Students are usually apprehensive about going into a psychiatric facility for the first time. My own experiences were actually pretty tame. I walked into Dix Building at Spring Grove Hospital Center (SGHC) standing exceptionally close to my fellow classmates. Not terrified but respectfully anxious. The unit was brightly light, furniture was made of light wood,and the patients were all facing the tv at the end of the dayroom. My instructor gave us a tour of the unit and instructed us to find a patient to talk with. I looked around and sought out someone who looked "normal" to me. He was wearing a plaid shirt and dark pants and a black Orioles baseball cap. I sat down next to him and introduced myself at a Coppin nursing student and attempted to contract verbally with him to be his nursing student during my 7 week clinical rotation. He seemed pleasant enought. To my surprise, he jumped up to his feet and said loudly, "Let's play ball!" Now his body language was that of a batter. He clasped his hands together as to strike at a baseball... That was 26 years ago...he is still a resident at SGHC...older, quieter...but he still remembers my name whenever I run into him at the Grove...and guess what...he still wears his Oriole baseball cap....As you begin blogging...
1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
Hello everyone. I have only worked with clients who have Dementia. It was an interesting experience, it required a lot of patience. Most of the clients I worked with had mild cases of Dementia. They could perform ADL's but may forget how to put their shirt on. My daily duties were to assist them with activities, and to help them keep as normal of a routine as possible. The clinical facility I am assigned to is Baltimore Crisis. I think most of the clients may be suicidal, or may have a drug addiction. This is an assumption, but when I looked at the website to research the facility those were some of the criteria for patients. My expectations for clinical are to gain a better understanding of the mentally ill. I feel that I am quick to judge mentally ill patients. I can admit I have called them many names. Therefore I hope to learn the pathophysiology of mental diseases, so that I can understand their actions. My main concern is to be sure that we as a clinical group stick together and travel in pairs. I would not want to be on a locked unit alone at any time. One personal goal for this clinical experience is to remain open minded.
ReplyDeleteI have some prior experience working and interacting with mentally ill patients. I work at the University Of Maryland Medical Center and it was there where I had my first experience while working a shift on the psych unit. I generally liked my experiences with the psych patients. I have worked with pediatric patients, geriatric patients, and patients in between. Out of all of the patients I had there were only a few that kind of scared me. Overall they were nice people that seemed to have enjoyed having me around to talk to. One of the most memorable patients I had was an old lady that kept cussing me out and trying to fight me. She also had times that she would be nice to ne and then turn around and call me names. I didn’t take offense and it was entertaining for a little while but then it got old.
ReplyDeleteI don’t really have any assumptions for the next couple of weeks. I just know that I should expect anything. I expect to know how to better communicate with these patients by the end of this clinical experience. I also would like to learn how to handle there erratic behavior. I am a little concerned about maybe talking to a patient and saying the wrong thing that would cause them to act out. One personal goal I have for this clinical experience is to get a better understanding of people with mental illnesses and their disorders and possibly have some type of impact on their fight for recovery or path to wellness.
1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
ReplyDeleteMy younger cousin who is 14 years old and is in the 10th grade is mentally challenged. He attends a citywide high school and is enrolled in a program which was “supposedly designed” to help him with life skills. These life skills include: making his bed, tying his shoes, basic socialization skills and things in which one would expect to be taught to a kindergartner. I often question the BCPS systems way of grouping those who are mentally challenged. Although my cousin is referred to by society as “retarded” I see him as being quite the genius; he is very inquisitive and always wants to take something apart. He has taken several DVD players apart and then put them back together. We have found that he is most comfortable in the basement in anyone’s home; reason being, he is looking for the sump pump (don’t ask). I really don’t believe that my cousin needs life skills…he needs to be challenged in regards to education. However, BCPS thinks otherwise. My cousin is dear to my heart and I remember becoming quite emotional when he started his freshman year in high school…I already knew what he was going to have to endure. After school, he went to my aunt’s house (his mother) and was very upset; the so called “normal kids” picked and teased him for being challenged. This taunting went on for quite some time. My aunt finally made her presence known at the school and the situation got a little better for him. I ask my aunt all the time…”being that he has not been taught things like how to read, write or count…what will happen to him if you leave this earth today or tomorrow?” She can never answer this question. Deep down I believe that she already knows the answer…I will take him into my family. He is a lot of work…however, he is family and as long as I have breath in my body, he will not be institutionalized.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
I never assume anything. I am trying to be open-minded as to what the environment will be like at the Baltimore Crisis Center.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
I expect to meet some very interesting individuals. Hopefully these patients can offer some insight as to what life is like for them.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
Currently I don’t have any concerns regarding this clinical.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
My goal from this clinical to leave with a better understanding of mental illness. Society has a way of painting very colorful pictures of people who are mentally ill. I believe that this clinical experience will gift me with the opportunity to see firsthand what mental illness is about and not what some producer made it out to be (all for the sake of ratings and trying to be at the top in the box office).
I did worked for some time at Sheppard Pratt Hospital as as a mental health worker. Sheppard Pratt, for those who don't know, is a full flesh psychiatric hospital dealing all types of mental health illnesses including eating disorders. I learnt alot during my time there, and the first couple of months were pretty revealing to me. you see, I had grown up all my life back home with a senior sister who is severely sick in the head. One time she will be ok for about three to four months. Then the next thing you know, she becomes really violent, talking by herself, I would some times flee into the woods.This would go on for about a week or two, then she becomes fine again and very functional.But not for too long before it starts all over again. All this while the general belief, from the story we got from our parents, was that she was bewitched by a jealous friend. And that the witch had some kind of invisible rope tied to her. Each time the witch pulls on the rope, she goes off into her manic modes. The goal of the witch is to prevent her from having any happy normal life becomes she had taken the man she (the witch) loved. It had been a very satisfying answer then because the general belief back home is that mental illnesses are of spiritual/mystical origin. Imagin how I felt when I come to realize that all this while my big sister has been suffering from schizophrenia, which could be effectively managed with drugs, and she has never had a single dose of drug all her life.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to this clinical, I hope to broaden and deepen my knowledge of mental health problems and their management. I hope to acquire the necessary tool from this clinical experience that will equipt me to fully function in my future role as a psychiatric/mental health nurse.
My major concern is that the time allocation for this clinical may not be long enough to enable me acquire all the necessary skills for my future primary specialty as a mental health nurse.
My goal at the end of this course is simple: To meet the minimum knowledge base and skill requirement necessary to function as a mental health nurse after gtraduation by the end of this clinical session.
1. As far as experience with the mentally ill I will say it is limited. I work on a med surg unit and we get a lot of patients from the psych unit down the hall from us. We also get a lot of patients from the ER who have underlying psych issues that are not addressed due to their medical conditions. But I have noticed that this is a big part of them and greatly impacts their treatment. I was also a tech at another hospital and I worked on the TBI unit and saw persons have personality changes due to injury and change as their treatment continued.
ReplyDelete2. I assume that the client population will be something that I am used to since I work in downtown Baltimore. I also feel that there will be people that because of their psych issues may forsake some of the basic things needed for life or may lack the resources to attain these things.
3. I expect to be exposed to a lot of things that will make me extremely uncomfortable. I also expect to be pushed out of my comfort zone in order to attain what I need from this clinical. Lastly, to learn more about people and how having mental issues can really impact not only them but the ones they love and the ones that need them.
4. In all honesty, I just want to come home the way I left. In one piece and clean. I also do not want to sat the wrong thing to a patient to set them off or bring back some distant horrible memory that can cause them to regress or go further into a crisis.
5. One personal goal I have for this clinical is to feel more comfortable and safe around psychiatric patients and to understand their conditions further.
1. My prior experiences with the mentally ill came from my first real job. I worked for a nonprofit company that worked with people with developmental disabilities. I worked in the client’s residence as a care taker and med tech. The clients that I worked with all had cerebral palsy. Some could not talk or walk, while others from far away appeared perfectly normal except for perhaps a slight limp or so. Now a few of them were initially at Springfield mental institution before they desegregated it and moved them into homes in the community, which had a profound effect on them. It caused most of words in the vocabulary to consist of profanities and racial slurs. The first time I met my client he said “Hi B***h”, in the nicest voice possible, which sort of made me step back and think for a second. He was actually one of the sweetest people I had ever met but because people were so nasty and rude to him all of his life, he felt that that was the normal way to speak with people. He was also very possessive of his stuffed animals and would become particularly combative if you tried to put one away or even touch anything that was his.
ReplyDelete2. As for assumptions I really don’t have any. I am familiar with that way that psychiatric floors work because I have worked on a psyc floor before so I feel perfectly comfortable working and talking with people who have a mental health disorder. I am also familiar with following behavior plans and overall I enjoy working with my patients. Though I must admit that I prefer the geriatric population more than the adolescents.
3. I expect that I will learn how to take care of the patients from a nursing perspective instead of a tech standpoint which I look forward to.
4. I don’t feel particularly any anxiety regarding clinical itself except maybe for the presentation on medication class that we are supposed to give to the patients. I think that some of the hypochondriacs might think that every side effect under the sun applies to them.
5. My personal goal of this clinical experience is to decide once and for all if I would like to be a psyc nurse. Initially that is why I went to nursing school but changed my mind when I worked in a nursing home and I just fell in love with the Alzheimer's Unit and decided that that was what I wanted to do.
MAAMEYAA COFFIE
ReplyDeleteI work at UMMC, and I have been on the psychiatric unit twice. My first patient was calm and mostly sleep for the most part. My second patient was was very loud and talkative yelling out negative things. She kept scratching her arm till she bleed. The nurse had to put her in the zip up bed and the patient still managed to somehow come out of it. I do not really assume anything about this clinical site because I never been nor have I ever heard anything about it. I expect to learn how to deal with the mentally ill patients in a therapuetic way. My only concern is my fear of the mentally ill people. My main goal is to leave the clinical site confident in caring for the mentally ill and also leaving not afraid of them anymore.
Well I have prior experience working with a mentally ill client on the psych floor at UMMC. My patient was shizophrenic. He was very spontaneous and would often just jump up without warning and wanted to walk around the unit. I was quite frightened initially because i did not know what to expect from him. However, I made it through the shift. I assume that the facility will not be so "crazy", however, I will expect the unexpected. I also assume that some patients will be stand off at first because we're coming into their place but hopefully they will warm up to us. From participating in this clinical, I expect to learn a lot about mentally unstable minds and how different medications effect certain areas of the brain. My only concern about the clinical site is if I would be prepared to talk to a patient and not make them upset with my word choice. One goal for this experience is to be open-minded and absorb as much information as possible. My experience is all in how I make it.
ReplyDelete1)My first experience with mentally ill persons was when I a police officer. I have had to forcefully restrain and transport mentally ill clients to the hospital. I have also had experience with completing the emergency petition paperwork to have people evaluated for mental illness. I also had a home health assignment with a client who has a rare degenerative brain disorder. He would have frequent mood swings and the more he lost control of his body, the more depressed he became. I currently work on a neurosciences critical care unit. I have taken care of people with various injuries to the brain and spinal cord, as well as, people who have had tumors removed. Many of the patients have temporary psychosis while their brains are healing. I have also witnessed psychosis caused by steroids that are prescribed to control swelling in the brain. I have experience with soft restraints, as well as, placing people in a posey restraint.
ReplyDelete2)Since I am assigned to a facility where the clients are there voluntarily, I am assuming that no one will have a crisis.
3)My expectations are to get a better understanding of the inner working of the mind of the clients I will be assigned to.
4)Although I am assigned to a voluntary inpatient center, I am still concerned that someone will have a crisis. I am also concerned with how we will be received by the staff.
5)One personal goal I have to is gain better skills when dealing with people with mental illness. I do not plan to work as a psych nurse; however, people with mental illnesses have medical problems. All of these clients' needs should be met so that they will have the best outcome.
My prior experience with the mentally ill was when I used to work in the Emergency Room as a patient transporter at Sinai Hospital. The ER there has seven (7) patient care areas: triage, fast track, urgent care, emergent care, pediatrics, trauma, and observation. In the observation care center, clients with psychiatric issues or complaints were held here. After the clients were observed in the ER, I would transport the patients along with security to the psych unit. I assume that I will be engaging in more verbal interactions and establishing a rapport with the client(s), oppose to other semesters where the focus is mainly medication administration and comfort. I expect to learn a lot of new content related to psychiatric-mental health nursing this semester. I currently do not have any concerns related to this clinical experience. My goal for the psychiatric-mental health rotation is to acquire as much content as possible in order to master the objectives for the course.
ReplyDelete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
ReplyDeleteI do not have any prior experience with the mentally ill.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
I think the walls will be white and the furniture will look very old. The setting will be sterile and cold. I expect the consumers to be from all different backgrounds.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
I hope to increase my understanding of the mentally ill and feel comfortable with the consumers. I also hope to apply what I learn in the classroom at the clinical setting.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
One of my concerns is that I will have a patient that is unfriendly, agitated, and does not want to engage in any kind of conversation. Another concern I have is making sure that I travel with a partner throughout the facility.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
I hope to be objective while interacting with the patients.
Hello Class.
ReplyDelete1) My prior experience working with the mentally ill involved some residential volunteer work years ago in a half-way recovery house. Out of the 20-25 residents present, at least half of them had a dual diagnosis of some psychological/psychiatric disorder along with their addiction to their drug of choice. I was often curious to see the mind-altering effects of the prescribed drugs for their diagnosed ailment(s), while their abstenance from drinking & illicit drug use (also mind-altering) was strictly enforced.
2)The teasing-like conversations that took place in school growing up in Baltimore, led me believe that Spring Grove was an exile for the insane. As I grew older (high school aged) I began to view the facility and its residents differently as a result of conversations with my father (who was a clinical psychologist that outlawed the use of the term "crazy" in our house).
3)My epectations from clinical are to be less apprehensive when interacting with those who have a lesser grasp on reality.
4)My only concerns regarding the clinical experience center on the unknown. Not from a perspective of fear, but the reality of dealing with those who are distinctly behaviorally different or those in the midst of crisis.
5)My personal goal is to determine if I have any interest in persuing psychiatric nursing beyond N.405.
Over the summer break, I was fortunate enough to get a job as a patience care technician at Baltimore Washington Medical center , it was during this time that i actually had a full blast contact with mentally ill patients, coming in with a whole host of of mental and medical conditions like multiple drug over-dose, DT's, depression , suicidal attempts etc. I have seen what a two-points and a four points looks like, It is not a pleasant site to see I must admit; however I was always told is for the Patient-Safety. My assumptions are that of, all mentally ill patients will have to be restraint or put in seclusion at some point during their hospital stay. My expectations for this clinical rotation is to come out of this course with if not all, but some of my many misconception and biases complete eliminated toward the mentally ill clients. I am always concern about my safety and that of the patient. One personal goal that i can I think of, is that of my judgmental attitudes be that of a caring and more empathetic attitudes.
ReplyDeleteI have not had any prior experience with the mentally ill. Some assumptions that I have about RICA is first it will be very interesting. Secondly I think that I need to work on my intrapersonal skills. Also I think the kids will be worth my wild. Lastly I think my experience will help me understand how resliant children can be. Some expectations I have is to build a rapport with a metally ill teenager. I expect that the kids will be a handful. Also I expect that I will gain plenty of knowledge during clinical. My only concern is handling a client if they become eradic. I do not ever want to hurt anyone or be the cause of their problems. A personal goal of myself for clinical is to be a lot more patient with people and show myself that I can deal with any client putin front of me.
ReplyDelete1.My past experience has been mostly in Psych. I have an asociates degree in Human Service with a concentration in Mental health. I worked at Sheppard Pratt for a little over 2 years as a Mental Health Worker with Geriatrics and Child and Adolscents. I also worked at Baltimore County Detention Center which they treated several psych patients.
ReplyDelete2. I don't have an assumptions just curious to see if there is a diffeence between an inpatient psych unit in a general hospital oppose to in a actually psychiatric institution.
3. My expectations is to successfully complete this clinical rotation.
4. My only concern is that I don't get so excited and be ready to transfer to an psych inpatient unit.
5. My personal goal is to be able to really interact with the patients and hope that I can bring a little bit of joy to their stay at the hospital.
Candice Barksdale said...
ReplyDelete1. The only experience that I have working with the mentally ill is at my job. I work on an acute surgical floor as a student nurse. We get patients on our floor all the time with psychiatric issues along with their other medical conditions.
2. I'am not quite sure what I am expecting from the clinical site but I must admit I am very nervous about being on a psych floor. Like I said before we get those kinds of patients on our floor at times but we really do not spend a lot of time with the patients outside of patient care. If they are truly able to function on their own we as the techs just check on the patient.
3. My expectations from this clinical is to gain a better understanding about the different psych disorders and how to manage them.
4. My concern is that I my get hurt, offending or saying the wrong thing to the patient.
5. My personal goal in this course is to find out whether or not I could pursue a career in psych nursing to learn more about the disorders because psych patients are not confined to one floor of the hospital they come on every unit.
1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
ReplyDeleteI have had a couple of experience with mentally ill patient, at my job. Some of them are suicidal. The most recent experience is the one I had two days ago while working at the emergency department (ED), there was a patient who refused to go home after being seen by the ED medical doctor and was discharged. This patient told the doctor he cannot leave unless he has been seen by a Psychiatrist. When I approached him to take his vital signs, he sent me away, that the only person he wants to talk to is a psychiatric doctor. The nurse and the doctor told him to allow me do his vital sign because they have called the psychiatric department and the doctor is on his way, he will need to vital signs when he comes. I was scared while doing his vital even though he was calmed. When the psych doctor came he had a conversation with the patient for close to thirty minutes.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
I am sure one has to be on his or her feet in our mental health setting (VA) because of so many paper works, finger printing and so on. I am hopeful we are going to have a good clinical experience there.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
I expect to see professionalism from the staffs that are taking care of these patients and to learn a lot from them when it comes to dealing with the mentally ill patients.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
I am just looking forward seeing how these patients interact amongst themselves in the unit.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
My personal goal for this clinical experience is to be able to communicate and interact with psychiatric patients by the end of this clinical session.
