PSYCHIATRIC NURSING

Dee Guttau is a nurse on the psychiatric ward of Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs. She is one of about fifty hospital staff who provide healthcare to patients in need of treatment for various psychiatric disorders. Dee explained that there are 29 beds for in-hospital treatment, which averages just over a week per patient, and most patients are treated on an out-patient basis. Most patients seek treatment voluntarily, Dee noted. Patients under the influence of mind altering drugs and deemed to be dangerous to themselves or others are usual candidates for involuntary treatment. Dee explained most patients are treated for depression. Other patient disorders such as Schizophrenia, Manic-Depressive, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity are also treated by the psychiatric staff. Dee noted that Jennie Edmundson was on of few facilities in the region qualified to treat patients with dual disorders.