Letter to the editor: UPMC needs to prioritize Western Psych, especially treatment for kids
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Adolescent psychiatric care is my passion. In my career as a psychiatric nurse, I’ve seen young patients’ lives transformed when nurses have adequate resources to provide care. With the right treatment, kids grow up to find careers, lasting relationships, stability and purpose.
But the amount of patients I have to take care of in my current position at UPMC Western Psych makes it very difficult to provide the therapeutic interventions they desperately need.
In my previous job in adolescent psych at a non-UPMC facility, I usually had about six patients per shift. That allowed me to talk them down if they were in crisis, hear them out if they wanted to talk, express understanding and help them practice coping skills.
At Western Psych, I have more than double that workload, usually 15 patients. There’s not much time for anything other than the bare bones of giving them meds.
There is an epidemic of mental illness for kids in our country, and it’s getting worse. UPMC must do its part and invest in making sure Western Psych is fully staffed to address this crisis.
Marah McDonald
Oakland