1) What prior experience, if any do you have with mentally ill? I have work with Home Instead Senior care with Alzheimer patients. This was an out patient setting where I would go to their homes. There was one patient that I work with for about three months. One moment she will be my friend and the next moment she will act like she doesn’t know me. And sometimes she will call 911 and say that I am a thief and want to kidnap her. It was a great experience to me because I saw a lot of things that Alzheimer’s patients act and do.
ReplyDelete2) What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7weeks? I really do not know much about my clinical site, but I am assuming that there is some degree of control with the patient since it is a Federal site. And the setting, I think will be outstanding.
3) What are your expectations from this clinical? I expect to get the best out of it and utilize every opportunity that I have there effectively because I might not get this opportunity again.
4) What if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience? My concern is that if there is a crisis, would i be able to handle it because I have not experience one before. We learn sometimes from our past experience.
5) Discuss one personal goal for this clinical experience? I will be able to decide whether I will be a Psych nurse or not because I have been
Hello Classmates...
ReplyDelete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill? The only prior experience I’ve had with the mentally ill was with my grandmother who lived with me for 2 years and patients where I work who suffer from dementia.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks? I’m assigned to the RICA Center. This is a mental health facility for children and adolescents. I am not sure exactly what to assume to this place, however, I think we will be dealing with children/teens with ADHD, and various emotional issues.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical? I expect to learn how to deal with or interact with a person with mental health issues. Normally I stay away from those who are mentally ill because of fear. I expect to learn the various mental health disorders and how to treat them.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience? My main concern regarding this clinical is my safety. As I stated earlier I’ve always shied away from those with mental illness because of fear. I do not want to be physically or mentally abused by any of the patients. Another concern is developing a working relationship with the patients.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience. A personal goal for me would to be able to successfully build a nurse to client relationship with my patient and be able to communicate with the patients without being afraid.
1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
ReplyDelete- I have a little experience with the mentally ill. I have worked in nursing homes as a nursing aide and there I have come in contact with many clients that suffer from dementia. I also work as a sitter and have sat with suicidal patients and on psychiatric floors.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
-For the next 7 weeks I have been assigned to RICA, which is a mental health facility for children. Based on on what was said in lecture, I assume that many of the children hae violent past and are in gangs. I also assume that RICA is not only a mental health facility, but also an educational facility.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
- I expect to learn new information from this clinical. Pchiatric nursing is a very interesting field, and everything I learn will be new information. After this cliical I expect to know how to better communicate with clients.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
- I am concerned that there is so much information to be learned and so little time to learn everything.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience
- My personal goals for this clinical experience is to become a better communicator and also be successful in this course.
1. What prior experience, if any, do you have with the mentally ill? I have not had any clinical experiences with the mentally ill; however, I have come in contact with plenty. One of my recent experiences was with a student here at Coppin. Several nursing students were in the computer lab when a woman shouted “Yall nursing students are too loud”. I responded by saying “the devil is a liar”. The lady got up out of her seat and came over near me and was confrontational. She then had an argument with herself stating that she hope I have 17 patients when I get on the floor. She also said that she knows the entire faculty and is going to report me. She said “I know her. Her name is Brittany (referring to me); she has the same name as my daughter. My daughter’s name is Brittany too”. I found it odd that the woman went “off” for no apparent reason. My conclusion is that she has mental health issues.
ReplyDelete2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
The mental health setting that I am assigned to is Spring Grove and all of my life, I have heard scary things about this institution. I used to ride pass there on my way to school and the hill to the driveway looks spooky. I assume that there will be bars and chains on doors and furniture and the experience will be that of a prisoner. I think the mental hospitals are very similar to jails because they do not want the patients to escape.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
During this clinical experience, I hope to work with individuals with various types of mental health disorders. We always read about the various disorders, but to physically see them and interact with them is a difference. I hope to learn the various medications used to treat the disorders and have the opportunity to learn signs and symptoms of these disorders.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
My major concern with this clinical experience is to gain a true understanding of what mental health is and what it consists of. I have a small fear of being on a locked unit with individuals who are mentally challenged. My concern is the violent ones. I hope to never have to use the aggression management techniques that we learned in pre-clinical.
5. Write (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
For this clinical experience, I would like to release the fear of working with individuals who have severe mental disorders. Society paints a picture of what mentally challenged people do and look like, but I know if I work with them, I will have faced one of my fears and be able to overcome it.
1. I really don't have any experience with mentally ill people other than the ones i may encounter on the streets. There is no real situation that sticks out in my mind, because usually i just walk on by. Through out my 10 years of working as a medical assistant i have mostly dealt with children.
ReplyDelete2. I am assigned to Spring Grove and i must say that i have mixed emotions about this clinical experience. Im excited, and i'm nervous, because i've heard some stories that i'm not quite sure i would know how to handle. Im interested to see how the facility operates versus a normal hospital setting.
3. After this clinical experience i hope to gain a better knowledge on how to deal with mentally ill patients. I think alot of times we stereotype them or call them crazy, but we don't realize it's an actual disease just like diabetes or something else. I hope to learn how to use therapeutic communication with them, so that i can help them as well as get them to open up to me. And lastly i expect to not get beat up! HA HA HA
4. My only concern with this clinical is will i know what to do or say if something happens.
5. My personal goal that i plan to take from this clinical experience is to communicate effectively with mentally ill patients and to not be afraid of them. I want to understand that they are human beings that have feelings and emotions too. I hope to leave this class with a better knowledge base on how to care for the mentally ill.
Well Hello
ReplyDelete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
I do not have any prior experience with the mentally ill.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
Well I have been to clinical a couple of times now, I can honestly say that the clinical setting is not as bad as I thought. Before coming to clinical I was really anxious. I thought it was going to be like the movies, with patients screaming and carrying on. I thought "OMG what if the patients hit me or not like us and act out." Because Spring grove is so old I heard they were really dirty so I thought the place was going to be a mess and the patients were all going to be old.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
My epectations for this clinical rotation are to get over my insecurities of dealing with a mentally ill patient. Because I have never been in this type of setting my nerves are a wreck and I hope I can look within myself and see I can do this and actually have fun.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
My concerns about this clinical experience are one, my patient not being receptive to me, two not knowing what to talk to my patient about and three saying the right/wrong thing.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience
My personal goal for this clinical experience would be to learn how to put my fears behind me so I can interact with my patient effectivly.
Hi
ReplyDelete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
My prior experience with mentally ill stems from working at JHH. I do not work on a Psych unit, but my unit takes overflow. My encounter with the mentally ill has been scary and I am always apprehensive in dealing with the mentally ill at work. Whenever I have contact with them, I am very cautious, because I have no clue what they are thinking or what may set them off in an instant.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
On Red Brick 4, I am expecting CHAOS and loudness, I am terrified. I loathed the idea of being locked in with unstable individuals.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
I am expecting exposure and a lot of learning from this clinical. Maybe get a better understanding and reduction of fear.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience? Being locked in with unstable individuals and being attacked because I have said the wrong thing.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
My goal for this clinical, is to have a better understanding of mental illness and walk away with less fear.
starting psyche
ReplyDeleteThis week we just transitioned into psyche/mental health class. So far the class is pretty cool. Honestly, I was a bit apprehensive about it because I was not sure what to expect. On the first day of class, that apprehension soon went away as the professor starting lecturing and I could actually comprehend what she was talking about. This is not my first experience with mental health because I took a mental health course maybe 2 or so years ago. When I took that class, it primarily focused on mental illnesses and we had numerous speakers come to our class to talk about variations populations including adolescence that suffer from mental illnesses such as depression. It honestly broke my heart to learn that children as young as 5 years ago living in rural areas tend to suffer from depression and other issues because of what they see on a regular basis and sometimes even because of what they have gone reading, there are more people suffering than what we want to believe. through (i.e. rape/molestation, neglect, physical abuse, etc.). I really looking forward to learning more about mental health and ways to help those suffering with various mental illnesses because from what I am
starting psyche
ReplyDeleteThis week we just transitioned into psyche/mental health class. So far the class is pretty cool. Honestly, I was a bit apprehensive about it because I was not sure what to expect. On the first day of class, that apprehension soon went away as the professor starting lecturing and I could actually comprehend what she was talking about. This is not my first experience with mental health because I took a mental health course maybe 2 or so years ago. When I took that class, it primarily focused on mental illnesses and we had numerous speakers come to our class to talk about variations populations including adolescence that suffer from mental illnesses such as depression. It honestly broke my heart to learn that children as young as 5 years ago living in rural areas tend to suffer from depression and other issues because of what they see on a regular basis and sometimes even because of what they have gone through (i.e. rape/molestation, neglect, physical abuse, etc.). I really looking forward to learning more about mental health and ways to help those suffering with various mental illnesses because from what I am reading, there are more people suffering than what we want to believe.
I assume that RICA will be an experience to remember full of mishaps and temper tantrums but hey im gamed. Regardless of the chaos, I do expect to walk away with a better understanding of psych/mental health and how they play a huge role in a persons life and well being. My biggest concern is being injured at clinical but I have to learn that with good communication, violence against me may not happen but then again who knows. My personal goal for my clinical is to learn to apply therapeutic communication so I can get a better understanding of my patient without any type of preconceived notions or judgments against them because of their "diagnosis".
ReplyDeleteI have no formal prior experience to dealing with mental health issues or illness, however I do have a couple informal experiences. I have dealt with brain injury patients at work where they are depressed or become bipolar after their accident, and I know someone that has been diagnosed with manic depression. And it is funny that they were working with the mentally retarded and psychiatric patients as a social worker before they became depressed. I guess a psychiatric disorder can happen to anyone if you do not have the right coping and defense mechanisms in place to protect your own fragile psyche. As for clinical I am a little afraid of the patients because some walk very close to you and I think the can have an aggressive moment at anytime. However, most patients and people seem to be okay and come back to normal if they take their treatments like they are suppose to.
ReplyDelete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
ReplyDeleteI have no prior experience with mental illness unless you count my mentally challenged family members and friends that have yet to be diagnosed.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
I assume that it is probably not much different from some of the patients we have had in past clinicals that were being treated to for medical issues and their mental issue was not the primary reason for care. Only this time we are treating patients primarily for mental illness. I was a little apprehensive about the next several weeks, but I was determined to have a positive attitude and focus on the clients and not myself.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
I expect to gain further knowledge on how to care for a mental ill patient and exercise the skills that I have been taught in class. I expect to get through this clinical just as I have gotten through others.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
One concern that I have is whether or not I will be able to apply what I have learned thus far in managing clients. Hands on is always more intense than theory.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
One personal goal is to become more knowledgeable on mental illness and how to care for clients with mental illnesses.
1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
ReplyDeleteI have not had any prior experience with the mentally ill.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
I am at Spring Grove, before this semester I had no idea Spring Grove existed. But when I realized it was my clincal site I asked around about it. I heard things such as "You're really see some crazy people," and "Oh you're gonna have quite the experience." Based off of that I expect to have an interesting clinical rotation.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
My expectations are to be able to have a good learning experience with the patients at Spring Grove.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
My concern for this clinical experience is that I may encounter a situation where I might not do or say the correct thing.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
My personal goal is to have a great experience with this rotation and see if it may be in the future a possibilty to work in psych nursing.
Please answer the following:
ReplyDelete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the
mentally ill?
I do not have much exposure with the mentally ill, but about a year ago at University Specialty Hospital I was a sitter for a mentally ill patient who was at risk for suicide, I had to follow her where ever she went, to make sure that she did not harm herself.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
I will be doing my Clinical at Spring Grove, I assume that I am going to be working with mentally ill patient who illness are more severe. I assume that these kinds of patients will need more attention, and will be a little more difficult when it comes to compliance with treatment. I assume to work with these kinds of patient a caregiver must have patients.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
I expect to be able to provide help for these individuals, build a relationship with them, learn about their diagnosis and learn how to help treat them. I also expect to learn about the different kinds of mental illness, be able to identify and treat them.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
I am concern that I may not be very helpful towards the patient, because I don’t know how the patients will respond to me. Also, I am concern that I might not know how to help these patient remain calm and avoid harm towards themselves and others.
5. Write (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
One goal that I have for this clinical experience is to learn how to communicate therapeutically with these patients.
1. I have had experience with mental health patients. I have a family member who is mentally ill and was diagnosed with schitzophrenia at a very young age. I knew he was sick because my family members had told me he was but I never knew specifically what his mental illness was and what it meant. I had never been around him when he didnt seem normal but one time he wasnt. This one time imparticular I knew something was wrong because I had never seen him that way before. I will never forget I was at my aunts house for a visit and I remember when I came over my family was all looking for him and they didnt know where he had went. That day he decided to show. They kept asking him where his medication was and that he needed to take it. He then preceeded to go into a tantrum. He was telling my grandmother "I dont need no medication, aint nothin wrong wit me. Thats just your way to control me. You just want to control me. All of yall. Just want to tell me where to go and what to do. I aint takin it I dont need it." Then he started talking in ways that didnt make since. I was so scared I never seen him that way.
ReplyDelete2. The assumptions I have about going to spring grove hospital are not very pleasent. I was thinking your typical psych movie. That the place was old and there were bugs. I was thinking that only the worst mentally ill people in baltimore were commited there. I was thinking murderers who were mentally ill that couldnt stay incarcerated because of there illness and people who couldnt be controlled anywhere else are those who go to spring grove.
3. From this clinical I plan to gain the knowledge and skill of understanding mentally ill patients. By talking to them and opening up I hope to be able to understand their thought processes and their ways of doing things as it is displayed in different ways depending on the type of mental illness. I want to be able to effectivly communicate with them and deliver effective nursing care.
4. The only concern I have is safety. I hope that no one is hurt or put in a very difficult situation.
5. My goal for this clinical is to therapuetically communicate with my client and have a effective nurse client realationship with him.
1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
ReplyDeleteMy prior experience with the mentally ill was truly different from what this experience is for me. This is the first time that will be working with adolescence and have not had this opportunity to interact with this population. I am interested to see how this population is the same and different from the adult population.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
Well, I was not interested in working with the adolescence population so this would be a challenge to be. I heard a lot of good things about Mr. Delphis Jones, so I was excited to go to RICA to work with him. When I arrived the place looked very modern from all of the other psychiatric hospitals that I have been. The worst part was finding the hospital, because it is hidden.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
My expectation from this clinical is to get used to working with this population of the mentally ill clients. Not to be judgmental of the teenagers that has been placed in the hospital. Have the ability to interact well with my client.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
At the present time my only concern is being able to find the place by carpooling.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
My personal goal is to make it through this clinical with a better feeling about working with the female adolescence.
I haven't had too much experience related to mental health. Although, I can recall a situation in which my friend's cousin was involuntarily admitted to the psych ward at Sinai. One night, I was at her house watching movies and he cousin came running through the front door. Her cousin looked so spaced out. She smelled of marijuana and alcohol. Then, she started hiding in the closet and saying that someone was after her. She also, stated that she was seeing things. Her mother immediately took her to the hospital to be checked out. It was later found that she had had mushrooms in her system. I did not know what was going on. I was in a state of shock. This was a memorable moment for me because I was only 12 years old. Affter having psych, I can kind of relate and understand what was going on. She was experiencing drug induced delirium, which is reversable. After she was released, I still do not think she is the same person today, but she is better.
ReplyDeleteFor this clinical rotation, I assume that I will be in a setting in which there are many people with different illnesses. Some may or may not be reversable. I expect to have a good experience with the various patients and learn characteristics of the different mental illnesses. I do not have any concerns. My goal is to pass clinical with a better understanding of the effects mental illnesses have on a person.
I have not had any previous experience interacting with the mentally ill. I was a little nervous about psych nursing because I thought that the clients in the mental health setting may be unpredictable. I didn’t know if they would always recognize the need for the medications or treatments available to them. I assume that the clients at the facility to which I am assigned will be compliant with their medications and their treatment for the most part. The clients come to the facility voluntarily after calling a hotline when they are in a crisis. The environment seems very calm and peaceful. I do wonder if the clients will be willing to interact with our clinical group. I worry that some of them may feel like their reasons for being there or their issues that they are trying to work through should be kept private. My goal is learn how to build a trusting relationship with the clients there. I would like to recognize the biases that I have or assumptions that I have about the clients that may be incorrect. In doing so, I hope that I can put them aside to attend to the client’s needs as much as possible
ReplyDeleteWeek One Blog
ReplyDelete1) As far as experience with the mentally ill, I have a very limited experience. My first experience came when I worked at university specialty hospital in the summer of 2009 as a patient care technician. Most of the patients are not violent and this gave me the opportunity to be more comfortable working on that floor. But what I notice in these patients were mostly personality changes due to head injury and that made me to appreciate every part of my body especially my head, because most of these patients mental illness was due to trauma to the head.
2) I assume that most of these patients will not be as calm as my prior experience and also not to stereo type my patient for each patient is different.
3) My expectation for this clinical rotation is to be opening minded and be ready to learned. Also, since I’m interested in psych nursing in the future, I will take this opportunity to decide if I still will want to stay or change my specialty.
4)My concern for this clinical rotation is if we will be doing what we’ve been previously exposed to in medsurge clinical rotations like medication administrations, assessment and sometimes teaching patients. Also, how violent these patients could be and if there is enough protection for individuals on the floor.
5)My goal for this clinical is to gain more knowledge and insight about mental illness, how individuals with these issues cope on daily bases and also listen to them and try to understand where there coming from. Finally, I want to be the best psych nurse on my floor in the future and I know this clinical exposure will prepare me to represent Helen Fuld School of nursing after graduation.
Blog: Week 1
ReplyDelete1. I can say that this is going to be my third year experience of working with mentally ill patients at Spring Groove Hospital. Prior to this I have worked with mentally challenged patient/forensics for 9 years.
2. My assumptions regarding the mental health setting (VA) where I was first assigned before it was changed in the next 7 weeks is that I don’t think there will be any difference when compared to where I work, and, if there is any, I think it is not going to be as dangerous as where I am working. I assumed that the patients will be of more depressed. I also assumed that there will be few forensic patients in the population. Unfortunately, I and my group were dissolved after and we have to join other clinical groups in which I am now being placed at my working place, but at different building.
