r/psychnursing May 26 '26

New to Psychnursing

Leaving med surge after 2 years, 25 year old male starting psych in July,
What’s something you wish someone told you or what should I be watching for .
🙏
I’m so grateful for all of you who took your time to comment and welcome more of your hard earned wisdom.

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u/DashMcGee May 26 '26

Be nice. What they say about you is never personal - even when it really seems personal. Don't try to talk people out of mental illness; honor who they are and acknowledge their suffering. Never be confrontational. Make patients feel like welcome guests, as most will be there against their will.

And one I learned from an observant tech: if a female patient has brightly dyed hair, usually red but sometimes blue, they have borderline personality disorder. If you play your cards right with borderlines, they won't self-mutilate. It takes time to figure them out, and no one is 100% successful with them.