Psych Nursing: Take a second look

“I Thought I Hated Psych Nursing…”

Let’s rewind.

The worst clinical rotation I had in nursing school? Psych. No contest.

I was placed on a psych triage unit where patients were in crisis—many undiagnosed, untreated, and severely ill.

I was pregnant, scared, and frankly just trying to graduate. The memory of staff being attacked and alarms blaring still lives rent-free in my head.

I walked out of that rotation convinced: This specialty is not for me.

But years later, I realized: Psych never left my practice. And honestly? I grew into it.

Psych Nursing was my worst clinical rotation...until it became my favorite !

What If That “Bad Shift” Wasn’t the Whole Story?

Psych nursing can seem overwhelming—especially if your only exposure was a chaotic unit or clinical.

But here’s what I’ve learned:

You don’t have to be a psych nurse to use psych nursing skills.

Psych Nursing Shows Up in Every Role

Let me show you how it showed up in mine.

My Nursing Roles (and How Psych Showed Up Anyway):

🏥 Stepdown Nurse (Bedside)

• Locked unit—patients often had both medical and psych diagnoses.

• Worked alongside 1:1 sitters and learned:

  • Different Psychiatric meds

  • De-escalation techniques

  • Patient behavior cues

    
    

Lesson: Psych was in the room—even when I wasn’t working “in psych.”

🩺 Nurse Manager, Community Clinic

• Managed acute walk-in services (like an urgent care).

• High number of manic patients, often with gaps in psychiatric follow-up.

• No consistent behavioral specialist on staff.

Lesson: How to quickly assess HI/SI, rule out medical causes, and stay calm in highly unpredictable situations.

🧠 Director of Clinical Services

• Oversaw clinics integrating primary care + behavioral health.

• Consulted school based health clinics - with behavioral health components

• Developed tools and trained staff on behavioral health screenings and response.

  
  

Lesson: Behavioral health integration became part of my leadership lens.

🏫 Federal Health Center Advisor (Post-Pandemic)

• Worked with school-based health centers adding behavioral health.

• Trained educators and clinicians to spot, support, and serve kids in crisis.

  
  

Lesson: Behavioral health is part of community health. Full stop.

Ask Yourself: Was It Really the Wrong Specialty…or Just the Wrong Time?

Maybe it wasn’t a bad fit—maybe it was just:

• The wrong clinical setting

• Poor onboarding

• A bad shift at a bad time

• Or simply… you needed more experience to appreciate it

  
  

Psych nursing is a skillset, not just a job title. And you’ll use it everywhere you go.

One Quote That Stuck With Me:

“There is not one specialty in Nursing that doesn’t touch Psych.”

— My nurse mentor (who was absolutely right)

Teachable Moment

You’re allowed to change your mind—and revisit a specialty you swore off.

Sometimes, with growth and clarity, you realize:

• You didn’t hate the work, just the environment.

• You weren’t ready then—but you are now.

• You just needed the right lens to see the value.

  
  

Just My Nursing Perspective

Don’t let one bad shift define your whole view. The role you once ran from might be the one that grows you most.

Your “never again” might become your next pivot.

🧠 So— tell me what’s a shift, role, or specialty you’ve written off?

Would you try it again?

— Nurse Meg

NursePathwaysPro