Psych Setting Activities

[Christina75457]

Hello everyone.
Im a RN new to the psych setting.
Ive recently taken a job in a mental facility where they treat all ages.
I work with adults and children.
Each day I work I am to have a "nursing hour' where I do an activity of my choice with the patients.
On the SCU untit, I work with adults that have split personalities, severe depression, complte breaks, those detoxing, etc... not high functioning.
On the PCU I work with patients that have voluntairly checked themselves in b/c they feel depressesd and or suicidal.
On the YCU I work with kids from age 4 to 16 that have every diagnosis you can imagine!
Anyone have any suggestions as to where I could find some ideas for activities? They dont have to last a full hour. Some of the hour can be discussing the activities results.
For example, with the youth last week, I drew an outline of a T-Shirt to cover a full piece of 8x11 paper, copied it several times, cut the T-Shirt out and asked them all to draw what they would like everyone to know about them. I got shirts with I Love God to thier favorite foods.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Christina

[hppygr8ful]

Hello everyone.
Im a RN new to the psych setting.
Ive recently taken a job in a mental facility where they treat all ages.
I work with adults and children.
Each day I work I am to have a "nursing hour' where I do an activity of my choice with the patients.
On the SCU untit, I work with adults that have split personalities, severe depression, complte breaks, those detoxing, etc... not high functioning.
On the PCU I work with patients that have voluntairly checked themselves in b/c they feel depressesd and or suicidal.
On the YCU I work with kids from age 4 to 16 that have every diagnosis you can imagine!
Anyone have any suggestions as to where I could find some ideas for activities? They dont have to last a full hour. Some of the hour can be discussing the activities results.
For example, with the youth last week, I drew an outline of a T-Shirt to cover a full piece of 8x11 paper, copied it several times, cut the T-Shirt out and asked them all to draw what they would like everyone to know about them. I got shirts with I Love God to thier favorite foods.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Christina

Hi Christina,

I have been working in a similar setting for about two years though I seem be dealing with a Middle to High Acuity (Mid to low fucntioning) One of the things my patients like a lot is Kareoke (sp?). I also do a community group to get the patients to talk about their goals for the day. I find I learn more about my patients by seeing how they respond to various group setting. Occasionally I will take groups of 2-3 patients to walk on the grounds. The more relaxed and comfortable the setting the more you learn about your patients.

Hope this helps

hppygr8ful

[sereneintexas]

Hi Christina ~~ My teenage girls like to dance. They don't care that they have no boys to dance with, they dance with one another.
They also like to decorate their own journals. We give them each a clothe bound composition book, varous colored solid and print pieces of paper and glue. My kids are highest functioning on campus so they can use blunt sizzors with very close supervision. They cut out pieces of colored paper, different shapes, and decorate the covers of the composition books and use them for journaling.