3. My expectations for this clinical experience are to learn more about psychiatric nursing and to be able to apply what I am being taught in the class to real-life situation to help these individuals.
4. My concern regarding this clinical experience is my safety.
5. My goals are to have Nurse-client-relationship with the patients and to use therapeutic communication to achieve good desirable outcome.
Prior to becoming a psych student, i worked as a patient care technician at the University Specialty hospital and also in a group home where i had to cater for the mentally challenged patients. Although i had had some little experience with dealing with the mentally challenged, i was a bit skeptical about actually being in a real psychiatric hospita with some real psych patients. But, when i finally survived the first day at the Baltimore crises center, i then knew it was not as bad as i thought it was, and now i am actually happy to go to clinicals and interact with the patients.
ReplyDeleteI always used to assume that being around the patients was very dangerous but after intercating with them and especially knowing that they are voluntary patients, i now feel a sense of relief.
My expectation for this rotation is to get know the psych patient in and out, if possible their thoughts and feelings, and above all study to know my information to help me serve them better.
I don't have much concerns but i sometimes let myself go and start to think about the safety of the staff and that of my group. Although these patients are here voluntarily, something in the environment can trigger an emotion and if not controlled in time can lead to quaous.
My goal is to learn beyond what is required to help me give a competent and safe care to my clients now and in the near future.
What prior experience, if any do you have with mental ill? I work at Oak Crest Nursing home, where I have experience with Alzheimer, Dementia and Parkinson patient. I assist them with their ADLs but I do not have experience with mental health.
ReplyDeleteWhat assumption do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7weeks? The client at Baltimore Crisis are voluntary, I assume the client are drug addited, or going through crisis and they comes in for short time treatment. I knew I going to be involved in different aspect of nursing which is somehow unique when compare with other area of nursing.
What are your expectation from the clinical? My expectation is to learn as much as possible and aquire those valuable experienced as a nurse.use therapeutic communication to build trust with the client and to be a good listener.
What if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience? My concern is about safety technique to control the environment situation during crisis.
Personal goal for this clinical experience, my goal is to familiar myself with psychiatric hospital system and learn those knowledge that makes one feels comfortable to work in this settings.
1. When I think of experience withhe mentally ill at first I think none, but i do have a nephew who has autism. So I guess one may consider that mentally ill.
ReplyDelete2. When we first walked in my mind was thinking "OMG, this is not what I imagined ." I assumed that the facility would be full of nurses , techs, and orderly's. I thought that i would feel a little more safe, and I thought the clients would be able to go to their rooms as they please.
3. I expect to gain more knowledge about people that have different disorders, how they cope and how they navigate through life.
4. Although I feel a little more comfortable with each visit, I have this concern that a client is going to lash out at one of us and we will be injured. The clients consist of mostly men and I always feel so afraid and intimidated when I am in the hall. The clients that I have spoken to have all seemed friendly but I was told by the cna that every patient seems friendly unil one has an episode. I thought to myself "I'M OUT!" But I'm still hanging in there. We will see how this goes.
1. My main goal is to remain alert but lose my fear that something bad is going to happen to me or my classmates.
1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill? I worked in a mentally ill hospital in I was a teenager caring for infants and youth.
ReplyDelete2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks? I assume there will be a lot of patients with drug and alcohol addiction and suicidal/depression tendency in my particular setting because its inpatient hospital setting.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical? It’s to get a better understand of mental illness.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience? The only concern is that the environment is safe.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience. My goal is for my patients to be able to use some of their coping skills that I have taught them during my clinical rotation.
1. I have no prior professional or educational experience with the mental ill. However, I had a aunt who was schizophrenic.
ReplyDelete2. Prior to going to my assigned clinical area I asked around and heard lots of different things regarding the hospital. Mst of the things I heard were negative and scary, therefore, prior to ever going I was nervous and afraid of what I was getting into. Since I have been there I have grown a lot more comfortable around the patients, I'm no longer afraid of them, and I look at them mostly like normal human beings with a sickness of the mind.
3. I expect to become more knowledgeable about psych mental health issues. I also expect to be able to apply this knowledge in helping clients with mental illness overcome or learn to cope with their disease.
4. Currently I have no concerns except for the fact that this section is short and I don't know how they are going to cover all the necessary information in this short time.
5. Therapeutic communication is something I struggle with. I plan, during this clinical course to become more therapeutic in my communication with clients.
1. I have never worked with the mentally ill before. My prior experience is limited to what I see on the streets and on TV.
ReplyDelete2. When I think of my clinical site in mental health, I imagine dangerous situations in which anybody can be harmed especially the nurses or students. I assume that things go wrong in the psychiatric unit all the time.
3. I expect to get a beter understanding of mentally ill patients and the role of the nurse in the psychiatric unit. I also expect to improve on my interaction with patients on this unit while maintaining control of my encounters.
4. I am mostly concerned with what a day in the psychiatric unit is like. I am not sure what to do once I am on the unit.
5. One of my goals for this clinical experience is to improve on my therapeutic communication skills as relates to patient interaction.
Blog #1
ReplyDelete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill? I used to work at Bello machre which is a home for the mental challenged. It was a wonderful experience, I used to cook for them, go shopping for them and basically provide their basic needs.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks? Prior to going to my clinical site I was told by my co-workers that it was a difficult place to do my clinical at because the patients are always combative. However, since I've been there the clients have been cooperative and non combative. They are very welcoming.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical? I expect to familiarize myself with the different types of mental disorders and also to learn how to be more therapeutically.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience? Right now there aren't any concerns.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience. One personal goal I have is to be more therapeutically
I have never had an experience with the mentally ill; I only see them in movies and sometimes I feel like mental illness is the most difficult illness to live with. I also wonder how family members are able to cope with the mental illness of their loved one. As I prepare to begin clinical rotation, I assume that the facility that I would be assigned to would be filled with severely ill patients and taking care of them would be very challenging. This makes me feel like I need some prior experience and skills before I can get on the unit. For this clinical rotation, I expect to be as open as possible and willing to learn as much as I can about Psychiatric Mental Health. I also expect to learn about certain issues that lead to mental illness and ways to help the mentally ill cope with their illness. However, am concerned about what might aggravate them and my safety around the mentally ill patients. I am also afraid that the client’s may not want to have anything to do with me or they may refuse to talk when I approach them. My goal for this clinical experience is to be aware of myself at all times. I can only begin to understand the patient and be able to help them if I am aware of my own values, beliefs, thoughts, feelings, attitudes, motivation, prejudices, strengths, and weaknesses; and how these qualities affect others.
ReplyDeleteOnly experience I have had with the mentally is with pain seeking patients. I work at a community health center and we see a lot of patients that come seeking pain medications. When these patients all told that they have to go to pain management to get their medication they get very upset. A lot of times we have to call security because the patient become violent and start cursing at the doctors. I really don’t know what to expect when I go to psych unit that I am assigned too but I wonder do they really have padded rooms and do that put patients in restraining jackets? I would think that there will be security available if something happens or if a client becomes out of control. I am a little concerned about how well I will do during this clinical because this is a very different experience for me. I am the type of person who has always been shy and I don’t usually like to initiate conversations with strangers. Getting a client on a psych unit to talk to you is not at all like talking to a client on a med-surg unit or even at the doctor’s office where I work. I feel like on a med-surg unit and in the office you have more of a script to get the conversation started between you and the client. One personal goal that I would like to achieve during this clinical is to have a better understanding of the mentally ill client and to have the client feel comfortable with talking to me about his or her problems and concerns.
ReplyDeletePhillip Williams Assignment #1
ReplyDeleteStudents are usually apprehensive about going into a psychiatric facility for the first time. My own experiences were actually pretty tame. I walked into Dix Building at Spring Grove Hospital Center (SGHC) standing exceptionally close to my fellow classmates. Not terrified but respectfully anxious. The unit was brightly light, furniture was made of light oak wood and the patients were all facing the television at the end of the dayroom. My instructor gave us a tour of the unit and instructed us to find a patient to talk with. I looked around and sought out someone who looked "normal" to me. He was wearing a plaid shirt and dark pants and a black Orioles baseball cap. I sat down next to him and introduced myself at a Coppin nursing student and attempted to contract verbally with him to be his nursing student during my 7 week clinical rotation. He seemed pleasant enough. To my surprise, he jumped up to his feet and said loudly, "Let's play ball!" Now his body language was that of a batter. He clasped his hands together as to strike at a baseball... That was 26 years ago...he is still a resident at SGHC...older, quieter...but he still remembers my name whenever I run into him at the Grove...and guess what...he still wears his Oriole baseball cap....As you begin blogging....
1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
My first experience with a mentally ill patient was growing up in my community back in the islands and having this mentally ill neighbor who we all regarded as being strange. Occasionally, she would have outburst of episodes and she would sing and danced in her yard for hours at a time. We would all gather to watch her and she would sometimes mock and imitate someone in the crowd making fun of them. When she was fine, she would be very helpful to us children giving us mangoes and other fruits. We would tease each other and say "you will get crazy if you keep eating her mangoes". sometimes it would be frightening for the things she would , often dangerous stuff that could have cause bodily harm and the police would often have to be called the take her to the hospital. As kids, we became afraid of our neighbor but we outgrew the fright as we grew older.
Blog # 1
ReplyDelete1. I do not have any prior experience working with the mentally ill. I have never visited any mental health facility to know what it looks like. The closest experience I ever had was through watching the movie “one flew over the cuckoo’s nest.
2. The assumption I have regarding this particular mental health setting is thus based on the contents of the movie. There was demonstration of aggression, violence, use of profanities and so on. I had also had that the female patients especially the adolescents could molest or sexually harass the male staffers. I was looking forward to debunk the claim or myth that if you work in a mental health facility, that there are chances of ending up behaving like the patients.
3. My expectations from this clinical are to learn how to work with the mentally ill as a nurse. I am expecting that the role of a nurse in psychiatry mental nursing is going to be a lot different from the role of a nurse working in a regular clinical setting, like in a med-surge unit of a typical hospital.
4. My concerns center on what to do on daily basis while working as a nurse in mental health facility because from my observation this does not look like a typical hospital.
5. One personal goal for this clinical experience is to be successful. I want to go in and learn as much as I can and use the knowledge and skills acquired to complete all assigned work and duties as competently as possible.
Week one
ReplyDelete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
Unfortunately I do not have any prior experience in mental health.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
I was very nervous prior going to my clinical site I thought I was going to be rough in terms of the patients were going to curse at us and try to hit us. But thank God all is well so far .
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
My expectations for this clinical rotation are to better manage my phobia of mental health and one day consider it my work area. I want to feel comfortable around the mentally ill.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
My concern is not been able to say the right thing to the patient. But hopefully with the help of my instructor I will become a professional at this
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience
My personal goal for this clinical experience would be to learn how to put my doubts and fear aside so I can interact with my client to reach a goal for them that works for them. At the end of the day it’s all about the patient.
BLOG #1
ReplyDeleteThe clinical experience for mental health was a great experience as it relates to the first day. The patients were at RICA which is a residential and outpatient facility. The students assigned to Coppin participate in the residential programs. Male and female student from the ages of 9-18 are the main group serviced by the RICA program. The patient I am assigned to has considerable challenges. Even during the discussion, the caretaker mentioned “why would you want him, he doesn’t even talk”. This gave me more zest to work with this particular individual.
1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
My prior mental health experience is varied. I have worked for Mental Health Partners which is a insurance agency for non-insured and gray zone insurance (people who don’t have adequate coverages in mental health). This allowed me to become familiar with the process of treatment by social workers, counselors, psychologist and psychiatrist. Usually the customers were in acute issues, or had family dealing with acute issues. It was also normal to have families dealing with acute issues, but discuss how long and unhelpful resources can be dealing with mental health and mental illness.
I have also worked at a school or students with Emotional Disabilities and Learning Disabilities. Often the majority of the students had comorbid diagnosis of mental illness. This experience allowed me to actually work with people (high school age) who had many different challenges with mental health. I remember my very first time trying to understand a young lady with borderline personality disorder. The history of this individual was appalling, but the behavior exemplified made most staff not happy to manage the student. This experience was a crash course and i saw outcomes that made me proud.
Lastly, mental illness has manifested itself in my family and close friends. It is almost like a “coming out” when people share their illness. Sometimes with people who are close, it may be hard to distinguish what is normal because you always have seen that person act one way. Sometimes you need to pull back to realize they might have challenges unspoken.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
My assumption about RICA specifically was that the focus would be more on housing and managing behavior. My assumption also was that the staff only come as a function of their duties so that they can receive their checks.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
My expectation about this clinical is to learn more about the mindset, techniques and interventions that will be helpful as a future nurse, and to establish some goals and related outcomes to demonstrate if i have successfully been in some way effective to my client.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
My major concern is making sure my application of interventions and creating a relationship with the patient will not be hindered by the student’s diagnosis and related behaviors. I am pushing myself to determine how to create a real rapport, and be as therapeutic as possible in helping the client in the next few weeks.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
My number one goal is to have the client speak once to me before i am finished with the experience. My goal for the client is that he teach me how to play chess.
You will do just fine...be your authentic self!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMy experience of working with the mentally ill came a few years ago while I worked at an assisted living. I had the opportunity of working with individuals with various disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar and substance abuse disorder, all on varying levels on the continuum.
ReplyDeleteI don’t have any assumptions with regard to Spring Grove Hospital. I prefer to keep an open mind about the facility.
For this clinical experience I expect to gain field knowledge of working with patient and see how many of these disorders manifest in individuals.
My concern during this clinical rotation is for my safety. I’ve heard horror stories of mentally ill individuals attacking nurses and I am fearful that I or a classmate might be attack.
My personal goal is during clinical is to practice therapeutic communication. Even though I am not interested in becoming to Psychiatric nurse, this is a skill that will serve me well in my nursing career.
Safety is always a major concern. Psych RNs have a heighten sense of pending acting out on units so awareness of the milieu is the key.
Delete1. I have been fortunate to work with mental health patients before this clinical rotation. I currently work in a group home. I have been at the job for 5 years. My job description entails working with mental health patients in a residential setting and assist them with activities of daily living as well as community integration.
ReplyDelete2. I had assumed that Baltimore crisis Center was an outpatient facility were patients came for counseling but I was mildly surprised when I realized it was actually a residential facility.
3. I expect to enhance and refine how I interact with mental health patients. I also expect to gain greater insight in giving therapeutic care to mental health patients.
4. I am personally concerned about safety. I am concerned about how to maintain safety for myself and the client through out this clinical rotation.
5. At the end of this clinical rotation, I would have developed skills to maintain safety for both myself and a mental health patient in the event of a physical confrontation.
BCRI is a major blessing. The organization has many aspects to mental health services including inpatient care.
Delete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
ReplyDeleteI have a psych experience. I currently work through Johns Hopkins Intrastaff as a sitter. I go to different units and sit with patients that may be harmful to themselves or others. Sometimes I work on the psych units, sitting with patients who are on 1:1 because of suicide precautions.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
The patient population that I am assigned to are younger adolescent males. Their ages range are 15 and younger. I assumed that the cottages would consist of both boys and girls. They actually keep the children separated. They are only integrated when they go to school.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
I do not have any expectations. I am going into this experience with an open mind and being receptive to learning as much as I can about mental health nursing. I allso want to learn about therapeutic communication.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
I am mainly concerned about safety, especially if the clients become aggressive. I also worry about if the clients are not friendly.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
My goal is to have a positive learning experience at RICA, and obtain as much knowledge and hands on experience as possible
Most of the kids have behavior issues...its great experience when you can see mental illness at the onset...
DeleteFIRST BLOG ENTRY
ReplyDeleteWhat prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
o I have both professional and personal experience working with individuals having mental illness. I currently work at Chimes. Chimes is an organization which offers educational, vocational, and residential services to clients with physical and mental disabilities. I have worked as a CNA in residential services for approximately 8 years. The majority of the clients’ have behavior plans to help staff constantly intervene in clients maladaptive behaviors mostly through therapeutic communication and behavioral principles and strategies. I have worked with clients who have mental challenges, sexual maladaptive behaviors, autism, aggression, depression, etc.
o On a personal level I have experience what it’s like to be a family member of someone experiencing major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. It is exhausting for the person experiencing the feelings as well as for the family members who are trying to ensure that persons safety.
What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
o I assumed to see patients out in the common area and not isolated in their rooms. I also thought I would see patients without shoes or wearing shoes with no laces. I expected to see a schedule or routine that would carry the clients through there day/ daily activities.
What are your expectations from this clinical?
o In every clinical experience I expect to push myself to learn as much as I can, to adapt as many skills as I can, to assess the patients’ needs, and to provide good consistent priority nursing care.
What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
o My main concern is making sure my communication is therapeutic. I don’t want to say anything to the patient unintentional to cause them to become angry, sad, distant, or violent.
Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
o My main goal during this clinical experience is to learn as much as I can
My own brother had mental illness...it took many twists and turns. When he took his meds...he did well...when he didn't you can image...his life resolved around hospital stays, therapy sessions and meds but he had joy and a love for family. He die a few years ago. I know he is at peace.
DeleteNow just be your self and you will do fine...there is no magic bullet to therapeutic communication...
I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your brother and thanks for sharing... same with my family member... its better when she takes her meds... she really enjoys being with family as well and we do try to spend as much time with her as possible... but she still often cries when we leave or bring her back to the facility after an outing. And thanks for the advise. I will try to relax a little and just be myself.
DeleteMy first experience at Spring Grove was interesting. I followed the directions on my GPS down a creepy back road to find the hospital which reminded me of something you would see in the movies about mental health facilities. I was a little disappointed that we did not have the chance to have patient contact but I am looking forward to getting my patient and working with them.
ReplyDelete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with mentally ill?
