Becoming a nurse

Three-day insight in psychiatric care

I have quite some prejudices about psychiatry and my attitude towards people with a psychiatric illness is hesitant. Lately I had the possibility to have an insight into psychiatric care. I challenged myself. The aim of this insight should open my mind and show me how it is like to work there.

Day 1: I came to an acute ward where most of the people suffered from schizophrenia or had a forensic background. It was a closed ward and only a few patients had the allowance to go outside. I witnessed a successful de-escalation of a patient who was verbal aggressive towards a nurse. It was impressive to observe how the nurse could calm the other person down. I gathered a lot of impressions during the whole day. Even though, I tried to find some understanding, psychiatry was still a foreign place for me. Access was still impossible, and I didn't know if I'd ever get access to this place or if it frightened me too much. The next day I set the goal to speak to a patient who suffer from schizophrenia and get an active part in contrast to my role this day, which was more observing and restrained.

Day 2: This day, access was possible! I could speak to different patients with schizophrenia. I felt more comfortable than the day before. I enjoyed moving independently around the ward in contrast to the day before when I was just too frightened of everything. I asked a lot of questions and gathered more impressions. Gaining confidence in the situation, I felt how prejudices and hesitation were less present and didn't bother me that much anymore.

Day 3: I joined one of the health assistant on her morning round and in this way, I discovered a bit more the area. Afterwards I observed an occupational therapist at work. Or more precisely, I was being part of the therapy and got another chance to interact with the patients and see them from another side. The aim was to play a game together to work on their social behaviour skills. In the afternoon, I went for a walk with one of the patients, and I was part of a meeting, which was about how to promote the resources of the patients. It was a good closure of the three-day insight.

Conclusions: I'm happy how it went and that I was courageous and made this decision coming out of my comfort zone. Probably I will never work in psychiatry. But I realised that psychiatric knowledge is not only essential in psychiatry but also in every nursing setting.