Future Shortage in Bedside Nurses

[westieluv]

I have been an RN for 22 years. In recent years, we all know that the trend has been for acute inpatient facilities to try to hire BSN nurses as much as possible. However, another trend that I am seeing, both here on these forums and in the places where I have worked, is that most of the young BSN nurses have no desire to do bedside nursing any longer than they have to. All I seem to hear is that they all want to either move into a management position or go back to school to become an NP or CRNA. Even the ones who haven't voiced those goals have expressed a great contempt for bedside Med/Surg nursing and want to work in specialty areas such as OB. The thought process seems to be that they didn't go to school for four years "just to" care for sick people at the bedside. If this continues, it seems that there is going to be a great shortage of bedside nurses in the near future as more and more of the "old school" nurses retire.

Does anyone else see this where you work? What happens to the army when everyone wants to be a general and no one wants to be a foot soldier? I'm just curious. I have over 100 undergrad college credits that I could apply towards a BSN, but at this point in my career, I just want to finish out my years as a nurse taking care of people who need help. Never had any desire to climb the ladder whatsoever. Are any of you new grads in the same boat, where you would be contented to do bedside nursing for the foreseeable future, or is being a bedside nurse becoming passe'?

[Palliative Care, DNP]

I am one of those waiting to move on. I have worked bedside as an ADN and a BSN. It stinks! There is never enough help and the list of things I am supposed to do in order to provide "Excellence in Every Way" grows longer by the day. It is unrealistic to say the least. As soon as I complete my DNP program in 2015 the floor has lost another one

[DoGoodThenGo]

IMHO the whole rush away from the bedside and or into AP progams is the logical progression of what one calls the"medicalisation of the nursing profession".

Years ago when nurses wore whites and caps and ran around saying "yes, doctor" and performing "pillow plumping" tasks (ok, yes there was more but am keeping it simple here, *LOL*), everyone knew what they they did and those entering the profession had no illusions as to what they would be doing for a living. If any did they surely had their eyes opened by the first week of clinicals for Med-SurgI which usually involved bedmaking, bedmaking, more bedmaking, bathing patients and other nursing tasks commonly now deemed "aide's work".

Then came the 1980's and introduction of AP nurses along with granting RNs with such training permission to step into what formerly had been the strict domain of physicans (writing of scripts and so forth), that was the beginning and ever since there seems to have been a push from certain quarters to define bedside nursing as something dirty and the *true* new role of a professional RN was the quasi-physican role of NP or some such.

Nursing in the media is no longer portrayed by and large as the caring and selfless "handmaiden" but a highly trained/specialised "medical" professional responding to various crises.

No one is saying nursing today is or should return to the days of old, but the sad thing is many of those seeking to enter the profession see only the "ER" side of things. They have no idea where a nurse's hands must go and do on a daily basis. Sadly what often passes for clinical experience for students these days does nothing to shed light on the subject.

The current healthcare debate didn't do bedside nursing any huge favours either. Much of the focus and new funding is going towards increasing the number of AP nurses to fill in the voids of physican provided healthcare. When you do hear about bedside nursing from this administration it is the "nursing shortage" line and how more ADN nurses must be cranked out via community colleges both to solve that problem and to address the needs of the unemployed, laid off, and under employed.

[tigerlogic]

As BSN programs become more competitive, only the most ambitious students are getting in. My ABSN program had a higher entering GPA than the med school. Most of us decided if we want to be nurses or doctors and decided on nursing for x,y,z. As part of that we've all considered how much responsibility and automomy we want. Rumor had it that talking about wanting to be a leader was more likely to get you in. Therefore nursing admission boards are selecting for those that see bedside as a temporary part of their career, rather than the end game.

[DoGoodThenGo]

I am one of those waiting to move on. I have worked bedside as an ADN and a BSN. It stinks! There is never enough help and the list of things I am supposed to do in order to provide "Excellence in Every Way" grows longer by the day. It is unrealistic to say the least. As soon as I complete my DNP program in 2015 the floor has lost another one

Am willing to bet there are plenty of current nurses and potential ones that would be happy to devote their entire career to the bedside, if only they were allowed to get on in peace. All they ask is proper professional, financial and administrative support up to and including a bit of recognition now and then for a job well done. But no for far to many the reality is they are stuck in conditions that resemble the Second Pouch of Dante's Inferno.

[Guest343211]

Apparently there are a few MD programs that feel the same way. Who knew?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/30/nyregion/30medschools.html?pagewanted=all

This will not become the rule, at least not any time soon.

