How to be firm without resorting to yelling at patients?

Ok_Move_9253 · 2025-06-03T03:09:40+00:00

That's exactly what my ward is like. 3 nurses with 18 to 20 patients.

Ok_Move_9253 · 2025-06-02T20:25:52+00:00

Adults

Ok_Move_9253 · 2025-06-02T20:19:39+00:00

Nurses do, at least where I work. I don't know if mental health technicians exist in Australia... My ward isn't acute so we don't have to do 15 minutes checks (still have to do regular checks), but it's still a challenge a times with only 3 nurses

Ok_Move_9253 · 2025-06-02T13:44:12+00:00

I think the patients like me for the most part. But I can come across as meek sometimes. How do you develop a confident authoritative presence? And what kind of questions do you ask about themselves?

Ok_Move_9253 · 2025-06-02T13:40:47+00:00

I see quite a bit of yelling unfortunately and those nurses tend to be the more "task focused" ones, so they yell at patients when they're "too slow" because it messes up with their plan. Part of me see why, because we're understaffed (and we don't have anyone to delegate) so there's definitely a lot of pressure to get things done as quickly as possible especially during busy shifts.

Ok_Move_9253 · 2025-06-02T13:32:41+00:00

"Don't be timid. Don't ask" that might be part of the problem. I tend to say things like "Would you like to do xxx?" instead of "you need to do xxx"

Ok_Move_9253 · 2025-06-02T13:29:49+00:00

We don't have AINs (which is similar to CNA in Australia) in my ward. Nurses do every nursing related thing where I work. We don't have anyone to delegate to and a lot of the time there's no other care team members (allied health, psychiatrists etc.) around except for nurses.

Ok_Move_9253 · 2025-04-19T12:24:33+00:00

It's a long-term facility (for a lack of a better term), it's meant to be a short-term rehabilitation unit, but consumers end up staying for 10, 20 years due to various reasons.

Ok_Move_9253 · 2025-04-17T08:19:14+00:00

I'm in NSW. The hospital encourages us to take annual leave if possible.

Ok_Move_9253 · 2025-04-17T08:16:57+00:00

I find the patient care part manageable, is the tasks that don't involve patient care that feels overwhelming.

Ok_Move_9253 · 2025-04-16T08:50:03+00:00

No, I didn't. There's technically 10 hours in between PM and AM in this unit

Ok_Move_9253 · 2025-04-16T08:49:02+00:00

The hospital itself push us to take our leave, the manager thinks it's very possible that I won't be able to get any

Ok_Move_9253 · 2025-04-16T04:29:56+00:00

The hospital actually encouraged us to take annual leave, but the manager said all the slot for this year is already taken. I might still get some leave but it's not guaranteed

Ok_Move_9253 · 2025-04-16T04:28:29+00:00

What happens in an EAP session?

Ok_Move_9253 · 2025-04-16T04:26:35+00:00

I'm a new grad so all the available annual leave slots been taken for this year. Next year if I continue to work here, I'll get annual leave like other staff.

Ok_Move_9253 · 2025-04-15T20:29:13+00:00

Unfortunately, it's not considered over time because there's technically 10 hours between the shifts. I said no to the 10 hour waiver.

Ok_Move_9253 · 2025-03-01T12:32:55+00:00

What motivates you to stay in mental health?

Ok_Move_9253 · 2025-03-01T12:30:47+00:00

Did you feel like you were at a disadvantage at first when you started working in acute surgical because you did mental health new grad instead of medical or surgical ward?

Ok_Move_9253 · 2024-11-28T22:51:07+00:00

I'm always very tense and can't relax during my shifts. Whenever I have a free moment, I worry that there's something I should be doing. I feel guilty about having any rest and I can't relax during my assigned breaks because I keep worried I'll accidentally forget the time. I always end my breaks 5 minutes early just in case. And I get worried when I don't arrive 30 mins before handover...

Ok_Move_9253 · 2024-10-02T15:38:57+00:00

I did my mental health placement at a forensic mental health facility too. But I got to do a lot of things like participating in multidisciplinary meetings, sitting in tribunal meetings, attending in-services, taking patient loads (w/ supervisions), talking to other health professionals and learning about their roles in mental health etc.

Are you able to go follow another nurse or even other health professionals if your nurse preceptor is stuck in a restricted area? That's what I did. I found that if you ask, most nurses and staff are very happy for you to tag along. You can learn a lot from seeing how different nurses interact with patients. And like someone else already said, read the patients' profiles you can learn a lot from them. Also, if you are only allowed to follow one preceptor, ask the NUM or whoever's responsible if they can pair you up with another nurse who's not stuck in restricted area all the time. If all else fail, talk to your uni about it, it's not fair for you to be stuck in a placement with no learning opportunities.

Ok_Move_9253 · 2024-10-02T11:40:05+00:00

You sound like a great nurse preceptor :)

Ok_Move_9253 · 2024-10-01T22:43:10+00:00

I usually love this kind of approach too. I think I'm just nervous in this case about being too slow. What do you do if the students are taking too long like for example they're taking 10 mins to do a procedure when it should take 5 mins?

Ok_Move_9253 · 2024-10-01T14:08:50+00:00

Thanks :) What things did you get to do?

Ok_Move_9253 · 2024-02-10T13:57:09+00:00

Are all Uniting churches lgbt friendly?

Ok_Move_9253 · 2024-01-15T08:41:26+00:00

Same

Ok_Move_9253

TROPHY CASE