Clinical

I have been assigned to the inpatient adolescent unit. All in all, not bad. For the most part I can already see that in many cases these kids are getting actual help and they are learning coping skills there. Part of my frustration is that I feel because of my experience so many cases of childhood psychiatric disorders are greatly influenced by the home environment - if it had been up to my mother I probably would have been placed in an institution indefinitely and permanently put on antipsychotic drugs. What would a place like this have done for me? I guess they'd medicate me and have sent me right back, because what else can they do if there is no outward easily diagnosable abuse or neglect? And so often the parent gives the "psychiatric history" in pediatric cases.

I don't honestly know what "should" happen in cases like this, as opposed to what currently happens. I recognize the system is set up for functioning families and that in healthy families where the parents are not trying to be martyred or trying to scapegoat the children there is nothing to fear from such an arrangement, and that the worst that can happen is that someone is medicated for a condition they may not have, and this is probably better than not medicating the people who ARE sick.

I just really dislike this clinical. It's been one day and I am already counting down. I suppose I have been lucky to have mostly had clinical rotations I like so far, but this one is going to be really hard for me. To top it off, I don't understand what I am supposed to be learning here. I don't understand the role of the nurse there.