I work at GBMC as a nursing student, but before I was moved into this position I was a sitter for psych/mental health patients. I have worked with patients with diagnoses of schizophrenia, bi polar disorder, and patients on suicide precautions on our locked unit. It was my responsibility to make sure the patient did not harm themselves while in the hospital. I fortunately never had any issues but I have heard many stories about mental health patients and different interventions needed to assist them.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you are assigned fir the next 7 weeks?
My current assumptions about Spring Grove is that it will be a good learning experience from the stories I have heard about the different varieties of patients that are admitted. I am hoping to take what we have learned in class and see it in action.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
I expect to learn a lot from the nurses on my unit and to be able to use the interventions we learned in class to assist the mental health patients. I hope to be able to demonstrate my skills and learn new skills from the nurses on the unit.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
The only concern I have is not being able to put what we learned into practice. In previous clinicals I haven’t had all the experiences that I wanted and had to learn a lot from work rather than in clinical and I hope that I am able to have a good clinical mental health experience.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
My goal after completing my psych mental health clinical is to better understand the various mental illnesses that we have learned about in class. I am hoping the characteristics of each mentally ill patient will give me a better over all picture of the illness and how to treat it. I always find that everything comes together in clinical and I am looking forward to it.
SGHC is a little creepy especially at night. You will learn to communicate effectively and provide support for your client. Just a little word from the wise (that's me), we are dealing with triple diagnosed clients. Many of the clients are court ordered...can I say manipulate and no remorse...
DeleteI was very excited to start my first day at clinical. I don’t have any previous experience working with the mentally ill, so I looked forward to see if the facility and patients were how I expected them to be. Such as how mentally ill patients are portrayed in the media and in literature. Assumptions that I have regarding the Baltimore Crisis Response center are that it will give me the opportunity to learn and explore many aspects of mental illness up close and personal. My expectations are that when I leave I will be able to use concepts I have learned in mental health to communicate with patients therapeutic and know how to respond and interpret the different aspects of mental illness. My concerns regarding this clinical experience are leading group therapy and being confident in responding well to the clients and addressing questions and needs. One personal goal for this clinical experience is to help a client deal with the coping skills needed to maintain treatment plans and goals.
ReplyDeleteYou will use those same communication skills in your nursing practice...I am sure you will do fine with your group presentation.
DeleteI do not have any prior experience in a mental health clinic, nor anyone who was mentally ill. Some assumptions I have about the next seven weeks include assumptions about my safety. I assume that nurses are not always safe in a mental institution due to the lack of control and mental stability of the patients. I expect to learn a lot from this clinical about individuals with mental illness and the correct way to handle them. I am concerned about my safety in this clinical experience due to the lack of stability of some of the patients. One goal that I have for this clinical experience is to learn the best method in communicating with individuals with mental illnesses. I want to improve myself in communication with this group of patients in order to better my abilities as a nurse.
ReplyDeleteSeems communication is common concern among the bloggers....you will do fine.
DeleteMy first week was beyond what I expected. BCRI is not your "typical" psychiatric facility. It is more of a home for the clients. I was expecting a locked unit with patients in white scrubs but to my surprise the clients appeared quite normal and the unit seemed more like an outpatient facility. I was able to experience group and mingle with the clients and assess how they interacted during the group discussion. I was very apprehensive at first but after first day I am very excited for the weeks to come.
ReplyDelete"white scrubs"...I have to chuckle...too much tv for you. Most units try to provide a home like environment.
DeleteWeek One
ReplyDelete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
I do not have any prior experience with mentally ill patient. This is my first time of being under the same roof with mentally challenged patients. I think that I will learn a lot about working with mentally ill patients during this clinical period.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
The assumption that I have regarding RBC #4 to which I am assigned is going to be a lot of fun. On the first day of clinical, one of the patients entertained us with music and most of them were happy and eager to interact with us. I am positive that this clinical period will be fun and interesting. Initially, I thought that the patients will be hostile and aggressive but to my greatest surprise, the environment looked calm and patients were well behaved.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
My expectations from this clinical rotation is to learn and practice how to work with mentally challenged patients so they can benefit from the knowledge I have gained in Nursing school. I also want to be a good team player and work together with my clinical group in harmony and at the end we are shall be happy together. Most importantly, is that I want to gain practical knowledge on how to therapeutically communicate with mentally ill patients knowing that they are human beings like me.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
Initially, I was a little scared when we first entered the RBC #4 but our clinical instructor – Professor Jones, advised us that we should not entertain fear but encouraged us to freely interact with them. Right now, I am challenged to put in my best to make this clinical experience so wonderful and fun.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
My personal goal is to ensure I practice the skills I learnt in class on therapeutic communication and other related topics on how to work with mentally challenged patients now and in future.
Stella...I like your collaborate spirit. Its so important especially in psych to be a team player.
DeleteWeek 1 Blog
ReplyDelete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
I have never had any prior experience working with the mentally ill. This is my first time, and I look forward to this experience. I hope to have a good experience where I would learn how to care for people who are challenged mentally.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
To be honest, I had a lot of things running through my head. I honestly didn't know what to expect. I thought the patient’s will be very dangerous; I assumed the atmosphere would be very tensed. I assumed it would be very noisy because the patients acting up. However, though we actually didn't have any contact with the patients because of unforeseen circumstances, the environment was very peaceful. Spring Grove almost felt like a library to me. The staffs I met were really nice and polite. I think overall, I will have a great experience.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
At the end of mental health clinical I want to be competent enough to provide care for mentally ill patient. I expect to be able to put to practice all I have learned in the classroom; especially therapeutic communication. I also hope to be able to genuinely treat these patients as humans and also see them as one and not someone different.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
I don’t think I have any concerns right now. One of the biggest for me before was that the facility will be so disorganized and loud. But after being there (facility) in person, I don’t think it’s a concern anymore. Maybe when I come in contact with my patients, I might have some; but I know my clinical instructor will be able to help me out with my concerns.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
My major goal is to learn and provide excellent and quality care for the patients I will be working with. I want to learn how to effectively care for them while respecting them.
You have the right attitude about your experience. We all have preconceived ideas about what a psych facility is like. Thank goodness it was calm on your first visit. As a seasoned psych RN...I know each encounter is going to be different...never a dull moment...
DeleteBlog One
ReplyDelete1. What experience do you have with the mentally ill?
I don't have some experience with the mentally ill. When I was very young my mom worked at Centers for the Handicap and there were a few mentally ill people part of their program but they were a very mild version of those with mental illness. As I got older she began working with men who abuse their wives and I heard many stories about that. Majority of my experience comes from my brother in law who is paranoid schizophrenic and bipolar.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding your mental health setting?
I was a little hesitant about this clinical in the beginning because anytime you see something about mental institutions on TV, you always see the most vicious side of it. Then when I pulled up to Spring Grove I was very annoyed that the road leading up to the facility was called Asylum Dr. In my mind I thought to myself just make it worse why don’t you. I assumed the building would be very dingy looking and that it was.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
I expect to first get rid of all spooky feelings regarding the mental health institute and the patients there. I expect to become more comfortable in therapeutic communication with the clients and positively impact my patient while I’m there. I also expect this clinical to better help me for the final by giving me a hands on perspective of everything I’m learning in class.
4. What are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
I am concerned about being therapeutic in the environment. I have no doubt that I will get comfortable but if I will be effective is a concern. I would not want to be the reason for anybody being set back in their treatment process because of anything I do or say. In my group I will be the first charge nurse and it is a concern that patients will not participate.
5. Discuss one goal you have for this clinical.
My goal for this experience is to become confident in the role of charge nurse. When I lead my group I want some type of participation from everyone. I want the group to be a successful one where participants adhere to the rules of the activity. In addition, I wouldn’t consider it to be productive unless there were some signs displayed that patient’s made benefit from the activity. I would determine this based off of staff and patient feedback as well as patient actions.
When I think about caring for the mentally ill I think about how I should always expect the unexpected. To me it seems like you never know when a patient could snap. A nurse would have to be prepared at all times to deal with patients in different states of mind. A nurse must be knowledgeable of safety protocols and therapeutic environment standards. In this way the patients and staff are safe, which leaves room for patients to get better mentally and physical.
Sounds like you are a good leader already...you are visualizing the experience and making plans for a good experience.
DeleteWEEK #1: self-reflect about those with mental health issues
ReplyDeleteWhen I think about caring for those with mental health issues, I feel so scared and nervous. The whole area of psychiatric nursing seems to be out of my league. The patients all seem big and intimidating. How am I going to start conversation when I am scared to say anything? I felt a little out of sorts when left on the ward following orientation. It was suggested that I go and talk to the clients on the unit. I sat down with a lady and found it really hard work to talk to her. Iʹm still scared of the clients, they seem so violent and threatening. I know they are harmless. Maybe I just need to relax. I was watching some of the nurses interacting with the clients tonight. Boy do I have a lot to learn! They were able to get the client to do in three minutes what it would have taken me 15 minutes. I guess it has a lot to do with the right approach and feeling comfortable talking with the clients.
Good observation of the nurses interactions with their clients....now that you have self-reflected, visualize your conversation...role play with your clinical group, get suggestions from your clinical faculty. I can't wait to read your final posting...I hope their is a change in your feelings.
Delete10/21/14
ReplyDeleteI do have some experience with the mentally ill. I worked for the Arc of Baltimore for two years. Most of my clients had intellectual disabilities but I did have a patient with multiple personalities for a while. When I first heard about Spring Grove, I thought it would be a lot smaller. The campus is huge like a college. When I read about the history and how old the hospital was I assumed it was going to be spooky and haunted-looking. When I got there, I still thought it was creepy but that’s probably because the buildings are so old. I expect during this clinical, I will sharpen my mental health nursing skills and have a new respect for the profession. Quite a few things about my first day concerned me. I knew what it would be like but I guess I didn’t realize how I would feel about. I knew that we would be locked in and that the staff would have to keep a close eye on the patients and that some of the patients would be forensic. However I didn’t know how scary it would feel to be locked in and unable to get out. When we saw the two patients in the room trying to light a homemade cigarette, I was terrified. All I could think of was the building burning down and all of us being locked inside. I also didn’t know how I would feel when I found out about the crimes that they committed. When I realized that one liked to touch children, I was so uncomfortable because of how young I look. Now I think I might be a little paranoid about people touching me. I hope that by the time this clinical is over I’ll be more comfortable with the patients and with my clinical skills. In the meantime, I’m sure I’ll be jumpy and anxious.
Its amazing how your feelings bubbled to the surface. Now this is true self-reflection. The facility is over 100 so I guess it does look like the horror movies. Jumpy and anxious is good for the first day...can't wait to see how manage your feelings to provide quality care.
DeleteWeek One
ReplyDelete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
I never had any experience with anyone that has a mental illness. Most of my insight came from movies. However I know movies depictions aren’t completely true I’m still really scared.
2.What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
This clinical experience is unpredictable and it has me very nervous. When driving to Spring Grove it gives you a weary feeling. The facility is very huge and of course it’s an older building. I automatically felt like I didn’t belong. When we did the scavenger hut trough our facility I was so nervous I was standing close to my classmates. Upon walking around, most of the patients seem very friendly and I had to do a sigh of relief. That completely came to a halt after some of the women on the unit weren’t too receptive. I seen a schizophrenic patient and that alone increased my anxiety. The minute it was time to go I was thing “ Thank God I got out alive”. I’m not as nervous as I was entering but I’m still on edge. Hopefully my perception completely changes by the end of this clinical rotation.
3.What are your expectations from this clinical?
My expectations from this clinical are to form a nurse client therapeutic relationship with our clients and to connect the dots between knowledge we read from the book and the actual experience.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
My main concern for clinical experience is my safety. I’m really not use to being in this setting so I hope I can at least not appear nervous in front of my client.
5.Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
My goal is to become more comfortable on the unit.
Great goal...but you never want to be too comfortable because patients behaviors and moods change daily. Be like the deodorant commercial...just never let them see you sweat...
DeleteWhen I think about caring for those with mental illnesses, I get nervous. Going to a hospital at 7:45 am which in my mind was hidden in the woods did not help. The hospital reminded me of an old scary movie. It was nerve racking when you have no idea what to expect, except the frightening things that they told us in class and what you see on movies. Anxiety kicked in. I was shocked to see homes down the street to the hospital… regular homes. How could people let their children live there knowing that unstable people live down the street? Then within hospital grounds we saw houses with the names “one, two, tree” first thing I thought… Why was it named tree and not three? This had made everything I thought about mental illness seem true. Were the minds of the mentally ill similar to ones in movies? I only experienced one mentally ill person in my lifetime, and I shared this experience with my 6 year old son. A neighborhood man who walked down the street talking to himself. He had facial expressions of anger, screaming at someone who wasn’t there. My son asked me who he was talking to and I had no idea what to tell him. This experience made me think everyone was like that. Last Thursday I didn’t have the opportunity to answer my questions because we were unable to go on the unit. Hopefully all my worries are in my head and even though these people may be mentally ill, they aren’t “crazy.”
ReplyDeleteMy expectations for this psych rotation is to learn about these mentally ill patients grow a better understanding of how their mind works. Conducting a group presentation should also relieve some anxiety. As long as my safety is not in danger, I think this rotation will be a great one!
(This was posted in the wrong section... Sorry :)
I have to chuckle....tree not three...all the streets are named after nuts...and then its Asylum Dr.....only in psych
DeleteJazmin Hemphill
ReplyDelete432:001
October 29, 2014
1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
I do not have many formal or professional experiences with the mentally ill, but I have two that I can recall. My grandmother and I used to go to the little park, that homeless individuals tend to congregate in, behind the church near Shot Tower to give them packages of socks. We approached a man on the opposite side of the park to give him a pack, and he started yelling at us when we got close. My grandmother “diagnosed” him and said he was probably a paranoid schizophrenic. The experience startled me, as I was around 10-11 years of age. The other experience with the mentally ill is living with my grandfather. My grandfather had a stroke and a heart attack about 10 years ago at the age of 65. That with the triple bypass surgery forced him into early retirement. He has been diagnosed with depression since then and he exhibits many “undesirable” traits. He is paranoid, psychologically abusive, emotionally abusive, economically abusive and has been physically abusive. He confabulates, can’t answer a direct question and many other things. He has only been formally diagnosed with depression.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
From what I saw on my first day and from what I assume, the mental health setting will be dim, constricting, cold, militant and basically prison for the patients with a little bit more freedom.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
I expect to exercise and build my therapeutic communication skills and learn how to speak to a patient with discretion and meaning. I also expect to learn how to conduct an interview, perform a mini mental status examination, observe the workings at a mental health facility and I expect to not know what to have a lot of questions on the first day.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
I am concerned with concealing my initial reactions. My face is very expressive, whether I want it to be or not. While I am eager to help and learn with my patient, I know I will see things that I have never seen before and experiencing these things and reading them are totally different.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
One personal goal for this clinical experience is to create/accomplish a positive difference/outcome in my patient and for my patient to create a positive difference in me.
You will do fine...you can be yourself on a psych unit and not bats an eye...I really like your goal...you will take a little piece of this rotation with you...
DeleteFor the past 4 years, I’ve had the pleasure of being an emergency room technician at Northwest Hospital, and I see quite a few mentally ill patients in the ER. We also have a behavioral health unit for our patients that get admitted with mental illnesses. I have not worked the behavioral health unit, but I do transport admitted patients to the unit. The unit is state of the art and very modern. I assumed that Spring Grove would be the same, but I was in for a rude awakening. I figured that regardless of it being the second oldest hospital, the state would have fixed it up over the years. The building looked really old, and it smelled awful inside. I’ve been bought up in the new era of nursing with technology, and Spring Grove is so behind. I often see older nurses struggling to adapt to the technological advances in nursing…well, I’m having trouble adjusted to the way nursing used to be with the paper charting, the medicine cart on wheels, the keys to lock doors instead of badge access, etc. I was so depressed being in that facility that I cried. The environment bought my whole mood down…the same way the rain does on a dark, stormy day. I have to find a way to cope with this new setting for 7 weeks because I can see myself being a part of the environment as a patient rather than a nurse very soon. I expect to relate the textbook to the real world now and get a better understanding of what mental health nursing is because this semester has been a real struggle for me. I am concerned about what kind of relationship my patient and I will have. I’m worried that our communication will be awkward. My personal goal for the clinical experience is to not cry again.
ReplyDeleteI hope to turn that frown upside down...maybe we can figure out how to make it more cheerful....
Delete1. Prior to my first day at clinical, I had no personal experience with the mentally ill. I have only gained insight through our class lectures and through documentaries I have watched in the past about people struggling with certain mental disorders. 2. When I thought about the particular mental health setting that I am assigned to, which is Spring Grove Hospital for the next seven weeks, I had several assumptions running through my head. First and foremost, the campus itself somewhat creeped me out, as I drove by several large building that were spaced out throughout the campus, some being broken down and abandoned (yes, I thought of creepy, horror movies that could take place there while driving by). However, once I actually went into the facility that my clinical will be at, which is Red Brick Cottage 4, my assumptions while driving were confirmed. Walking through the facility gave me an eerie feeling, while the place looked old and the windows were caged in. 3. Despite the setting and atmosphere I will be in, my expectations are somewhat high for this clinical. I am excited to be surrounded in a new atmosphere, different from previous clinicals I had. I look forward to finally putting forth the several strategies and nursing interventions I’ve learned in lecture, hopefully gaining a better understanding of how to care for clients with a mental illness. 4. However, I do have a few concerns as well. For example, I am concerned of the interactions I will experience with clients, and if they will open to talking to me as a nursing student, or what I would do if a client is unwilling to cooperate. 5. One personal goal I have for this clinical experience is to overcome my anxiousness with dealing with a mentally ill client and communicating therapeutically.
ReplyDeleteWatch and observe the staff...make friends with the DCAs (another name for psych techs) they will help you and protect you...bring a game to play with your client...part of your anxiety is the unknown and not have keys (thus, no sense of control)
Delete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
ReplyDeleteI have some prior experience with the mentally ill, as my grandfather has dementia. He lives in Philadelphia and I rarely get to see him, but each time I go his memory gets worse, to the point that he does not even remember me anymore and has to use confabulation when we reminisce about certain events.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next seven weeks?