Truth is, if people struggle with academic Bio I, II, Chem I, II, Organic Chem I, II, and Physics I and II, they are going to have a seriously hard time with the rapid fire onslaught of medical school courses and preparing for Steps.

There is a reason they suggest pre-meds take Biochemistry.

The hoop jumping doesn't stop after you get into Med School at all, either, that is, if you do get in.

Allopathic schools--> competitive is at least cGPA of 3.6 w/ sGPA of 3.5 and up, and a MCAT score > 30, with no area

At a $100,000 - 200,000 debt load for med schools, minus undergrad or any other grad school amounts, and well as lost wages and other costs, meds schools are not likely to change pre-med requirements.

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

I am devoid of ambition An associate degree has served me well. As others have already posted, we can't all be chiefs. I don't love bedside nursing, but I hate the alternative.

I wish all of those who pursue an advanced degree the best of luck.

I'll still be at the bedside when you get out of school, and start writing orders for me to carry out.

[wisdomhunter]

I am working on my BSN and had to take it to even be considered for the program.

[Aeterna, BSN, RN]

I'm in the same boat of having little to no ambition to go higher xD I have my BSN because, here in Ontario, most hospitals are moving towards requiring a BSN to work as a nurse (I only graduated 2 years ago). I don't even think there are diploma level nursing schools being offered anymore - they are either all university programs or program shared by a university and college, although both would lead to a degree.

I know lots of nurses around my age who are aiming for their Master's. Me? I hated hated hated school and have no desire to go back to it, at least for the next few years. Don't get me wrong. I don't hate school because I was bad at it. I graduated summa cum laude and was on the Dean's List for 3 out of my 4 years in university. I just hate the repetitive work, the endless hours of sludging through research papers, and writing essays that aren't going to see the light of day once they're graded. I much prefer being around and about, working with my hands, and interacting with people.

Still, I'm not sure if I want to stay at the bedside forever, but I can foresee being there for a while longer, just perhaps with a different focus. I've done med/onco for the last 2 years and I'm ready to try something different, maybe a surgical floor, just for the change in pace and to find a slightly different skill set. Perhaps when I'm older and slowing down, I'll look into teaching (because I've been told I'd make a good teacher and it does appeal to me).

[anotherone, BSN, RN]

i have a bsn and I have no clue what I want to do. Never saw myself doing anything specific or exclusively. I work in med surg and MANY leave fast for greener pastures. LD, ER and ICU especially. Bsn or not , althought most have their bsn because there aren't many asn or diploma programs around. I almost feel as if there is some contempt from other nurses towards those that work in med surg and LTC even amoung those in the same facility. I can't think of any who have gone back to school although there is a new grad who is in some program for a NP. People leave because there are smaller ratios on those other specialites and those areas excite or interest the more than the repetitiveness of med surg. Any nurse I can think of who has left, has gone on to another area in nursing that is still at the bedside even if it is a LD or post partum bed or well baby bed lol. During clinicals I did meet some nures who still worked as staff nures do to their own choice who had MSN degrees.

[anotherone, BSN, RN]

There is a nursing shortage at the bedside because nurses get tired of being treated like crap. They get treated unfairly by patients, families,supervisors, and co workers.

Who is going to stay in that environment.

I recently was literally cursed out by a nursing shift supervisor for no good reason. If I had cursed her out I would have been fired.

There were even wittnesses. She still has a job and is allowed to be part of my evaluation. I am stuck in this profession as this is all I have ever done for over 20 years.

I need the pay check.

ALL of those on my floor with more than 20 years of experience have done something outside of bedside, I believe. I dunno who can handle it for 20-30 years either. I notice that the whole staff is about 0-7 years in experience and then a few with over 20years. Where do those in the middle go? interesting.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

I've noticed that some people seem to criticize others for wanting a higher degree, and/ or to leave bedside nursing. Please keep in mind that professional development is a personal choice. As I mentioned in an earlier post, more nurses would willingly stay on acute/ med surg floors if the working conditions were better. Sure, it's very noble to care for others....but not at the expense of your own health.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

I think the hospitals are to blame for the mass exodus of new BSN grads going on to MSN/NP because of the poor working condtions, understaffing, and cost cutting and poor treatment of RN's and workers in general! If hospitals cleaned up their act, hired adequate staff and stopped micromanaging their employees more would stay! Also invested in a safe no lift environment with adequate lift equipment so someone is not looking over their shoulder for a back/neck injury waiting to happen! It is really their own fault they can't keep staff!

Unless things change, floor nursing will basically be a "paid" residency for the majority of nurses climbing the ladder for something better and you can't blame them for that!