Call me naive, but maybe someone could explain something to me:
Why, in our profession, is it considered advanced NURSING practice to leave the bedside? The ADN goes in, does a shift, cares for his or her patient load, uses all their competency to care for real people in real beds.
But then the BSN comes along and wants to be manager, and that's considered "more professional." But that BSN isn't at the bedside anymore.
But then the BSN becomes an NP, and now they're practicing low-skilled medicine, which isn't nursing at all! But they are the "Advanced Practitioners?"
I understand nurses at the bedside. I understand, perhaps older nurses who can't do the physical stuff anymore, getting advanced degrees so they can teach nursing. And I get that someone on any unit, has to be the manager. But all of that focuses on the support and instruction of the bedside nurse.
Seriously, wouldn't technical nursing certifications like ACLS and CCRN (or the other specialty certifications) really be what makes a nurse "Advanced."
I mean if my name looks like this:
EGspirit, MS, APRN, ACNS-BC, CEN, FAWM, FAAN
am I even a nurse anymore?
Why can't caring be the profession and leave medicine and surgery to the doctors, and the Ph.Ds to the Nursing school professors? Wouldn't being really good at running a code or starting an IV, or even being really effective at feeding and bathing a patient be the definition of the advanced nurse?
Why in our profession are we always running away from the bedside? I mean, why be in the profession?
Just wondering and looking for opinions on the matter.