.
Oh yeah, and stay focused on the problems they're there for. I've often let sessions go over time because I got wrapped up in the conversation too much. Know where you need to go with the client.
Oh yeah, and stay focused on the problems they're there for. I've often let sessions go over time because I got wrapped up in the conversation too much. Know where you need to go with the client.
My grandmother has obsessive compulsive disorder, my mother has suffered with severe depression over the years. I have suffered from depression and anxiety during my teen years due to sexual abuse. I know how it feels to be lonely. Nobody can see the injury, it;s not a broken leg or a bruise, so it's lonely and it's hard to ask for help.
It is my vocation, I have all the time in the world for people with mental illness. They are misunderstood and there is such a huge stigma and that annoys me. We're not back in the day where you would be embarrassed if the neighbours found out a family member had depression (although I suppose some people are), we are far more educated on it now but there is still a stigma and I suppose the idealist in me wants to break that stigma. Also, there's this myth that people with mental illness never recover....can never lead normal happy lives, are less capable than "normal" (I use that term very loosely) people. If a patient were to get aggressive with me I would try hard to spot the signs before they actually got aggressive so I could diffuse the situation. I don't deal with things by shouting, I just state exactly how things are and make myself clear but I am not at all aggressive, I don't think I actually have a temper . But I am a very gentle person and I worry that my lack of assertiveness because I am so shy and gentle will mean I will make a bad nurse I care so much and I am fascinated by how the mind works, I am passionate about feelings and I just want to heal people. I an not so naive that I believe I can heal everyone, but just being able to help someone help themselves in some way or letting them know that they are cared about and I am with them every step of the way. They can get violent, shout at me at times but I know they don't mean it. They are ill and they need help, not to be shunned
It is my vocation, I have all the time in the world for people with mental illness. They are misunderstood and there is such a huge stigma and that annoys me. We're not back in the day where you would be embarrassed if the neighbours found out a family member had depression (although I suppose some people are), we are far more educated on it now but there is still a stigma and I suppose the idealist in me wants to break that stigma. Also, there's this myth that people with mental illness never recover....can never lead normal happy lives, are less capable than "normal" (I use that term very loosely) people. If a patient were to get aggressive with me I would try hard to spot the signs before they actually got aggressive so I could diffuse the situation. I don't deal with things by shouting, I just state exactly how things are and make myself clear but I am not at all aggressive, I don't think I actually have a temper . But I am a very gentle person and I worry that my lack of assertiveness because I am so shy and gentle will mean I will make a bad nurse
I care so much and I am fascinated by how the mind works, I am passionate about feelings and I just want to heal people. I an not so naive that I believe I can heal everyone, but just being able to help someone help themselves in some way or letting them know that they are cared about and I am with them every step of the way. They can get violent, shout at me at times but I know they don't mean it. They are ill and they need help, not to be shunned 
1. Be empathetic. . understand the feelings of others. .but not sympathetic. . .dont feel them too. .
2. watch our for counter-transferrence. .it is the killer of thereaputic relationships. . . it will happen and it's ok, just be mindful of it. .
3. boundaries. . . boundaries. . . boundaries. . .
4. you are not a savior. . you are a nurse. . .
5. practice holistic nursing. . the menatlly ill have a complete mind/body..treat them completely.
6.take care of yourself. .
2. watch our for counter-transferrence. .it is the killer of thereaputic relationships. . . it will happen and it's ok, just be mindful of it. .
3. boundaries. . . boundaries. . . boundaries. . .
4. you are not a savior. . you are a nurse. . .
5. practice holistic nursing. . the menatlly ill have a complete mind/body..treat them completely.
6.take care of yourself. .