What's so scary about psychiatry?

I have to agree with you Sassy.

I have worked in almost every arena of nursing, including a few years in mental health. I have been physically assaulted in a private surgical ward, in a community setting and in an aged care facility, but not when working in a specialist psych facility.

On at least one of those occasions, the situation was escalated by other staff members who reacted badly and inflamed the situation rather than managing the obviously escalating situation. By the time I was able to get involved I walked into a volatile situation and was then trying to protect the other staff member involved. I think psych facilities, while generally facing potentially much more volatile and dangerous situations, can in fact be safer work environment because

• there are good protocols in place
• staff are aware of the dangers
• fellow workers are also trained and skilled in defusing situations

Of course there remains the tragic circumstances that are not controlled or managed and are usually highlighted in the media as well.

I firmly believe this is another area only given lip service at Uni. We had a day or two of mental health focus, but patients with psych issues turn up in any ward or ED and must be recognised and treated appropriately. In country ED we had some quite dramatic moments and I learnt heaps just from being there. My best friend is bipolar, a recently spent a day in a major local ED after swallowing floor cleaner and trying to kill herself and taken there by police. They let her go 5 hours later after chucking up blue vomit, with her promising to see a GP next day. Two months later she had not seen one. Almost no follow up :-( No meds from hospital who had her record including previous detentions. Sad but may one day slip through system and just be another statistic :-(

" What's so scary...."

Working in a psych ward, a mental health unit, or what ever you want to call it.....

That's not scary....

Fronting up to your first shift in jail.... in a secure unit for the 'criminally insane'..... now, that was the closet I've come to scary.

But of course, there was nothing to really be 'scared' of..... the guys in jail would never touch a nurse. It's the same culture as the 'treatment' a child sex offender would receive. The nurse is respected by all, so if you break that trust.... you're 'waisted'.

However, there are some situations to be very wary of. Eg. working in the 'real' lock up unit.... the aggression containment unit of a forensic hospital, inside a jail complex. But you will find, the highest level of safety procedures in any working mental health environment, along with very high staff ratios. Plus, you have the added security of the Prison Officers, who do all the 'manual handling' for you.

I worked ( for a short time ) in a major jail hospital in NSW.

Every time there was a 'major' incident, one member of staff videotaped the whole procedure, as evidence.

This is probably either 'illegal' or considered 'unethical' in the ordinary hospital environment.... but is common practise in jails.

So, even the most 'scary' work environments can and are, quite safe places to work.

regards,