psychiatry: an industry of Work behind closed doors
Work in psychiatry: In the case of these keywords, a lot of people think from my known circle, one looks first to the old brick houses with creepy Crazy, as in some movies. Also, I thought at the beginning of my training, to be honest similar. However, over the years, the health care and nursing training, I was able to put me in the field and my own image.
At the psychiatric ward of the Asklepios specialist hospital in Lübben, on the I work since October of 2017, it is not always so, that the doors to the outside closed. This depends on the patient and his disease. At first, it seemed unusual to me to work behind closed doors and let patients after consultation of the Station. But it quickly became a habit.
After training as a novice in psychiatry
Already during my practical assignments in the Acute care and geriatric psychiatry, the various disease pictures fascinated me very much. The acute psychiatry has, for example, in the treatment of psychosis in the geriatric psychiatry it comes to mental illnesses of older people. After completion of my exam I decided to work on the Addiction ward. This was, of course, at the beginning of a big change for me. The majority of the practical assignments during the training consisted of somatic, i.e. the area of the physical illness. Therefore, a lot of experience in dealing with the mentally ill patients was missing. Of course, me in training was, however, the theme of “psychiatry was held” in my opinion, very scarce.
Also, it was for me difficult at the beginning, the topic of “Addiction” as a disease. I had to nachblättern slowly and partially again in my test documents, and Maintenance manuals. Also, the duration of stay of the patient, should merit our attention. The patients do not linger here for several weeks (as in the somatic several days). Anyone who works in psychiatry, should be aware of.
Also, the many different drugs (such as neuroleptics) were initially a little confusion for me. I often had to read, when in fact, what drug is given and which is the effect to be achieved. This is, of course, in the case of any other medication as well, I had to work in the first place.
Care in psychiatry is a complex field of tasks
Care activities such as body care, wound care, changing of incontinence material, etc. are still the exception rather, but are not quite. However, other skills are needed – for example, the observation of the Patient and, for example, the Actions in crisis situations. The escalating includes, for example, which was for me personally the most difficult, because you identify learning needs, when a border of the patient is reached, in order to prevent escalation and its possible consequences.
Always on the Ball
Also special situations, such as fixations were new to me. At first, I felt very unsafe, even in dealing with already established patients. What is in addition to relevant training courses and literature, especially in discussions with colleagues. This can often tips from years of experience and advice to share. Who is not a trained activities over a long period of time, forget parts of it at some point. Therefore, it is important to have this in the back of the head and, accordingly, the training offers and training courses.
And what is with me?
I was initially part really shocked about some of the Patients ‘ destinies. I think it is important to bring the patient’s empathy. However, I also notice that it is important, fates, patient stories or crisis situations, not to close to let it get to them. I had to get into the habit, to really create after working for myself for a “Cut”, to be able to emotionally shut down. Best for me works, when I get home and get a round with my dog for a walk. I think everyone should try to find a way to be able to turn it off. Of course, this applies not only to the work in psychiatry, but also in all other areas. But in psychiatry, the life stories and crises of the patients play a much larger role (see, for example, a trigger for a substance abuse disorder). Therefore, it is even more so and it is perhaps the danger that you forget to keep the “distance”.
Photo: Laura Böttcher