Practising and learning

W is my first PSY patient that I encountered firsthand as a staff. Wow. Pretty challenging at first. For a moment, I had to realign myself back from a busy medical ward setting to a psych mind. In an instant, all my training in Psy was brought to a test. I was tested on my ability to communicate with a patient who is clearly paranoid and deluded. At the same time, not forgetting about doing MSE and assessing the patient, with safety always at the back of my mind. Stages of violence, communicating with a deluded patient, verbal; physical; chemical restraints, harm to self/others assesment, physical distance; angle; environment awareness; exit point access, dos & don'ts in managing a deluded, potentially violent patient flashed across my mind in an instant. Suddeny, I was placed in a situation where my ability to manage an acute phrase of ?psychosis depended upon whatever training I had while I was doing my psychiatric posting as a student. Thank God everything went well at the end though a huge commotion arose with reinforcements being called in for assistance. 


I was so glad that I've been trained quite well in psychiatry by my profs in both nursing and medicine and the really good exposure during my time in IMH. And of course, not forgetting my wonderful CI, Singa who guided me with great patience and lots lots lots of encouragement :) Thank you for teaching and showing me the ropes in psych as a student such that I could confidently handle a case as an RN now. Thank you, my Lord who gave me all the reasons to learn psych and to apply it in a way that allows me to manage a patient as a person loved by you. Thank you, dearest, who studied and revised psych with me when I was doing my training and for providing all the books, movies to aid in my learning. And for being there to discuss about many issues pertaining to this challenging discipline such that I could integrate my faith well into the practise of psych in the medical world. And yes, to all my fellow classmates who made learning so intriguing and fun ( what with all the exaggerated role plays and funny things done during lab sessions :) And and and, to all my patients in IMH who so openly shared their thoughts and experiences with me such that I was able to have a small, tiny glimpse into their world. It has been such a privilege and I have definitely learned the most from you guys!

It was great to know that having the attitude of learning as much as possible given the short time as well as circumstances in NUS paid off well even though many of us longed for a longer course period. Yet, learning never stops after graduating. In fact, I feel so much like a year one student all over again. I've been revisting all the modules that I have been studying in yr 1- professional issues and practices, medical ethics, therapeutic communication, basic nursing skills, anatomy & physiology, pharmaco blah blah blah.... Just that things learnt are now practised much more from the heart rather than just from the brain :) Real life situations with added on responsibilities.
Its exciting to learn continously and to be a student forever. Guess what? I have never graduated from nursing school. I'm still a student and will always be student for life :)