Since I am at Spring Grove on their forensic unit, I assumed there would be people who were extremely ill and out of control; just as depicted in the movies. In all actuality, the patients on my unit look, talk, and are just as intelligent as the everyday people that I pass on the street. Everyone in some shape or form probably has some form of a mental illness.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
I expect to be able to use the knowledge learned from lecture and be able to fully apply it. I expect to get visual and hands on education on how people with a mental illness live with it, and how to communicate with a person who has one.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
My main concern is coming in contact with a patient who is verbally abusive, tries to touch me in an inappropriate way, and or is just so uncontrollable that it affects my safety, and how I should react. Because these patients are mentally ill I know that I cannot react as if I would with someone who is not mentally ill. Recognizing and responding appropriately in case of an event as I described is a major concern.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
My personal goal is to understand mental health to my fullest ability so that I can successfully be an educator to those who do not understand all that mental health entails. People need to know that those with mental illnesses are just like you and I, and can live very productive lives with the proper treatment and interventions.
You are staff to the clients thus they will respect boundaries. Maintain professionalism and you set the stage...thanks for sharing your thoughts ( and feelings).
Delete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
ReplyDeleteI have prior experience with the mentally ill because I have been working with individuals with mental, intellectual and physical disabilities for the past 6 years. Some of their diagnosis include: bipolar disorder, ADHD, mood disorder, schizophrenia and so on.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
I assume that there will be patients with different mental health problems.
3. What are you expectations from this clinical?
My expectations are to apply the skills that I have been taught in class in real life situations. The skills include: therapeutic communication, display of support and empathy to clients and families, demonstration of appropriate attitude toward mental and emotional illness, and promotion of safety
4. What, if any, are you concerns regarding this clinical experience?
No concern, I feel comfortable working with the mentally ill. I like to be challenged, without challenges in life, one cannot learn.
5. Write (1) personal goal for this clinical experience
My goal is be able to use therapeutic communication effectively and promote safety of the clients.
Now you have the right attitude...challenges do stretch us...
DeleteWhen I think about caring for those with mental health issues it really doesn't bother me to much maybe because I have been dealing with psych patients for over 10 years now. I am a patient care technician at Maryland General Hospital and I rotate but I always seem to end up on the psych unit seems like everyday. I have seen the patients who are really mentally sick and then you have the patients who are just there playing crazy just to keep there checks coming. I have come encounter with all kinds of patients from bipolar, personality disorders, schziophneia, depression, suicidal etc. At one point I wanted to be a psych nurse but as the years went on I changed my mind. My patience began to runout and I began to think I was losing my mind. When they have me on the floor for 12hrs I go home so overwhelmed and exhausted. 8hr shifts should only be allowed for anyone to work. When I began this psych class back in august it made me have a different outlook of the psychitraic world. For instance the patient who is up all night wandering around how do we know this person at one point didn't a nighttime job where they had to be up all night. I just have a whole new outlook on how I think now. Then you have the people who really don't like there job and they take it out on the patients whole time they have issues within themselves they need to address. Its crazy sometimes you have to put urself in their shoes. My goal is to undestand that they do have and illness and i want to gain a nurse client relationship so they know that they can trust me.
ReplyDeleteSo glad that the class has you rethinking about the plight of those with mental illness. Maryland General has a lot of patients who have substance abuse issues and mental illness. There are some very manipulate characters ...You have to have an open mind ...who knows...you could in up a psych RN
DeleteWeek #1: Log into our course blog, self-reflect about your prior experience with mental health and mental illness. Use the guided statement to help you self-reflect about those with mental health issues, "When I think about caring for those with mental health issues...."
ReplyDeleteWhen I think about caring for those with mental issues, it interests me. Many people are afraid of or have misperceptions of those with mental illness. I simply feel that they are misunderstood. They’re human just like everyone else, but sometimes they process or perceive things differently than the norm. Caring for those with mental issues only concerns me in regards to the possibility of a patient attacking me or becoming uncontrollable. Other than that, psychiatric mental health is very interesting to me. I have always been interested in psychology and mental processes. There is so much information about mental health already, and there’s so much more information to learn. Overall, I think this will be an enjoyable experience. I have some experience with mental health patients from personal experience and working in the medical field, as I have worked on the psychiatric unit on multiple occasions. My experience with psychiatric patients has been pleasant, and working on the unit has been an eye-opener because there are many nurses and caregivers who you can tell become overwhelmed or frustrated at times. It really reminds you to maintain compassion and understanding while dealing with those with mental illness.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
I expect Spring Grove to be an interesting experience. I’ve heard various things about the facility, and the majority of what I’ve heard has been bad. However, I feel it can’t be nearly as bad as it has been made out to be so hopefully it will be a positive experience.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
In regards to this clinical I expect to gain insight as to how to apply the information we have learned in class when dealing with various mental disorders. I’m a hands-on person so this experience will really help me to put all the pieces together.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
One major concern I have regarding this clinical experience is safety simply because since this is a state hospital there are some individuals who are court ordered based on a crime committed such as rape or possibly murder. This is more of a concern because we are not allowed to hit patients and if I feel threatened my reflexes instinctively kick in. However, Prof. Day-Black has assured us that they haven’t had any incidents regarding endangerment of students so hopefully things will go smoothly.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
One personal goal for this experience is to be able to develop a therapeutic relationship with my patient.
So glad you found me...I made an adjustment in Blackboard guidelines to help out the students....Now I like you used the word insight...part of the blogging experience is to gain insight leading to empathy...now about safety...one male student was smacked by a kid at RICA otherwise no incidents to date in my 16 years at Coppin
DeleteWhen I think about caring for those with mental health issues I wonder if I am able to provide the thorough care that they need. When I think about mental health issues, I think of people that are actually crazy.
ReplyDeleteI do not have any prior mental health experience, this will be my first experience dealing with mentally ill clients.
I really don't have any assumption about the facility because I have learned that in the medical field things change everyday and I wont know what to expect in/ from the facility until I get there. I have been told that all the doors are to remained locked and you enter and exit with a key. This makes me a little uneasy because what if I am not fast enough to open the door or I forget to lock a door and something happen to the patient. It makes me assume that I am losing my mind having to concentrate on unlocking/locking the door at every enter/exit.
I expect that this clinical experience will keep me safe
One personal goal for this clinical experience is to be as helpful and engaging with the client as possible. Maybe I can make a positive impression on my patient and their environment.
You are a role model to the clients. They will enjoy having a conversation, playing a game or attending student groups.
DeleteWeek One
ReplyDeletePresently I have no prior experience in caring for the mentally ill patients. Honestly, I am not looking forward to this nursing practice. I have heard too many negative stories about mentally ill patients. In regards to my assumptions of Spring Grove, the buildings look like hunted castles, from ancient times, so one can only imagine my fears of finding what is inside. On a serious note, I am hoping that in the next 7 weeks of clinical, I can face my fears and try to look at each individual as a human being, that need care and someone they can trust.
Acknowledging and facing your fears is the beginning of self-growth
DeleteOMG Joan this is so funny hahahahahaha.....Youre not alone I feel the same way too.
DeleteAngela Ukali
ReplyDeleteStudents are usually apprehensive about going into a psychiatric facility for the first time. My own experiences were actually pretty tame. I walked into Dix Building at Spring Grove Hospital Center (SGHC) standing exceptionally close to my fellow classmates. Not terrified but respectfully anxious. The unit was brightly light, furniture was made of light wood,and the patients were all facing the tv at the end of the dayroom. My instructor gave us a tour of the unit and instructed us to find a patient to talk with. I looked around and sought out someone who looked "normal" to me. He was wearing a plaid shirt and dark pants and a black Orioles baseball cap. I sat down next to him and introduced myself at a Coppin nursing student and attempted to contract verbally with him to be his nursing student during my 7 week clinical rotation. He seemed pleasant enough. To my surprise, he jumped up to his feet and said loudly, "Let's play ball!" Now his body language was that of a batter. He clasped his hands together as to strike at a baseball... That was 26 years ago...he is still a resident at SGHC...older, quieter...but he still remembers my name whenever I run into him at the Grove...and guess what...he still wears his Oriole baseball cap....As you begin blogging...
1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
My prior experience with mentally ill patients was at the outpatient psychiatry at children’s National Medical Center in Washington DC. I worked in the department for 6yrs, and it was the most exciting experience I have ever had. The Outpatient psych basically cared for kids with ADHD, eating disorder, anxiety, bipolar, sleep disorders, and some other psychological issues. At first, it was very challenging for me, but after much training and researches I felt more comfortable, and began to understand how to gain their trust so as to be able to care for them.
As I think of the facility at which I will have my mental health clinical rotation for the next few weeks, I ponder on how I will gain understanding to adjust and gain trust from the clients so as to be able to give appropriate care based on my prior experience at children’s hospital. But I feel like this will be more challenging since my prior experience was with kids. I imagine meeting totally different clients with other mental health problems and visualizing their characteristics/ behavior based on the health problem.
Among many other things, my expectation during this clinical experience is to acquire the needed nursing clinical experience and knowledge expected of me in mental health.
In as much as I know that there are different people with different mental illness, my concern is on those who may have some medical issues. Do they remain in this same facility or get moved to a hospital where they are better cared for? I also have a personal concern with my safety. I fear for my safety and that of other students while we are in this facility.
My personal goal during this clinical experience is to establish a good interpersonal nurse-patient relationship in order to render the needed nursing care to my patients; hence I expect to make an impact on a patient’s life before the end of the clinical expectation.
Working with kids can have its own set of challenges in mental health. The experience has you primed and ready to meet the challenges of dealing with wounded child in the adults with mental illness. Hurts, disappointments, abuse and other issues stay with the individual as they grow up.
DeleteWeek 1 blog
ReplyDeleteI do not have any prior experience with mentally ill. Hence, I am anxious to have a feel of what it is like to be amongst them and more so to provide care for them.
It was a bit difficult locating the Baltimore Crisis Center because the center does not have a standalone building but shares the building with other agencies. Parking was also an issue in Baltimore city where the center is located which made my trip to the center kind of stressful. However, we were received with lots of smiles and encouragement from our awesome instructor Prof Hart. I assumed that the center is for substance abused clients who are experiencing one crises or the other but to my amazement, the center was just like a mini hospital with clients with different psychiatric disorder. Our instructor told us that most clients in the facility came in voluntarily and hence violence is very minimal in the facility.
My expectations for this clinical is to master how to use therapeutic communication and offering of self to bring out the best in mentally ill client.
My concern regarding this clinical experience is about violence and safety but my instructor addressed it during the preconference and I kind of feel a bit relaxed.
My personal goal for this clinical experience is to get a better understanding of mentally ill client and to gain confidence in providing care for them.
Confidence comes with experience. You will do just fine.
Delete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
ReplyDeleteYesss Mental Health clinicals finally started woohoo!! I actually don’t have any experience with mentally ill patient. I have never worked in hospital, yes. This is going to be my first encounter with the mentally ill and for some reason I am actually looking forward to starting this “interesting” journey
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
I have quite a number of assumptions. Honestly, I used to think I was going to be scared when I step in the facility and this was because of stories I have heard from nurses or mates who were a year before us. But on getting there, first visit, I realize these people aren't as “dangerous” as I had been informed. Some may by quite scary but it all depends on how you approach them and interact with them. So on that note, I am positive this is going to be a great experience, I will definitely learn a lot. And our faculty personnel Mr. Jones seems nice so am hopefully that overall it’s going to be a great experience.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
At this point I have quite positive expectations from this clinical. I am hoping that at the end I will be able to interact “therapeutically” with not just patience I get to work with but also people around. I realize I started responding therapeutically with most of my friends. It was actually great. I am also expecting that at the end of this clinical I will better be able to understand the mentally ill quite well and that is in terms of their personality, thinking and way of life.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
I must say, I am a little scared, a little though. It is probably because my first today meeting the patients was not all that great. There’s was actually this one patient who gave me a dead stare, yeah it’s a bit difficult to forget that face. I am also concern I might say something that will get a patient agitated or a person might come from nowhere and hit me. I don’t know, I guess I watch too many mental movies but overall, I should be fine. J
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
One personal goal is to obtain the optimum skills in being able to communicate therapeutically. So as to have the skills to interact professionally with clients I will be privileged to work with in the future.
Dead stare (flat, blunted affect, constricted????). Nothing personal. Glad you are optimist and excited about the possibilities.
DeletePATRICE WILLIAMS
ReplyDelete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
When I think about those with mental health issues, I get extremely uncomfortable and anxious. I currently work as a nursing support technician on a med surg floor, but I also work with an agency doing home health care. One day, I decided to pick up a shift with the agency, not knowing that the patient was delusional and a parnoid schizophrenic. The twelve hours that I had to sit with him were literally the worst twelve hours of my life. I listened to him talk about how he worked for the CIA and he had "skills" that he could not tell me about. Shortly thereafter, he began to pack up his belongings insisting that a disaterous hurricane was coming our way and he had to get out of town. The entire experience just made me feel extremely uncomfortable. Maybe it had to do with me not knowing how to deal with mentally ill patients. After that shift, I SWORE that I would NEVER be a psych nurse!
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
Since Spring Grove is so old, I have this vision in my head of it being just like mental hospitals look in the movies. I think the people will line up at a window for medications.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
I expect to learn as much as possible while becoming more comfortable approaching and responding to patients. I also would like to learn how to facilitate a group session.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
I am concerned that my patient may not talk to me or be noncompliant and "difficult". I am just concerned that I get an uncooperative patient that will make my clinical experience a not so good one.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
My one personal goal for this clinical experience is to be more comfortable when working with mental health patients and less anxious.
People to line up at the medication window....it is natural to feel anxious when entering new environments
DeleteHello class,
ReplyDeleteMy first day at clinical on 10/21/2014 was a pretty interesting but good experience. I have little experience with the mentally ill, at the nursing home I work part time for sometimes I am pulled onto the dementia unit to give care to the residents. Some assumptions I have is that I will gain a new love for the mentally ill. I hope to enjoy working with them because I may do this with my career in the future. The first day we were given the most backlash with the women on the unit, I hope we will be able to develop rapport with them and change that. I expect to gain a better understanding of the mentally ill and a more conscious and effective approach with them, as well as the knowing the true understanding of what we call "crazy". I also hope that I will be able to adapt to their environment and not be manipulated in any way. My only concern is my safety; reacting the correct way when a client is hostile and going through a crisis that could put me into danger, my other concern is being manipulated unknowingly. One personal goal for this clinical is to gain major interest and experience in the mental health field so that it will help me with my future endeavors and possible pursuance of psych NP or substance abuse counseling.
There is a real need for substance abuse experts in this area. We still have the highest rate for Heroin in the US.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI have had no prior experience working with mental health patients. I was very apprehensive about working them and still am. I understand that they need assistance just like non-mental health patients do but I think it is the unpredictability that is worrying me. I like to know, for the most part, what to expect walking into a situation and with these clients it’s kind of up in the air.
ReplyDeleteMy first impression of my facility (BCRI) is that it is very dismal looking inside. I thought to myself if I wasn't depressed when I walked in I would be now. The building has dim lighting and looks very outdated. After 22 years in the same location they are moving into a new building, thank goodness. It is very small inside with not a lot of space to move around "play". The day room is very cramped and uncomfortable and if I were staying there I would not want to be in that room. They want the clients to stay out of their bedrooms during the day but I don’t see where else they can "lounge" or "hang-out".
The Group session today was uncomfortable. When we walked in the room it felt like for the most part that we were not welcomed. I found out that the clients were not told that there would be students there and I can understand why one of them stood up and walked out saying that he did not want to be a test dummy. Some of the other clients tried to walk out as well but were threatened by staff stating that if they did not attend group they would not be allowed their smoke break. Wow, I didn’t think that there would be such a strict attitude toward clients who were voluntary admissions. Luckily there were about 3 people that were talkative and welcoming to us.
I’m still worried about next week, hopefully my apprehension will subside.
Even seasoned nurses get the attitude...irritability is a symptom not to take personally....staff are trained to intervene as a group early to prevent the "crisis"...it will get better
DeleteMy first day at clinical was at RICA and I would say that it was a lot different then I thought it was going to be. Because I don’t have any previous experience with mentally ill people I thought the environment would almost resemble a mental hospital that I saw on TV, with bars on the windows, people in straight jackets, people in the corners talking to themselves, and tons of random shouting or outbursts. Since I was going to be in a children’s hospital I thought the environment would be slightly more tame but I also thought that it would be sort of frightening to see a child with a mental disease and how they self manage (i.e if it would be positive or negative behaviors). However, after I actually saw the unit that I would be working on, I was pleasantly surprised at how much it resembled a school and how comfortable the kids that stayed there were. I was also happy that I didn’t see anyone in straight jackets or sitting in corners or any prior misconception I had. The assumptions that I have regarding the clinical setting that I’m in is that it will be a great clinical and one that gets rid of many if not all prior misconceptions that I had about the mentally ill. My expectations for this clinical are that I will learn new things from interacting with the kids and will visually experience some of the nursing interventions that were discussed in my textbooks. The only concern that I had prior to my first day was safety, however, having saw how fast the staff intervenes with an escalating situation, my fears about safety have decreased tremendously. The personal goal that I hope to experience during this clinical is to really get to know my patient and build a trusting rapport with him.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteRICA is the best kept secret among the state hospitals...The bldg is much more modern than the other hospital. Early Intervention is the key to safety
Delete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I really have not had an encounter with someone mentally ill until recently.
I am sure that I have had many encounters over the years but not until a few weeks ago was I able to notice signs and symptoms of someone who was mentally ill.
