Congratulations to Nicole who graduated from the Psychiatric Nursing Program! We thank her for her hard work on the blog and wish her the best of luck in her new career. Questions and comments will now be disabled. Please watch out for a new Psychiatric Nursing Student Blogger in the near future!
Hi Blog-Readers!
With a big grin on my face, I’ll begin by saying that my cohort is finished Semester 5! What a feeling it is, to realize that I have only onesemester left of this program… wow! It has been quite the journey, to say the least. Many of us have kept our jobs and fulfilled duties at home with our families, while trying to keep a social life as well. Life is busy and school-filled, but our learning experiences are unforgettable and invaluable.
Since this semester has come to an end, my practicum experience on the inpatient unit (IPU) of Penticton Regional Hospital has finished as well. The hands-on experience has put knowledge into practice and tested my nursing skills; I am definitely coming into my own and discovering what kind of nurse I am going to be. Not only have I spent time on the IPU, but I also went to Braemore Lodge (Psychosocial rehabilitation facility), shadowed a geriatric psychiatrist, and worked with the Community Crisis Response Team (CCRT). The acute setting is incredibly interesting and intense at times, but getting out in the community and seeing the different areas of psych is an altogether different experience. Shadowing the psychiatrist was quite the day for me, as I got to see the responsibility that doctors have and what it means to make the decisions they do. Spending some time with CCRT was also great, as they not only reach out to those in the community, but work closely with the ER when patients need urgent assessments. I have been very lucky to be placed with such wonderful staff, and have a handful of these great experiences to take with me into my future career.
I love the fast-paced world that is psych; rarely is a day slow or uneventful. You need to be able to think on your feet and make snap judgments, doing what you believe is the best thing for your patient, other patients, and staff. There are many misnomers about psychiatry, and it takes someone with passion for the field to get past the negative stereotyping. It is a great field that is increasingly becoming a more popular area of interest; I hope that by getting the word out about this program, more people want to work in psychiatry!
I’ve stressed before in past blogs and I’ll stress it again: online learning is great, but not for everyone. It requires dedication and the ability to self-motivate; you have to be willing to take control of your own learning experience to get the results you want. Online learning has allowed me to keep my job and maintain some flexibility in my day-to-day life, and that is one of its greatest merits. A year-and-a-half of this program has flown by, and pretty soon, we’ll be holding our diplomas!
A lot of hard work, inspiration, dedication, and motivation can get you very far in your educational career. If you are interested in psychiatric nursing, take a further look at my blogs and the RDPN program details, and feel free to ask any questions!
