Is Bedside Nursing Really for me?

Nurses General Nursing

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I find myself asking the Age old question we New graduates seem to ask after ourselves after the first year of working as a bedside nurse....Is Bedside nursing really for me. Sure I love my patients, but is the stress really worth it. Is the Drama really what I want to deal with. Could I do this for the rest of my life?

Can you be a parent without doing any childcare?

I like to think that a bit of drama makes a job more interesting.

Consider also numbers. Of all the nursing jobs available(especially for a new grad), what percent of them involve bedside care?

Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

I am always mystified by people that go into nursing but don't want to take care of patients.

I am always mystified by people that go into nursing but don't want to take care of patients.

Why?

There are many fields of nursing that don't require patient contact... Working for insurance companies... Legal nursing... Administrative nursing...

We are not living in the mid 1900's where nurses have to fit into one certain mold (wearing funny hats with white tights)

The nursing field has come a loooong way

Obviously nursing ain't for the person who despises patients/working with sick people, but not everyone has to love the bedside to be a nurse

Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

It would be like saying you want to teach kindergarten but you don't want to deal with little kids.

Specializes in Anesthesia, ICU, PCU.

It's not really that complicated. Nursing schools don't put you in full time work weeks, on night shift, weekends, and holidays... and you're not the sole person responsible for patients' lives as a student. Many people are also entering their first professional job with structured management and all the stressors that come with that. Once a new grad is out in the real world there's a huge culture shock, so I don't find it all that "mystifying" that they externalize these new stressors towards the one thing that caused them: their job.

It would be like saying you want to teach kindergarten but you don't want to deal with little kids.

I respectfully disagree for the reasons outlined in my above post

Being a kindergarten teacher means you HAVE to be around kids. Nursing doesn't NECESSARILY mean you need to be at the bedside.

Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

No but not being able to tolerate patient care seems odd to me. To each his own I guess. I love taking care of my people,I can't imagine not wanting to. this is what I went to school for.

Nobody can answer this question but you. Most days do you enjoy your job? If you say yes then I think you are in the right place. If you hate what you do, can't shake the stress after your shift is over, or dread going to work then I'd say maybe you should explore your options.

There are many opportunities for nurses out there that don't involve working in a hospital or nursing home. If you like patient care, but don't like being in the hospital then you could consider working in a clinic or doing home health. Most areas outside of the hospital will want you to have bare minimum 1 year of acute care experience, some areas require much more. Read the different speciality boards here on AN and you can learn about what is out there, that may help you decide.

Good Luck!!

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Nobody can answer this question but you. Most days do you enjoy your job? If you say yes then I think you are in the right place. If you hate what you do, can't shake the stress after your shift is over, or dread going to work then I'd say maybe you should explore your options.

There are many opportunities for nurses out there that don't involve working in a hospital or nursing home. If you like patient care, but don't like being in the hospital then you could consider working in a clinic or doing home health. Most areas outside of the hospital will want you to have bare minimum 1 year of acute care experience, some areas require much more. Read the different speciality boards here on AN and you can learn about what is out there, that may help you decide.

Good Luck!!

This.

It is important to find our what the actual "stress" is.

There is not one particular specialty of nursing that has some kind of "stress"; I have worked in LTC, Home Health (PD and Skilled Visits), Clinics, Rehab, Post Acute/Skilled, Peds, Step Down and dabbled with Critical care; have been a supervisor and even did Medicare Chart reviews; each have their own stressors as far as how one approaches what the territory lays in front of us, and what and how we handle it; you will have to make decisions as far as what would help you hone your practice enough to be able to thrive in whatever specialty you choose; and that isn't something that comes overnight, and not always at your first position.

Whatever the case may be, figure out what and the WHY that would help hone your practice, leave work at work and go from there, research if you must; you have all the cards to decide your career decision.

Specializes in geriatrics.

Unfortunately, there are very few ideal jobs. Every job has issues of some kind. Think about your career goals and start planning, but realize that many of those non-bedside roles require 3-5 years of nursing experience.

YOU are the only that can answer those questions.

The stress and drama of bedside nursing will only continue to increase.

Having one year of experience will limit you in your options.... but they ARE out there.

Search diligently, plan carefully.... there are options available to you.

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