week 1

I have a brief experience working with a small population of people with mental illness in an assisted living facility and a group home. But, I have never been in a mental facility or had the opportunity to be in the midst of a large number of individuals with mental illness.

Upon entry into my assigned clinical facility, I must confess I was really scared for my safety when I encountered individuals at very close range on my way to the conference room. When I was eventually assigned to a patient, it took a lot of courage for me to walk up to him and introduce myself, and throughout my stay at the clinical site I kept looking over my my shoulders.

I hope to be able to exercise the skills I have learned in communicating effectively with the clients, and I know I would get used to being around this population during the course of the clinicals.  My goal is to learn and understand more about caring effectively for this population, but I do not this Psych nursing is for me, but one can never say never.