On this episode, we peek behind the curtain of the locked unit. Joining us to discuss psychiatric nursing was special guest, Sarah Richards, MSN, PMHNP-BC, who has worked as both an inpatient and outpatient psych nurse during her career. Calling on her unique experiences, Sarah sheds light on typical psych nursing patient populations, understanding psych ward codes, the effects of COVID on the psychiatric health community, and more. 

We Discuss

• (0:00) An introduction to Sarah and her nursing background 
• (4:44) The typical patient population for inpatient and outpatient psych nursing
• (10:29) How to address psychiatric patients 
• (18:20) Understanding psych ward codes 
• (22:09) The importance of specialty therapists in psych nursing 
• (25:22) Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS)
• (37:09) Memorable stories from outpatient psych nursing 
• (39:44) COVID effects on the inpatient psych community
• (45:43) The challenges and rewards of being a psych nurse 
• (50:56) Areas of improvement for the psych nursing discipline
• (54:31) Advice for prospective psych nurses 

About Sarah Riggleman Richards, MSN, PMHNP-BC

Sarah Richards is a newly certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She has seven years of psychiatric nursing experience, including four years working in an acute inpatient psychiatric hospital setting and three years of community case management. Sarah will be starting the next step of her career at an outpatient community clinic in Boston, where she currently resides with her husband and their three-legged golden retriever, Sydney. You can keep up with Sarah by following her on:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

About the Show

Producer – Jonathan Cary 

Assistant Producer – Katie Schrauben

Assistant Producer – Sam MacKay 

Music & Editing – Aidan Dykes 

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About Ann

Ann King, a seasoned travel nurse with a remarkable 14-year track record, has dedicated the past 13+ years to specializing in Neonatal ICU. Ann has been traveling with AMN Healthcare for 5+ years, enriching her expertise with diverse experiences. Currently residing in San Diego, Ann not only thrives in her nursing career but also serves as the host of the Nursing Uncharted podcast, where she shares invaluable insights and stories from the world of nursing.

Connect with Ann on Instagram: @annifer05

Are you interested in coming on as a guest? Send us a message at [email protected]
 

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