Like I said, a few weeks ago I was sitting in a Starbucks, and a man wearing woman’s clothing who I had seem before was sitting next to me. Everything was fine until suddenly he burst out with a few swear words said with some aggression. He seemed to be on the phone but it was soon obvious that he was not. He began to walk around the Starbucks when several people looked around wondering if he was going to do anything, no one mad eye contact but everyone knew that everyone had an eye on him. I felt a little bad for him until he sat back down. When he sat back down, I felt him in my face. He was in my face and he asked me in a stern voice, “Simple yes of no question, are you here because of me or because of you?” As you can imagine, I was a little confused and then I responded with, because of me. His response was, “good, if it was because of me then I would have to gut you like a fish.” He turned back in his seat lie nothing was wrong. That is when I knew that this individual was showing signs of being mentally ill. Since then I have seen him and he talks to himself and had outburst that are unprovoked but seem to center around men in groups coming in together with more than three in sed group.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
I would say that I assume that the facilities are going to be bare and out of date.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
I do not know of any perceived prejudices that I may have toward this population. But I expect that if I have any, that they will go to the wayside and I will be able to confront any person feeling that I may have and get over them.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
At this time I don’t feel as if I have any concerns. Other than not knowing how I feel about taking care of or interacting with individuals with mental illness, I don’t have any concerns.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
A personal goal I have for this clinical would be to become more comfortable with this particular population and use the methods that we have learned throughout this course.
The mentally ill are often the invisible members of our society. Your Starbucks encounter made you more aware. Thanks for sharing your story.
DeleteWeek one blog
ReplyDeleteI got to my clinical site at about 2:26pm, scheduled time was 3:30pm; I was anxious about the clinical, I had to be there on time so that I do not have to add to my anxiety. I have prior experience working with adult mentally ill patients, but now for my clinical, I have adolescents so I really did not know what to expect.
When I think of caring for people with mental illness I get anxious. I felt that I will not be able to deal with teenagers that by reason of development are already determined in their ways then compound that with being mentally ill, I was really apprehensive. I assumed there will be a lot of attitudes and behaviors that will be overwhelming for me. I did not experience any of that today while meeting the residents, so I guess my fears might be unfounded, but I am keeping my fingers crossed.
My expectations are basically to do what is expected of me. I hope to achieve a trusting rapport with the resident I am assigned to, learn from the experience, and pass the clinical.
Currently, my concern pertaining to this clinical experience is to be a professional, do what is expected, stay safe and keep the resident safe as well, while in the clinical setting.
My personal goal for this clinical experience is to get more insight into mental illness as it affects adolescents and implement nursing interventions as it pertains to that age group.
You were surprised by your reaction. Its so important for nurses to be in touch with your own feelings. We carry the same preconceived images that the general public have about those with mental illness. As I commented in a previous reply- insight leads to good nursing practices (empathy, caring, etc)
DeleteI absolutely have no experience about mentally ill person before in my entire life; I have just heard about them and read about them. This clinical is going to be a very challenging and different than the other clinical. On the first day of my clinical when I reached spring grove hospital center I found that the hospital is in a very peace area and I saw big buildings around. I had a very different and strange feeling when I saw those buildings. We went to the old room downstairs and talked about the clinical rotation book. On the first day of our clinical orientation we did not go to the unit so didn't get chance to see patient, but definitely feeling nervous about the next week. I am very nervous that how am I going to take care of those patient who will think differently. I am thinking how those patients will react when they will see us in the unit. I am assuming that some patient may be running around the unit and some patient will be very quiet sitting in the corner or I have hundreds of thoughts in my mind about the patient I will meet. I am very concern about the reaction of the patient when we first communicate with them. What if they are aggressive, or don’t talk at all. I am curious that how many patient will be assigned for one student and I am really hoping two students for one patient, in that way I will have a friend by my side. I am concern about communication with them, what if I will be unable to build that trust and what if I will say the wrong statement like we pick the wrong answer in exam which has untherapeutic response. My expectation from this clinical is to learn to deal with the mentally challenging patient who thinks differently and who have different perception about the life. My goal for the clinical is to establish therapeutic relationship with the patient, build a trust and offer myself.
ReplyDeleteThanks for you candor. Whether in the community or inpatient setting, those with mental illnesses are seemed different. The patients are used to having students around (medical, social work, nursing, chaplain). The staff is there to support your learning experiences.
DeleteThe prior experience I have had with the mentally ill has been in caring of patients who have Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety disorders, depression, and substance abuse. Once in a while, I have had the opportunity to care for patients with schizophrenia and mental disorders, but when the patients’ behaviors seem uncontrollable, presenting risks to themselves and others, the patients are transferred as soon as possible to facilities that provide specialized care for the mentally ill.
ReplyDeleteThe assumptions I had prior to getting to Red Brick Cottage 2 was more of a “it is not a scary thing” attitude, especially since I have always had an interest in the care and advocating for the mentally ill. Even though I had that “ease”, I got more alert as I drove to Spring Grove remembering that when I was a student at UMBC, the school would send out warnings to the students to be more alert of their surroundings when patients would escape from.
When I got the Red Brick Cottage 2, I felt scared especially when we had to go through the two locked doors to get into the building. The presentation of the patients was a little overwhelming but I believe I succeeded in putting my worries at bay with the thought that my clinical instructor has been taking clinical students to the site and her mentioning that she has not really had any scary situations happen with her students.
I think my main concern regarding this clinical experience is my safety. Besides that, I don’t think I have any other concerns I can think of at the moment.
One personal goal I have for this clinical experience is assessing and trying to diffuse the fear I think I have for institutionalized mentally ill patients which I think stems from the stigma associated with the danger they could present with.
Stigma is real. Overcoming it is easier when you are presented with the reality and not the Hollywood version. Danger is real but its the patient's fear. So they are protecting themselves. Awareness of your environment will keep you safe.
DeleteCaring for a mentally ill
ReplyDeletePreviously, I have not really worked with a mentally ill patients but I have seen them and sometimes had been close to them. For this first week, I did not really have much experienced because I did not work with clients. However, I learned a lot of theory that will help and guide me in working with psychiatric patients. When I think about caring for those with mental health issues, I think of using my nursing tools which is nursing process; focusing more on nursing intervention and outcome. More so, I bear in mind that some psychiatric issues will be treated supportively. In caring for them, I will as well be empathetic, creating trust which will enable the client to relate some information that will help in treatment.
Finally, I will administer some prescribe medication, paying attention to the side effects and teaching/educating the client and family.
You come with acceptance and a matter of fact approach to care of the mentally ill. I see that you placed the title Pastor in front of your came. Pastors tend to bring lifesaving hope to suffering people.
DeleteWeek 1
ReplyDelete1. I have been fortunate to work in an emergency deapartment for the past five years in which I have been exposed to different mental health disorders.
2. Some of the assumptions I have regarding RICA in terms of structure of the environment and the staff are as follows: the girls cottage has a cold feeling to its appearance, the painting on the wall is old, there's only one television for all the girls in cottage C to share which can cause conflict between the girls. The staff did not communicate therpeutically, there was a lot of yelling and cursing between the residents.
3. My expectations for my clinical rotation is to put the knowledge I have learned so far in psych mental health into clinical practice. I expect my clinical instructor to challenge my weakness and help me grow mentally as an inspiring Psych nurse.
4. My concerns at RICA are will the changes I impact on my client make a differnce in her everyday life? I also worry about my safety because I am at clinical in the evening and during that time people with mental health disorders sundown.
5. My goal for the my clinical experience is to accept and get a better understanding of mental health disorders. Over the years of working with mentally ill patients, I always thought some of the clients fake their disorder for attention purposes or to get prescription medication. Thanks to my professors and the knowledge I have attained in nursing school, i now have an open mind about mental health.
Misinformation, as well as entertainment that pokes fun at people with mental illness—and in some cases encourages laughter at the idea of their mistreatment—accomplishes three things: (1) It further marginalizes and dehumanizes people with mental illness by treating them as caricatures. (2) It encourages persecution and mistreatment and (3) It discourages people from seeking help for mental illness. Glad you are open to understanding more about mental illness.
Delete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill
ReplyDeleteHonestly, prior to this experience I had never lived with nor have any client who had a mental illness other then what I have seen on movies or documentaries. In fact, this is the first time I am ever going to a mental health institution, but I can wait I am so excited.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks? When I looked up BCRI on line I was under the assumption that it was mobile team that drove around looking for mentally ill clients in Baltimore City in an attempt to treat them because they refuse to check them self in.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical? The real two expectations I have of this clinical is to develop a level of comfort with my patients where I can overcome some of my own personal ideas of what mental ill individuals are. I also want to improve on my therapeutic communication.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience? Because it’s my first time I am concern my safety, what the facility looks like on the inside, what king of behavior they are going to have, and most important what kind of attitude I am going to have at the end of the day.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience. My one personal goal is have a client my first, because I am hands on learner so it will help me tremendously.
Actually, BCRI does provide mobile treatment, hotline and other services as well as inpatient care. You are to be commended for taking the initiative to look up BCRI on the net. Now that the beginning of being a great nurse. Knowledge is power.
DeleteWeek One Blog
ReplyDelete1. What prior experience if any do you have with the mentally ill? Although I have worked in the medical field for years I have no known knowledge of any of my patience, colleagues or family members being mentally ill and having to have any dealings with them.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks? Well I assume that it will look like the typical mental health facility. I also assume that the patients may be a little erratic, walking around either medicated looking like zombies or running wild. I’m very scared that one of the patients may become violent but I am quite sure I will see once we get there.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical? I expect to get a clear understanding of what it is to be a Psychiatric Nurse and work with Psychiatric patients. I hope with this experience it will all come together and help me bring what we learned in the classroom to the clinical setting.
4. What, if any, are your concerns with this clinical experience? Honestly not many just safety and being able to get my patient to open up to me. I am concerned about the amount of work we have to do in clinical as far as papers and assignments but I welcome the challenge.
5. Discuss one personal goal for this clinical experience. One personal goal is to have my patient really open up to me. I truly want to make him/her feel comfortable with me. I just want them to know that I really care about their wellbeing and working towards getting better. I know that I am a naturally caring and loving person and need them to know and feel that to. ESTABLISH A RAPPORT A TRUSTING RELATIONSHIP.
It takes time to fully develop a trusting relationship. Peplau did not take in consideration that the practice would be filled with forensic clients who tend to be manipulate. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteTytiahna's Blog (Hurray I have found the right place :) )
ReplyDeleteWeek 1:
When I think of caring for the mentally ill I think of caring for some of the most extremely insane, wildest characters I have ever met!
The only experience I have working with the mentally ill is from high school and passing students in the hallway who were living with learning disabilities. I found it somewhat uncomfortable at times and extremely hard to set boundaries. I was never avoidant however, and did my best to try to maintain an adequate level of communication when coming in contact with these individuals.
I assume that working in the mental health setting over the next 7 weeks might be a little difficult and unpredictable. I am not really frightened, but I am unsure of what to expect. I am not quite certain of how difficult it may be to communicate with individuals on the unit.
During my experience, I expect to learn how to properly interact and communicate with the mentally ill. I also expect to finally determine if this is the field I would like to specialize in as a nurse.
My specific concerns are for my safety and trying to maintain my professional boundaries. I do not want anybody getting violent with me. I am also concerned with the possibility of the patients coming onto me in an unprofessional manner, as I have dealt with in the past with the mentally I'll individuals in my high school. It is a very uncomfortable situation for me and one of my goals is to learn how to deal with situations like this and how I can establish an efficient professional setting.
My ultimate goal is to master the art of therapeutic communication and boundary setting. I feel that these are very important skills I would need to have if I want to build a career as a mental health nurse.
Welcome to my blog....the only way to master therapeutic communication is to be like NIKE, just do it. You will pick it up in no time. Psych RNs are definitely needed in our society. Thanks for at least considering my world as a possibility.
DeletePrior to my mental health clinical, I do not have any experience with mental health settings. My assumptions for my clinical site was it might be located on a secluded area and indeed it was. Spring Groove is located in a secluded area somewhere at Cartonsville. My expectation during my clinical rotation at Spring Groove is to get basic and clinical interaction with the mentally ill which will prepare me for my future career. On my first day I was expecting to be assign to patient who agitated and very difficult to interact with because my assumptions for the mental ill is that all mentally ill person are aggressive and agitated. My personal goal during this clinical rotation is to re-evaluate myself how I think about the mentally ill population and to find ways to be able to interact with my client in a professional way.
ReplyDeleteNow this is the beginning of deeper reflection...re-evaluation of oneself, awareness leads to appreciation of the uniqueness of the human experience
Delete1.What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
ReplyDelete2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
Prior to beginning clinical rotations at Baltimore Crisis Response Inc (BCRI), the closest contact I had with a mentally ill person was a paternal aunt. In my observation, she is not “permanently ill” per se, but tends to have a breakdown when unable to deal with life’s stressors. In her younger days, she never felt accepted by her parents and siblings because she did not complete high school, then had a child out of wedlock, and was also unable to find gainful employment. Everyone seemed to blame her and then one day, she just “lost it”. She started exhibiting pressured speech and odd behavior especially in public and also had somatic symptoms including weight loss. Interestingly, when her family expressed remorse at the way they had treated her and asked her to come back home, in addition to complying with her medication, her symptoms diminished remarkably.
My clinical group members and I have already had orientation at BCRI, including introducing ourselves to the patients and participating in group therapy. My prior assumption was that the clients would be very disoriented and detached from the reality and their surroundings. Instead, I was quite surprised because the clients here are really high functioning. They are able to process information and participate in discussions, as well as explore the issues bothering them.
My expectations from this clinical are that I will be able to understand mental illness from a better perspective and be able to put into practice the theoretical concepts I have been learning in class, including therapeutic communication.
I do not have any particular concerns regarding the clinical experience and all I want is to learn as much as possible in order to become a competent nurse.
One personal goal I have regarding this clinical is to gain more experience and confidence in order to use my nursing skills to help the mentally ill in society to lead meaningful productive lives and feel valued as human beings. I also hope the experience will help me better understand what ails my aunt and how to help client cope with life’s stressful events.
Often times, nurses come into psych to better understand themselves and/or loved ones. We tend to want to make sense out of something that seems senseless. Those with mental illness can leave meaningful lives with support from loved ones and mental health professionals.
DeleteWeekly Blog: Week One Clinical Experience at Spring Grove
ReplyDeleteI would say that I have had minimal experience with individuals that are mentally challenged. I actually lived for some years with a neighbor who was mentally ill. The experience I had living with this individual was more of violence, aggression, and refusal to take medications. On days that this individual took prescribed medications, she would be calm, focused and behaved more responsibly. However, on days that this individual without medications, there would be a display of bizarre, aggressive, and violent behaviors. This experience thus shaped my perception of people with mental illness, and I have come to regard them as weird and violent people.
The outward appearance of my clinical site portrays the image of a facility where the strangest of events would occur. My view of the institution was helped in no small measure by the hoary architectural design and structures of the numerous buildings that are housed within the institution. Merely taking a look at the outward appearance of the mental institution, I can confidently say that it is an institution that has existed for many decades and housed so many residents (those with mental illness). I also assume that because it is an ancient institution, staff working there would be those who have put in years of service in this particular institution, and that many of its equipment would be outdated and in need of urgent replacement.
My expectations from this clinical activities are: to have my prior perceptions about individual challenged with mental illness changed in a positive way, gain the clinical expertise needed to provide efficient and effective professional nursing care to individuals with mental illness, be able to conduct full assessment of individuals with mental illness, and have a memorable seven weeks of clinical activities.
My major concern regarding this clinical experience is centered on the issue of safety i.e. “how do I maintain my safety as I work with my patient and also perform my duties.” Another concern I have is centered on how quickly I am able to develop the hands-on skills needed to provide care for individuals with mental illness, particularly those with mania and bipolar disorder.
My goal for this clinical experience is to be able to develop the skills needed to provide nursing care for manic individuals, and to actually provide nursing care for them.
Working with the mentally ill is an art and science. Unfortunately it is not an exact science. We know the symptoms of the disorders, we are more knowledgeable about brain chemistry and the meds but there is still much to know. Fortunately nursing management is always the 2 step we talked about in class.
DeleteWeek one Blog
ReplyDeleteThe experience I’ve had with the mentally ill keeps on evolving. I worked in a Psychiatrist’s office for a few years and that was the first exposure I have really had with those who were mentally ill. There were very few disturbances, but when there were disturbances, they were big. The other experiences I’ve had were working at hospitals and particularly one psychiatric floor. That’s when I actually saw and actually understood that people DO have mental problems. It was very eye opening.
Regarding Spring Grove Hospital I assume that as a clinical group we will be shocked when we are exposed to the “real” psychiatric floor and “real” patients. Not ones on a movie or that we have heard about, but the actual mentally ill clients.
From this clinical, I expect that I will be able to have a better understanding of how to treat these patients. To be able to put a face to a disease will help me to know what is going on in their minds, and how I can help them as a nurse.
The only concern that I would have would be somehow upsetting the patient. Perhaps saying something that may trigger a memory or upset them in some way would be a concern of mine.
One personal goal for this clinical experience would be to have more confidence in interaction with a mentally ill client.
You will never get into the working phase with the client. Your questions for the MSE are pretty standard. Just relax and be yourself
DeleteWhen I think about caring for those with mental health issues, I think about caring for a group of individuals who require a lot of compassionate care. Because of the challenges these clients have had to face regarding their mental health concerns, caring for this population would definitely require plenty of patience and empathy on the part of the health care provider.
ReplyDelete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
I have had very little experience working with individuals with mental health issues. Family's have brought their loved one with mental health concerns to the church I attend, in search of support and prayer. It was a blessing to be a part of the team that provided that support during their times of distress.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
I believe that completing the clinical rotation at my assigned mental health institution will be a very rich learning experience. I know this will be different from all other clinical experiences to date. My assumptions include being exposed to a combination of medical and mental health diagnoses, and perhaps discovering that working with mental health clients is not as unnerving as many assume. I eagerly look forward to all that the experience has to offer.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
From this clinical, I expect to grow in my therapeutic communication skills and to learn to manage the care of a client who is mentally ill (based on the parameters set for nursing students).
