Working as a Nurse in the Field of Psychiatry There is always a demand for nurses in every specialty of medicine, and psychiatry is no exception. Most nurses working with psychiatric patients have specialized training in the area of psychiatry, which is beneficial when working with your patients. You will see as many psychiatric conditions and diagnoses as you do physical conditions in everyday nursing, so it can be rewarding to know that you are helping to contribute to the patient's' healing and well being. Mental illness can be serious if left untreated. Just as a heart attack needs immediate care, mental illness requires an understanding and knowledgeable medical care team, which includes you as the nurse. There are a variety of conditions you are likely to encounter; you will receive specialized training to enable you to work with the patient. Related: 5 Things To Avoid When Your Patient Starts Crying
Some Common Mental Illness Diagnosis Depression is a very common form of mental illness today; in fact, more so than ever before. Depression is a serious medical condition if left untreated, and should be addressed as such. It is estimated that one in four Americans currently have a diagnosis of depression. The level of severity can range from mild depression that is easily controlled with therapy and the right medication, to serious depression that may involve a patient that is at risk of suicide. As a psychiatric nurse, you must be willing to accept that the patient may be embarrassed, ashamed, or even angry about asking for and accepting help. The protocol is generally to be compassionate, and to the point, asking questions that will benefit the attending physician with the treatment plan. Severely depressed patients may be malnourished, lethargic, and unable to communicate effectively. Gather necessary information from the patient by means of slow and easy to understand verbiage. Under normal circumstances the patient would be able to respond easily, however a severely depressed patient may be lacking sleep, and may offer an unusual slow response time.