Psychologese

Ok. So. I know this would actually take way more formal training than I have — training which I am not going back to school for (unless, gawdforbid, I fail the NCLEX *shudders at the thought*). But. I was sitting at work last nite and it was extremely slow on the adult unit, only 10pts, and they all slept all nite. Or at least stayed in their rooms. So. After I finished all my work, and finished cleaning off/organizing a bookshelf in the dictation room (that no one will probably notice that I touched it, even tho it looks SO MUCH better. *rolls eyes*), and finished helping Donna make discharge packets, AMA discharge packets, and seclusion & restraint packets….well, then I did the copying.

And THEN I flipped thru the PEOPLE magazine that was sitting on the desk. There’s an article in it about the kids and now-orphans in the wake of the tsunami. And there was a comment about how affected these children would be in the future. They’ve built sort of refugee camps for them, and some of the camps have programs where they like, bus all the kids to a nearby beach (which is still strewn with tsunami-litter and debris :o/ ) and then try to do fun things, like dance, art, and massage therapy- all in order to try to help get the kids used to the water again, to help them with their fear of the ocean.

And I know you’d prolly have to be a psychologist or therapist or whatnot to actually do counselling with them, but. By the time I get my degree and work a while to take the edge off of my HUGE debt….how wonderful would it be to go there and work with those kids? I mean, I bet they need nurses too, as well as counselors and therapists. And I just think that that would be…I dunno….but I think it would be amazing to be able to be involved with that. I guess, a little more all the time, I am realizing that I probably would like to work as closely as I can with the field of psychology. But I don’t want to be a psych nurse, as my experience at the psych center has me somewhat jaded to that profession. Tho perhaps it’s different, perhaps in other hospitals, certified psych nurses actually *do* psych stuff.

I dunno. I’m pretty sure I’ll definately be one of those nurses who will get burnt out quick because i’ll pay equal attn to medical as well as emotional issues, and will always be sticking my nose in where it doesn’t belong (i.e: domestic violence, child abuse and interventions for them) Or at least, I know I will draw heavily on my psychology knowledge no matter what field of nursing I end up in- hell, I already draw on it in much of my nursing stuff already.

But. Anyways. The tsunami victim kids….I bet that’s a place where you can hug and cuddle (time permitting, of course) kids without the fear of Impending Legal Ramifications looming over your head, like is so prevalent in America nowadays. I think that’s one of my biggest issues with the psych center- some of those kids could probably use a nice long, safe hug. And, while every bone in my body tells me to ignore the whole “avoid prolonged physical contact” rule….I obey it, because I’m not stupid and I know how easily things can be misconstrued and I know how it would only take one patient who was friendly one day and a bear the next, to get me in way more trouble than I want to get in to. And, ya know, the thing is- even tho I know I wouldn’t, obviously, abuse anyone or be innapropriate- if it came down to me being accused of such things…I think the thing that would bother me most is that I think I would “win” in part because as much as I’d like to ignore it, there is still a “who ya gonna believe? the loyal employee, or the nut job who talks to the walls all nite….” atmosphere. And even if I had done nothing wrong, I’d hate to be cleared just on the merit of my so-called sanity versus someone elses mental issues. Even tho I know they have to go thru the legalities of the thing…*shrugs* I find myself doing it…listening to a patient and in my head rolling my eyes and not believing a word they’re saying. Generally I catch myself and try to give the benefit of the doubt. But. I’ve been lied to/mislead/screwed over more than a few times. It keeps a person wary.

Yay. The eye-doctor place just called. I can go get my glasses. I am surprised, she said probably at least 2 weeks, and it’s barely been one.

Lah. Which means that if I want to pick them up before therapy, I need to go get a shower tootsweet. meh. Not….entirely looking forward to therp. today. *sigh* My head’s in a bad place, even tho I’ve been trying to avoid it with work and babysitting and sleep. lah.

I wonder if I ever actually got to the point/said what I wanted to say here. lah.