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
My greatest concern regarding this clinical is my personal safety. As I hear about the “only occasion” in which Prof. Day-Black was attacked by a patient, I realize that that is one occasion too many for me! I do not want to earn my “only occasion” of a violent attack (or any for that matter) during this clinical. That is why it is comforting to remember the skills of “talking down” a patient, “the art of distraction” and of course, the use of therapeutic communication to proactively gear a situation toward safety.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
A personal goal in this clinical is to affectively provide client teaching on a topic of relevance to my client, and to enjoy my experience!
What a great attitude! So sorry if I frightened you with my one attack....most nurses do not have any attacks...there are safer units to work in psych where incidents are minimal...consider being a therapist to the worried well....
DeleteWeek One Blog:
ReplyDeleteWhen I think about caring for those with mental health illness I think of it as a rewarding thing to do. I think people with mental health issues are special. I look at people with mental health illness as unique individual, not crazy. I always enjoyed working with patients that had mental illnesses, believe or not I think people with mental health issues are some of the smartest people in the world. I always worked with people with mental health problems so when I went to clinical it was nothing for me. Some of my friends were scared but I was cool about the situation. I use to work at University Medical Center on the psyc floor, in the beginning I was a little scared but one patient I had changed my outlook on mental health issues altogether. I really don’t want to go in to details about it, but I made a friend that I will never forget. When nursing school is all said and done I’m really thinking about working as a mental health nurse I really like it so far.
Welcome to my world.....
DeleteThe experience I have with working with the mentally ill is at a moderate level. Two or three years ago I worked at John Hopkins Bayview medical center on the psychiatric floor in long term care as a sitter for patients with various disorders such as dementia, suicidal ideation, and depression to name a few. One scary story in particular that occurred was, one day I was sitting with a demented patient who was agitated (maybe it was sundowning, not sure) had attacked me, I was so fearful of my life because he was a strong man, but long story short I was rescued without any injuries but left with extreme freight.
ReplyDeleteThe assumptions I had arriving at my mental health setting was two words DANGER and VIOLENCE, just because it is a mental health facility for adolescence. But to my pleasant surprise the children were pretty much “normal”.
My expectations for this clinical is to learn and adopt the skill to be able to therapeutically communicate with my patient and the others as well, and also to be able to appropriately be able to establish a professional relationship with my client.
My concerns for this is not at an all-time high, but rather wondering will we be able to administer medication because at the facility I am placed at does not administer medication on a regular basis.
Lastly my goal to attain from this clinical experience is to skillfully and confidently be able to establish a professional and therapeutic environment where patients will be able to express the problems they are mentally experiencing.
Keep growth and development in the back of your mind. The kids do appear normal...often have had emotional and physical and/or sexual abuse in their history. Read the charts. What causes the rage to emerge? Limit set is the response to kids...they too are manipulate
DeleteWeek # 1 Blog
ReplyDeleteWhat prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill? I do not possess any prior experience with mentally ill client who live in an isolated building like a jail house. However, about 7 years ago I worked with mentally challenged individuals at The Arc of Baltimore. For example, I care for Down syndrome patients, patients who had cerebral palsy etc…
What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks? Before the beginning of clinical I was skeptical to attend, because fear consumed me with the thought of getting hit by one of the patients. I began to ask myself some questions, why if I aggravate them to some point and they end up hitting me? How can I maintain a therapeutic approach without getting into their personal affairs? These questions had me wondering until the day I physically stepped into the facility.
What are your expectations from this clinical? From this clinical I expect to build a therapeutic relationship with the mentally ill individuals. I also except to learn more practical skills and advance my theoretical knowledge in mental health nursing.
What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience? My only concern with this clinical experience is to consistently maintain a therapeutic and professional relationship with the client without getting involved with the client personal affairs.
Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience. My personal goal regarding this clinical is to expand my knowledge and to better understand individual with mental illness.
Now how do you operationally define personal affairs? Use the guided questions associated with your mental status exam paper will help to keep you on task and avoid moving from therapeutic relationship to social relationship.
Delete1.What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
ReplyDeletePrior to taking NURS 432 I had no experience with the mentally ill and due to lack of knowledge and stereotypes had formed many biases against this group of people
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
I expect this clinical to be filled with rowdy kids who have outbursts frequently. I also imagine white padded rooms with patients in strait jackets. I’m a little anxious but excited about the upcoming clinical days.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
It is my hope that this clinical will give me firsthand knowledge and understanding of mental health patients and institutions in addition to using appropriate nursing interventions and therapeutic communication with my assigned patient to assist in their care and help reach established goals.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
My biggest worry with this particular clinical is safety. However, after being told that incidents are rare and being educated on things I can do to protect myself I feel much better but still nervous about the possibility that something could go wrong.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
My goal with this clinical is to increase my understanding of mental health patients and appropriate nursing care used to manage them.
The team's goal is maintain your safety and provide you with a wonderful experience leading to a deeper understanding of mental health nursing
Delete1.I have a bit of exposure with the mentally ill. I’ve had to do one-on-one for some psychiatric patients in hospital settings as well as in their homes. The setting was a bit different that begin in psychiatric facility, but I can say that I was able to know my clients and the families pretty well while observing how they coped with their situation.
ReplyDelete2.My assumptions regarding the mental health setting that I am assigned to, Red-Brick 4 at Spring Grove Health Center, is that I shall get to learn how to deal with many people who have mental illness. I hope to get to observe the relationship of the clients with other clients as well as the staff.
3.My expectation of this particular clinical rotation is that I hope to dispel any subconscious notion or prejudice that I may have regarding those with mental illnesses, and instead develop knowledge and understanding of how to best deal with them in any setting.
4.My main concern regarding this clinical experience is that I may be physically assaulted. It may be a far-fetched notion but it has happened within such settings and is therefore my greatest concern. The other would be that I unintentionally hurt a client’s feelings in any way.
5.A personal goal would be to develop a true and sincere understanding of dealing with clients with mental illness. Growing up as an only child, I am well aware that I oblivious to social norms to some degree. I would like to develop an understanding of how the clients, both patients and families, deal with the illnesses. And I am certain that this will make all the more a better human being, especially know that I’ve learnt that mental illness affects a lot of people, many of whom we associate with daily.
The goal is maintain healthy boundaries and safety
Delete1. Prior to this class (nurse 432) I had no experience with the mentally ill that I know of.
ReplyDelete2. I assumed that at the clinical facility I will be working with kids who have behavioral problems. I also assumed that the children may be very aggressive.
3. I hope that after this clinical I will have a better understanding of mental health and how to care for patients who are mentally ill.
4. My main concern for this clinical is safety. I fear being hit by a patient due to them being triggered in some way.
5. A personal goal of mine is to successfully complete this clinical with a true understanding of mental illness and how to effectively communicate with a person with a mental illness.
As you put more of yourself into the experience, you will deepen your understanding of those who suffer mental illnesses. Keep in mind when working with adolescents, growth and development. Some behaviors are typical of adolescents today.
DeleteMy Prior experience in mental health started back in 2003, when I
ReplyDeletebecame a correctional officer, transporting to spring grove, Clifton T
Perkins, and shepherded Pratt hospital. later working as patient care
tech at UMMS and GBMC on the mental health unit after being pulled from my regular unit because of short staff. I remember when I was a
correctional officer an inmate walked up to me and said he wanted to
kill his self and he needed help. I was so lost I didn’t know what to
do ,but I had to think fast. This Psych patient was only 16 yr. old. He
had a history of suicidal ideation. I Felt so bad for him, at the end I
was happy I was able to take him to get the proper help, that incident
always kept me feeling a little apprehension about psych nursing.
I am actually excited to start my rotation in mental health
nursing. Arriving at the hospital I became a little apprehensive, but
then it dawned on me that I have been to the hospital several times
before with mental health patients. (In my mind Crazy people). I
assumed that the patients would be almost the same as normal everyday
people who probably are suffering from depression or drug addiction
etc. My assumption was a little wrong.
My expectation is to be able to have a pleasant rotation and to
be able to get over some of the apprehension I have about psych. I
expect to make the best of this rotation and to leave with a completely
new perception on mental health nursing.
My main concern is time management. Are we going to have enough
time to finish our projects? It seems like a lot, but I know we can do
it, I guess with lack of sleep and little neglect in family life (LOL)
we will all make through this rotation. In addition, safety is a major
concern of mines, but I am sure that this is not going to be a major
issue.
A personal goal is to get over my personal view off psych and
enjoy every bit of the experience; who knows this may be my calling.
Your clinical faculty has said such positive things about your leadership abilities thus far in clinical. First we need not label patients as psych patients to avoid stigma. The patient experiencing what ever symptoms or medical diagnosis is just fine. Students have completed all their assignments in the past and you will be no exception. Time management is key to mental health nursing. You are managing up to 30+ patients with varied diagnoses, interacting with the treatment team, giving out meds, charting, monitoring for effectiveness of meds/tx, running groups, monitoring sleep/appetite, handling emergencies and interacting with families all before lunch...need I say more...
DeleteHello Class,
ReplyDeleteMy first clinical experience started at 8:30 am on Thursday, October 23, 2014 at the Baltimore Crisis Response with Professor Hart. I had no prior experience to prepare me for working with mentally ill patients. When I think about caring for those with mentally health issues I assume it would be very different and difficult to implement care. I worried about having to care for clients that were aggressive, manipulative and have a lack of concern for others. My assumptions was that it was going to be difficult and challenging due to the lack of experience for caring with clients that are mentally ill. My expectations from this clinical is to improve in the skill of therapeutic communication and gain a better understanding in the nursing interventions for mentally ill clients. I have no concerns regarding this clinical experiences and look forward in implementing the skills for Mental Health Nursing. One of my goal for the future is to improve on therapeutic communication and understanding the mind of individuals that are mentally impaired.
Therapeutic communication is important but the nurses' non-verbals make a bigger statement. Being consistent, genuine and respectful will go a long way with a patient.
DeleteI have two family members who I am close with who are mentally unstable so I am familiar with psychotic people. However the clinical experience at RICA was reality to me. I expected white coats and white uniformed nurses force feeding medication. I was taken aback to see regularly dress staff and clients walking freely in what I now know to be the milieu. I felt so ignorant. The clients looked like average citizens. While reading charts I noticed that the people been through a lot. unimaginable. I not just want to help.I can say that I can no longer past judgement on theses clients.
ReplyDeleteWe all have bias and preconceived notions that can unravel us when presented with the reality of the situation we are placed in. Psych RNs often wear street clothes. Our CSU students did too until some dressed unprofessional causing a problem at the agency. The goal of the Psych RN is to maintain a calm and therapeutic environment where growth takes place through the human experience. Glad you found the right place to post....
DeleteI have been privileged to work with mental health clients for many years before this clinical rotation and acquired some experience dealing or interacting with and caring for them.
ReplyDeleteMy assumption of BCRC was that of clinic that provides pedestrian or mobile therapy for people having mental health and behavioral crisis but was pleasantly surprised to discover that they provide inpatient residential care and counselling.
My humble expectation from this clinical rotation is to have acquire therapeutic skills in treatment of mental health illness.
My concern mainly is safety. There is no adequate safety mechanism for staff treating the clients in BCRC. You can endeavor to create a safe therapeutic environment but when the client gets agitated or trips over, you are on your own.
My personal goal for this clinical experience is to acquire necessary skills to create and maintain safe environment while caring or treating mental health clients.
The mental health experience I have had in the past was through close family members, one of was my mother's brother who is schizophrenic. My uncle used to live with us at times during my childhood. I remember his delusions very well. As a child, statements like "I am God and the Devil" made me feel ill at ease.
ReplyDeleteWith regard to BCRI, I assume the clients I will be interacting with will be slightly more stable than some of the other facilities. I hope, BCRI being a small unit that things will not get too exciting.
I expect to dip my toes into mental health, that is get a pretty good feel for it without getting overwhelmed.
My concerns is that I won't be able to establish a therapeutic relationship with my client. I am a honest and genuine person and can't fake what isn't there. Even so, I care a lot about people in general. I wonder if my clients will be able to identify with me on that professional level, will I be able to get through.
My goal for this clinical experience is to leave feeling a bit more comfortable with mental health.
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ReplyDelete1.My brother is mentally ill. I was too small to remember but something happen to him where he needed for operation on either side of his head. I believe because of the needed operation, he was secretly diagnosed by the physician who did the operation, meaning that my mother was told and did not tell anyone else in the family. my brother is 47 yrs. old and he calls me sometimes calls me about not eating dinner; complaining that my mother did not cook dinner for him. He is an adult, and no adult should be expecting his mother to cook for you.
ReplyDeleteMy brother isolates himself sometime and plays music really loudly, like he's the only person in the household. Based on what I’ve learned, I believe he is schizophrenic. My brother have injured himself by throwing his arm through a window and needed stitches. He also have manic episodes where wants to hurt other-including himself. I believe my mother knows what's going on with my brother because she is really overprotective of him. He, (my brother) is an excessive cannabis user and which something I believe he uses to cover up his mental illness. He engages in unprotected sex with women he meets through phone chats and the internet. He does not understand the risk that he is putting himself into. he pays for sex and calls me sometimes bragging about how many women he have slept with. I try talking some sense into him, but after taking psych, I now realize that my brother is schizophrenic
2. My assumptions are that I would be really unusually eerie and with extreme alertness. I have never been to a place like this and It interest me that i can finally see what it's like to live in the moment with the mentally ill. I was very skeptical about what the inside would be like. I would like to get to know people; we all are people and it’s just something stuff happens that are out of our control and other times people can't cope with things and it overpowers them
3. My expectation is to be open-minded and offer self. Offering myself would be the best thing I can do for someone who maybe feeling alone or isolated
4. My concerns are safety and going into a place that is foreign to me. I know that I can adapt to any situation, but this time will be different. Of all the things that we talked about in class this semester the only thing that sticks out right now is safety.
5. One of my personal goals is to listen to my client and see what good I can bring to him or her life. its too often sad that people who have mental illness get toss to the side like they don't matter. I would like to have mattered someone's life.
BLOG 1- Maedin Kebede
ReplyDeleteI am working in Alzheimer’s and dementia unit in assisted living for thirteen years. I have observed Pt. going through gradual declination in cognitive such as not recognizing their families, do not know how to eat, perform their ADL…. and the heart breaking frustrations of their family members. I am helping in feeding, ADL care, family support, and medication administration. My first day orientation to psych. Unit at Baltimore was a little bit overwhelming. It will be challenging but also it will be a situation where I can exercise therapeutic communication to develop a trust between nurse and client relationship. This relationship will assist me in meeting clients need. It is a situation where i will observe different behavioral issues. I will learn a lot about mental illness and its effect in peoples life and how mentally ill citizens are treated in this type of settings.
I have about 5 years experience working with children and adolescents with mental health issues. I currently I do not have any assumptions regarding my clinical placement. I would expect to learn more of the psychiatric nursing role. Due to my familiarity with this population I do not have any concerns regarding my clinical placement. One goal I have is to learn how to be more therapeutic in the nursing role.
ReplyDelete1. I have some experience with mental illness. A family memeber was recently diagnosed with a mental disorder and I have sat one to one with mentally ill patients.
ReplyDelete2. I had a few assumptions of the mentally ill but most have been disspelled since I have a family member with mental illness now I have a better understanding.
3. My expectation is to learn all I can in this clinical experience. To get a more better understanding of how to have a therapeutic relationship with my patient.
4. To stay safe.
5. To help someone however I can big or small.
I have a little experience with the mentally ill. My little brother actually is diagnosed with a mental illness. When walking around Baltimore, I might see someone who has shows signs of being mentally ill, but I have never interacted with them.
ReplyDeleteI honestly do not have any assumptions regarding Spring Grove Hospital. I'm trying my best not to make any assumptions.
My expectations are to care for and interact with patients with a large variety of diagnoses. I also expect to see the signs and symptoms I learned in the classroom to match up with those diagnoses. Overall, I expect to learn news things and incorporate ideas already learned into real life situations.
I do not have any concerns regarding my clinical placement.
One personal goal for this clinical experience is to become comfortable with interacting with mentally ill individuals. Seeing that I do not have much experience in this area, I know I will not be totally comfortable at first. With time, my goal is to become comfortable, while staying alert and safe.
1.Prior to my experience at Spring Grove Hospital Center, I have had several encounters with known mentally ill people. My first being a schitzophrenic man I met in a public library last year. He was a friendly guy but it was evident he had a medical issue because of his uncontrollable movements; but I still decided to have a conversation with him. He told me he developed tardive dyskinesia from his schitzophrenic medication. My other experiences with the mentally ill were patients at my job.
ReplyDelete2. I have heard many stories about SGHC prior to going to the site; people labeled it terrifying, disgusting, dirty some even called it boring. I personally expected pure chaos on the unit.
3. Though I have heard many stories about the facilities, I really did not know what to expect from the unit.
4. Concerns I have had and still have at SGHC are my safety and m ability to commmunicate with the patients on the unit.
5. A personal goal for this clinical experience is establishing trusting relationship with my client.
Though I have yet to work in a mental health facility, I have lived in an environment in which mental illness is prevalent ranging from schizophrenia,anxiety/stress related disorders,personality disorder associated with substance abuse, and the list continues.The environment in which I speak of was my home for many years, and though I was not a trained professional, I adapted a way to promote tranquility inside of my home. The saying that life experience is the best teacher, serves itself to be true; the same diversion techniques in which I used on my mother and other relatives are the same in the nursing practice.The assumptions I have regarding the particular mental health setting to which I will be assigned for the next 7 weeks is that these children are not necessarily mental ill, however a key corner stone was lost in the developmental process, or they may lack coping skills and rather than being taught an effective way, they were labeled suicidal. My expectations from this clinical, is to fully understand the client, and not just the condition, clinical manifestations,and medical data, you must first know the person to understand fully as to what is taking place inside. My only possible concern is that I see myself inside of these children, and may relate more than I hope for, and grow an attachment, though highly unlikely it is still a suspected concern of mine. A personal goal for this clinical experience, is to touch the life of my client whether it be boy or girl. I did not grow up in a stable home, I've been through troubled times, house to house, dysfunctional home, shelters, and foster care. All in all I know the feeling of unwantedness and feeling that you are just a task to someone else rather than an important person. I don't want my client to view themselves as my assignment but rather my responsibility, even though I will eventually part from them, I want to leave them with something that my departure can not take away from them. I want to impact them, the same way someone did to me, I need to be moving force, that does and says something that acts profoundly on the forming of themselves.
