Climbing the clinical ladder shows dedication and progressive comprehension of the specialty. My experience as a Mental Health Nursing Assistant served as a wonderful introduction to the natural rhythm of an acute, inpatient psychiatric/substance abuse care setting as well as the complexity of varying mental health and substance abuse disorders. My scope of practice allowed me to work intimately with patients and their families, which I greatly enjoyed. I believe my work experience as an NA also helped prepare me for a smooth transition into a well-rounded mental health nursing …show more content…
Working on an acute mixed disorders unit presents the unique challenge of assisting each individual to achieve their specific treatment goals while prioritizing care for up to nineteen other patients with very diverse needs and in different stages of treatment. In order to provide holistic care, I take the time to interview the patient, get to know them, and integrate any pertinent medical/physical data into my assessment in order to understand the complete clinical picture. Many of our patients may not be able to express themselves accurately or well, so I must rely on that special, inquisitive, perceptive intuition that only nurses possess in order to intensely assess and treat