After graduating from the Psychiatric Nursing program, I wrote and passed the Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Canada Examination (RPNCE) exam and am enjoying life as a Registered Psychiatric Nurse. Part of my job entails creating and running psychoeducational groups, which is a type of group therapy aimed at educating clients about their conditions and how to cope. While creating a psychoeducational group…
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During my fourth semester of the Psychiatric Nursing program, we took a medical‑surgical nursing course. All the rumours I had heard about the course were true: it was intense, challenging, and at times, downright gruelling. The thick book and technical content intimidated me. After all, I took this program because I wanted to work with people, not their guts! However,…
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PART I – May 2018 I can’t describe my third semester Psychiatric Nursing Labs without first introducing my lab instructor, Anne Burlington. Anne is a smiling, welcoming and funny person who loves to teach. She’s a world traveller with great stories about her adventures, and she made learning fun by putting together amazing presentations. With a medical surgical lab it’s…
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Getting sick was one of my biggest fears going through the Psychiatric Nursing Diploma program. There’s no such thing as a week off mid-semester in a fast-paced program. When I got a respiratory infection a few weeks into my fourth semester, I was terrified that it was going to compromise my success. I couldn’t believe my body would let me…
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Remember our Psychiatric Nursing blogger, Elizabeth? She’s written some amazing pieces for us, such as, Learning how to fail: The key to surviving my first semester, My first clinical experience in Psychiatric Nursing, and 8 essential elements for a productive workspace. We’re not the only people who love Elizabeth’s writing. Check out the piece below that she wrote for her…
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At the end of the first semester, Psychiatric Nursing students shadow care aids as part of their clinical experience to learn the basics of patient care…or so I thought. I can confidently say my experience at practicum expanded way beyond the basic of patient care. Although my first clinical experience cannot easily be summarized into a single page, there are a few major components I would like to share.
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My first failing mark was for the participation of a discussion forum within a few weeks of starting the Psychiatric Nursing course. I had completely forgotten to do my peer posts in one of my classes, which are expected every week by noon on Sundays. I resolved that I would never fail again… and then I did. The second time…
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Attending the BC Nurses’ Union (BCNU) Human Rights and Equity conference was an impactful and overwhelmingly informative experience. Last summer, I registered as a BCNU student member, as membership is free for students. Shortly after applying for membership I became aware of the upcoming conference and decided I wanted to go. So, I sent in my application to attend the…
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Taking online classes means spending a lot of time in front of a computer screen. As a Psychiatric Nursing student on a limited budget, I have explored some digital screen-free tactics to keep myself entertained during school breaks or during my leisure time. I’ve canvassed my friends and fellow students to help me compile a list of inexpensive or free…
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During the first two months of school into the Psychiatric Nursing Program, my home was in chaos. I moved into an unfinished house and was renovating it while trying to get my schoolwork done. It became clear pretty quickly that the living room couch was not the ideal place to motivate myself to focus. I set out to create an…
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