ReplyDeleteBlog is closed
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
I have been working for about 10 years now with alzheimer and dementia patients in assisted living. I have some experience in the way to deal with them. We suppose to know our clients, establish trust with them, redirect them use calm voice and when they refuse just leave them and come back. And always make sure that the environment is safe.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
We are at red brick to unit at Spring Grove psychiatric hospital. The first experience was very good. This not actually what I was expecting. The patient was acting very normal. Some of them were in the day room watching television, some of them were outside, some of them was up and down in the hallway. One even she's us his Michael Jackson move.it is true that the place can be chaotic sometimes. But that specific day was pretty normal.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
I expect to have a wonderful experience in this clinical that can contribute some positive outcome to my learning experience and to my patient's well being. I plan to use some critical thinking skills and nursing interventions to help my patient with his diagnosis.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
I hope my patient won't get violent.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
My personal goal is to use my knowledge to help my patient get better with his schizophrenia and also get some experience in mental health.
1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
ReplyDeleteMy prior experience with the mentally ill includes working for 14 years at a non-public Special Education High School for students with emotional and/or behavioral disabilities. The students we served had various diagnoses ranging from ADHD, ODD, bipolar disorder, TBI, as well as autism. I have worked in an Educator Role as well as an Administrator.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
I am assigned to the Baltimore Crisis Response Center and my immediate assumption was that the patients may be violent due to being in crisis
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
I expect to learn ways to be therapeutic while giving care to mentally ill patients. I expect to learn how to interact with the mentally ill from a nursing standpoint instead of from an education standpoint.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
Before visiting the unit, my concern was about the safety of myself and my clinical classmates.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
One personal goal for this clinical experience is to successfully utilize therapeutic communication, including non-verbal communication, while caring for patients by the end of the clinical experience.
1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
ReplyDeleteI have no prior experience with the mentally ill.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
I am aware that Red Brick 4 at Spring Grove is a forensic hospital, I feel some of the patients may be angry, or hostile.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
I expect to learn more about the disorders that we have learned about during lecture. I also look forward to practicing therapeutic communication and establishing a nurse patient relationship with my client. I always enjoy my clinical experiences because it allows me to bring the textbook to life.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
My concern is that a client may become agitated during my clinical time and become aggressive or violent.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
My goal is to become more comfortable around mentally ill patients.
1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
ReplyDeleteI have no prior experience with the mentally ill.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
I am not really comfortable working with the mentally ill because of the stigma that they are all violent. My assumptions would be that I should be careful of what I say to not upset them. I understand that this a wrong perception that I plan to clarify.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
My expectations for clinical are high. I am assigned to a patient who has had a student nurse before, so he understands the routine. He looks forward to meet with me every clinical day hoping for me to give him “a bacon muffin from McDonalds” which may be hard to live up to. Furthermore, I expect to establish a relationship with the client and receive first-hand knowledge of how interact and care for mental health patients. In addition, I am hoping this clinical experience will assist with processing lecture.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
I have a concern that the patient will not be too receptive of me. My patient has a history of not being cooperative at times and not following through with a student nurse. Also, I have a concern of being attacked in some way.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
My personal goal for this clinical experience is to establish a healing and caring relationship with the patient. I want my client to understand that I have the passion to actually care for people and I am not there just to pick his brain. I want each patient to feel just as normal as me, and I can learn from them.
1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
ReplyDeletea. My only experience with the mentally ill was several (a few severals) years ago when I was working as a phlebotomist in a hospital and was assigned to draw blood on the psych floor. I also was able to visit my uncle at his job when he worked as a nurse at Springfield Hospital in Sykesville.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
a. My assumptions about working in my assigned facility is based on the little experience I have. Although I am not overtly nervous to work at Spring Grove, I do have a little apprehension. My assumptions are that the patients would show, if not an extreme, close to extreme manifestations of their illness. I assumed that you can clearly tell who are the patients and who are the staff members.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
a. I am hoping to get a better understanding of how to deal with and take care of those with mental illness. I am hoping to learn how to show empathy while at the same time maintain professionalism towards the patients.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
a. My concern is if I will be able to handle an emergent situation. Will I know what to do if a patient “loses” control? Will I know what to do if a patient becomes violent to me? Will I have to employee any of the anger management training we received in the beginning of the semester?
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
a. My one personal goal will be to have a better understanding of therapeutic communications. I hope to be able to learn the best way to communicate empathy and professional towards my patients.
1. My only related experience with working with the mentally ill is from working with elderly patients that have been affected by dementia and Alzheimer's Disease. I have worked with patients in this category for roughly 10 years. I can safely assume that there will be many new experiences to be gained from the clinical site to which I have been assigned for the next 7 weeks.
ReplyDelete2. Some differences include the average age of the patients with whom I will interact; I expect them to be younger to middle aged. I also assume that many of them will not have memory impairments like the population with which I am used to working; I assume that their mental health issues will affect their sensory perceptions in different ways and that their symptoms will vary highly compared to what I have observed in my experience. I also assume that many of these patients will have had very difficult lives for many years, and that they will not trust easily. I assume that most of them will be highly competent in knowing how to live in rough conditions including homelessness or even prison. I assume that while some patients in my facility feel very safe within the secure walls, that many other patients might feel challenged by so little freedom.
3. I expect to learn a great deal from this clinical, and I expect it to be very challenging. I think I will learn so much because this patient population along with the pathology is very different from medsurge or any other clinical I have so far completed. I expect it to be challenging because of the reasons I listed above in reflection #2. Medsurge patients generally welcomed nursing interventions and were quite accommodating with nursing student assessments. I hesitate to say whether I expect exactly the same welcome from patients in this facility.
4. I have already discussed many of my concerns regarding this clinical experience, but I can add on this by stating that specifically, my main concern is being able to reach my patient beyond all of the barriers I have listed and provide effective nursing care.
5. In terms of my personal goal, I want to emphasize the desire to learn more about working with mental health patients in terms of assessments, interventions and evaluations by learning at this facility. I want to learn how to rise to the challenges presented by this new experience and make it a good experience for my patients as well as myself.
I have updated my profile to list my full name. I just want to clarify: this is ahoffer00, Allison M.
Delete1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
ReplyDeleteI previously worked as a therapeutic behavioral aid for a company called Step By Step of Maryland. The objective of my position was to help modify my client's behavior. I worked together with a team of experts therapists from Kennedy Krieger. My client was a child with a diagnosis of schizophrenia NOS, cerebral palsy among other diagnosis. At first, he was violent but as he got to know me he became less aggressive and he was able to follow commands and directions. I enjoyed it specially seeing the smile on his face every morning when he saw me come in to get him ready for school. I no longer work for that company but I still have a relationship with the client's grandparents, working with him thought me so much about compassion.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
This is my first time hearing about Spring Grove. Honestly, I was super nervous walking into the facility. All of the clients where already waiting for the nursing student by the doors, and as soon as we walked in they all approached us and said "Hello!" so enthusiastic like a church choir. I was assuming that it was going to be terrifying to work in a mental health institution like Spring Grove, but now my perception of the facility or of the clients is different. I believe that it will be a learning experience that I will enjoy.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
My expectations is that I will be able to develop strong therapeutic communication skills. I expect to see how different mental diagnosis present in different patients and how the activities of daily living of this individuals are affected by their diagnoses. I expect to learn the role that the family of the client's play in helping the clients towards getting better or functioning in the community.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
My main concern is that I believe that 7 weeks is a short period of time to develop the skills necessary to feel confident in caring for the mentally ill.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
My personal goal is to improve my therapeutic communication skills, and to hopefully bring joy and peace to those clients in the facility because they where really happy to have us helps us in their facility which their "home".
Prior to this class, the only experience I had with mental health was when my grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. I saw the effect that the disease caused to the family and the struggle of my aunt taking care of him. Other than that I do not have experience with mental health. Therefore, before I started mental health clinical, I was nervous and a little scared about what to expect in the clinical settings. By the end of mental health clinical session, I am expecting to know more about the mental health field and have a better knowledge on ways to help patients with mental health illness.
ReplyDeleteThe only concern I have regarding the clinical experience is leading a group discussion and making sure that the patients stay focused and engaged in the group activity.
In conclusion, my personal goal for this clinical experience is to have a better idea on the mental illness and build my ability to help patients through therapeutic communication.
1. What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
ReplyDeleteAlthough I don’t have any experience working on a mental health unit, this past summer I worked with patient who had traumatic brain injury at The National Rehab Hospital in Washington, DC. Working with such patients allowed me to build some mental health nursing skills, manly therapeutic communication.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
I will be lying if I say am not super anxious about my mental health rotations. Part of me is looking forward to see what it is like to be a psych nurse. But the mostly I’m just scared. Will I really need those self-defense classes? Will a patient try to hurt me? Will he curse ne out? So may questions racing through my mind. Because my rotation will be at crises center it is most likely for me to encounter patients at their acute stage of illness.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
I expect to learn a lot. But more importantly I would like to know more about how patents with mental health deal with the social stigma that is placed by society. I would like to see my self improve my therapeutic communication skills.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
Besides safety I don’t really see any other concerns with this clinical.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
My goal is to apply all the knowledge I learned in class in my clinical experience.
1.What prior experience, if any do you have with the mentally ill?
ReplyDeleteI once worked for a agency group home where the clients were mentally ill. I applied and accepted the job with the understanding that I would be properly trained on how to deal with the individuals. Unfortunately, this was not the case. I started the job without all needed trainings because they were really in need of resident assistants. Needless to say it wasn't a good experience because I wasn't properly trained. However, I learned a lot through experience, trial and error. I didn't keep the job though because I didn't feel safe. I currently work at a nursing home on a locked dementia unit as a nursing assistant.
2. What assumptions do you have regarding the particular mental health setting to which you will be assigned for the next 7 weeks?
I assume that because it is a residential tx setting it will be much like a nursing home. They may or may not be active during the day and the evening will pretty much be looking at t.v.
3. What are your expectations from this clinical?
I expect to learn as much as I possibly can, as well as put my new skils to use.
4. What, if any, are your concerns regarding this clinical experience?
My concern is using proper therapeutic communication when interacting with the patients. I don't want to say the wrong thing, thinking I'm saying the right thing.
5. Discuss (1) personal goal for this clinical experience.
My personal goal for this clinical experience is to become more knowledgeable about mental health and be able to connect what I see in the facility to what read in the textbook.
I do not have much experience working with mentally ill patients. While completing my Med Surg clinical rotation I did have the opportunity to work with a patient diagnosed with dementia. That was my first and only experience working with a mentally ill patient. I was I uncomfortable at first because I did not know how to communicate with the patient and she was displaying some aggression but it turned out to be a great learning experience.
ReplyDeleteSome assumptions I have about the mrntak health settings I will be working on is that the patients will primaruky have a dignosis of schizophrenia. I really didn't know what to expect but I know I will experience and be exposed to a lot.
I expect to get a lot of experience to improve my nursing skills during this clinical rotation. Mentally ill patients can be found throughout every unit and it is very important for me to learn how to work with mentally ill patients. Also, it will help me out with learning to communicate with all patients.
I am honestly concerned about being able to properly care for and communicate with mentally ill patients. I also have a natural fear or the possibility for a patient to become aggressive but I have been told that it is not likely that it will happen.
Week One, Blog 1
ReplyDeletel work in the hospital, so l have little experienced in dealing with mentally ill patient. People with mental illness here in USA, is very different from mental ill people in Africa. l am from Africa where we do not believe that mental illness is a disease and should be treated with any form of medications. People back in Africa still believe mental illness is caused by African charms people placed on each other out of jealous or hatred. As a result of this believe, mental challenge people has no structured place where they can stay, and be taken care of until they recover. They people walk around the street dirty, naked and pick food from the garbage to survive.
The assumption l have regarding the particular mental health setting “RICA” which l was assigned to is that l am going to have the most emotional challenging practical experiences dealing with people that has behavioral disorder.
My expectation for this clinical is to become a good psychiatric nurse, care for my patient in their recovery process here in the USA. l will create awareness in Africa about mental illness been a “REALITY” and not a “MYTH”. l will also advocate for them and open a hospital for them to receive treatment.
My concern regarding this clinical experience is for every one of us to be safe whenever we are at the clinical site as well as the patient.
My personal goal for this clinical experience is to get the best clinical experience, work as a team with the rest of my clinical group and apply all the skills that l have learned in this course to facilitate my patient recovery.
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ReplyDeleteFlorence Amaikwu
ReplyDeleteWeek one log
My prior experience with the mentally ill is working with the Alzheimer’s and dementia patients in a nursing home setting. It is really challenging in that these patients need constant redirection all the time. I am beginning now to understand mental illness now unlike what I know before. I was one of the people that relate being mentally ill to supernatural powers that one is unfortunate to fall victim of. I now understand it has to do with chemical imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain.
My clinical setting is at Baltimore crises response Inc. initially, I expected more like a crises center where some patients will be on restraint and all that. That was not what I saw on my first clinical experience.
My expectations from this clinical is to learn and be well prepared in caring for the mentally ill patients as it relates to therapeutic communication and using evidenced based interventions in the care of the mentally ill patients.
My concerns is being safe when I am interacting with the patients because some of the patients can sometimes demonstrate anger outburst.
My personal goal at the end of the clinical experience is acquire what it will take to be a competent mental health nurse.
ReplyDeleteIn the country I was born, there are some people who are mentally ill. Although I have no prior experience or direct relationship with them, but I can say I see them in my community. Believes of people including me when I saw mentally ill people was that they are possess with evil spirit or supernatural power. The cure of mentally ill individuals involved ritualistic exorcism to purge out unwanted forces. These people are beating, deprived of food or separated from other people in the community. They are neglected. Nursing school especially this course ( psychiatric nursing) have enlighten me and now I know that mentally ill is a disease process just like any physiological illness. More so, now that I am in the nursing field, I have more empathy toward mentally ill individuals. My assumption about the mental health setting in which I am assigned was to see mentally ill individual who are not reliable, don’t know what is happening to them, acting like babies disrespecting staff members and continuous violence act. My expectation form this clinical is to have more knowledge on how to take care of the mentally ill. Be able to use therapeutic communication to relate to them. Know how to show empathy during nurse to patient interaction and be able to mention about seven side effects of each psychiatric medications. At this moment I have no concern about my clinical experience. My personal goal is to be able to restore or build hope for the mentally ill individuals. Majority of the mentally ill individual have lost hope. Their life has been a series of crushing disappointment, repetitive failure or losses stigma and discrimination. I will engage the individual in social activities that are pleasurable, helping them to develop friendship or meaningful relationship and activating spirituality or faith are some ways to help individuals restore their hope.
ReplyDeleteIn the country I was born, there are some people who are mentally ill. Although I have no prior experience or direct relationship with them, but I can say I see them in my community. Believes of people including me when I saw mentally ill people was that they are possess with evil spirit or supernatural power. The cure of mentally ill individuals involved ritualistic exorcism to purge out unwanted forces. These people are beating, deprived of food or separated from other people in the community. They are neglected. Nursing school especially this course ( psychiatric nursing) have enlighten me and now I know that mentally ill is a disease process just like any physiological illness. More so, now that I am in the nursing field, I have more empathy toward mentally ill individuals. My assumption about the mental health setting in which I am assigned was to see mentally ill individual who are not reliable, don’t know what is happening to them, acting like babies disrespecting staff members and continuous violence act. My expectation form this clinical is to have more knowledge on how to take care of the mentally ill. Be able to use therapeutic communication to relate to them. Know how to show empathy during nurse to patient interaction and be able to mention about seven side effects of each psychiatric medications. At this moment I have no concern about my clinical experience. My personal goal is to be able to restore or build hope for the mentally ill individuals. Majority of the mentally ill individual have lost hope. Their life has been a series of crushing disappointment, repetitive failure or losses stigma and discrimination. I will engage the individual in social activities that are pleasurable, helping them to develop friendship or meaningful relationship and activating spirituality or faith are some ways to help individuals restore their hope.
I have unconsciously dealt with people with mental health before. I work at a correctional facilities and among where I am assigned to work is a unit called IMHU meaning “inmate mental health unit”. In this unit we have inmate whom have mental illnesses. But prior to my attending lectures on NURS 432 I always look at them as inmates who just want to get out of general population, although I still give them all that they are supposed to have based on the institutional policies and procedure. But now I have a better understanding about how they acted the way they acted and I have a clear picture about their behaviors now.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, I have an unconscious experience on mental health prior to taking NURS 432 but now my expectation lies beyond just understanding what the course content of the classes but also to have the know-how on how to actually apply the concept[t of mental health into patients whom really need the care. I am also expecting that I get the best exposure in taking care of individuals with mental health issues.
My personal goal as of this course is to understand the concept of mental health and be able to apply the learned concepts in providing safety to patient, staff, and the community in its entirety. And also part of my goals is to achieve the knowledge required to make the aforementioned goal possible.
I have unconsciously dealt with people with mental health before. I work at a correctional facilities and among where I am assigned to work is a unit called IMHU meaning “inmate mental health unit”. In this unit we have inmate whom have mental illnesses. But prior to my attending lectures on NURS 432 I always look at them as inmates who just want to get out of general population, although I still give them all that they are supposed to have based on the institutional policies and procedure. But now I have a better understanding about how they acted the way they acted and I have a clear picture about their behaviors now.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, I have an unconscious experience on mental health prior to taking NURS 432 but now my expectation lies beyond just understanding what the course content of the classes but also to have the know-how on how to actually apply the concept[t of mental health into patients whom really need the care. I am also expecting that I get the best exposure in taking care of individuals with mental health issues.
My personal goal as of this course is to understand the concept of mental health and be able to apply the learned concepts in providing safety to patient, staff, and the community in its entirety. And also part of my goals is to achieve the knowledge required to make the aforementioned goal possible.