Bedside

Honestly the biggest thing that gets someone away from the bedside is nursing experience.

I am not sure what you mean by "bedside nurse". Nurses who work "at the bedside" include all nurses who provide direct patient care. This includes outpatient areas, OR, recovery room etc. Anywhere that a nurse is going to care for a patient.

Nurses who provide direct patient care are usually non-exempt, meaning they are paid hourly. Rates depend on your years of experience and the shift that you work. Plus, you usually receive additional pay when you work a weekend.

Nurses who do not work providing direct patient care is usually management staff, nurses who do quality review, employee health, etc. Some of those positions will be exempt meaning the nurse is paid a flat salary. This is common for management positions.

Salaires are usually better in areas of the country where nurses are part of a union.

I would consider anyone with direct patient care a "bedside" nurse. Doesn't matter if it's in the OR, ER, Outpt, school nurse, etc.

I always thought "at bedside" meant literally at the bed. From your examples, I would think that OR and outpatient would not be considered bedside. Recovery and ER is sort of a gray area in that respect. School nursing would be one area that you didn't mention that I wouldn't not consider "bedside" either.

I'm interested in other experienced nurses' definition of "bedside" too.

I think the term bedside nursing is most commonly used to indicate hands-on, direct patient care. OR and ER are most definitely hands-on, bedside nursing. Recovery (PACU) is a critical care area and therefore definitely "bedside" as well. Same for some, but not all outpatient positions -- "outpatient" is a broad term that could include a non-hospital surgi-center or outpatient surgery -- but many nurses in those specialty areas are again, very much providing hands-on direct patient care at the bedside.

School nursing is probably not categorized as bedside nursing, though it does include some hands-on direct patient care.

Honestly the biggest thing that gets someone away from the bedside is nursing experience.

That is sort of sad.... the biggest thing that gets a nurse away from the bedside is experience.... Isn't that where we need our most experienced nurses?