This week I encounter a 22-year-old single female patient who was hospitalized following suicidal gesture and ideation. At home she very stressed out due to much pressure put on her by the family. Notably, here family has financial difficulties, which means she will not be joining college even after graduating. The patient was sent to an emergency room after threatening to kill herself. She was discharged with Abilify 7.5 mg and referred to our outpatient psychiatric unit. During therapy, she explained to my preceptor and I why she had suicide ideation and gesture, stating that all her friends are to join college but she cannot because her family is facing financial difficulties and they are saying they cannot afford it. So, hydroxyzine 25 mg was prescribed in addition to Abilify. Additionally, we recommended her Neuropsych to be performed to prevent autism spectrum for hallucination.
As a PMHNP student with little prior psychiatric experience, more so with client that have suicidal ideation, my initial attitude towards people with such mental health problem was almost the same as that held by the general public. At first, I felt anxious and unprepared however, with the positive relationship I have developed with my preceptor, I gained confidence that improved my clinical experience. Under the preceptor supervision, we diagnosed and recommended appropriate medications to the patients. After the experience I feel more empathetic to build a trusting connection with clients and understand what they are experiencing. I have also become more flexible, and going forward I will be enthusiastic to engage more in participative learning.
Write a comment: