I'm in an RN program and I could use a little advice. Before starting the RN program, I worked in a hospital as a nurse aide in med-surg and hated it. I also work in a primary care clinic (mostly in pediatrics, some in family practice) as a medical scribe and I really enjoy it. It's early at this point and I just finished my rotation at a SNF, but I still dislike everything about bedside care.
I really like the patient flow and the vibe of the community clinic I work at. Patients come in, they get help, then they leave instead of needing to be tended to and monitored all day and all night. Obviously there are patients who need to be in hospital, and those hospital nurses are great, but I don't feel like that's a good fit for me personally. My clinic job is not easy and most days everyone hustles pretty much all day. We see about three patients per hour depending on complexity, but generally we see them one at a time. My previous job at the hospital was just crazy busy, especially for aides like me with 10 to 12 patients each. I'm never doing that again if I can help it.
Should I try for a new grad job in public health or primary care without doing time in a hospital first? I could probably do a couple years in hospital if absolutely necessary to gain experience, but I'd rather not. In the hospital setting I felt stretched too thin with too many patients to care for at once, and the nurses were not impressed with my performance (mainly my speed) even after a year. In the community clinic, it took only a few months before everyone respected me and wanted me to be their scribe. I'm very concerned that if my first job is in a hospital, I'll do poorly and get a reputation for mediocrity that might have a lasting negative effect on my nursing career.
I'm a bit torn by what I hear about the ICU. It's bedside care but only one or two patients at a time, and I've heard you get great experience doing detailed assessments which increases your medical knowledge. However the ICU patients are fragile and very ill, so they have multiple problems to manage and as a new grad maybe i would not have the necessary knowledge to care for them.
At the clinic where I work they just hired a new grad RN to train as a pediatric triage nurse, so I know at least a few of those jobs are out there. However, they tried this several months ago with another new grad RN and she quit for a hospital job saying she felt like she needed the experience. The veteran pediatric triage nurse does have misgivings about new grads in triage without hospital experience. The RNs in the clinic do mostly triage and case management but also help with catheterization, etc. I actually love talking to patients. My dream job would probably involve wellness checkups, triage and patient education.
Helpful advice is much appreciated. Telling me I'm lazy for wanting a day shift clinic job or that I simply won't be a real nurse if I don't do bedside care is probably less helpful, but if that's the way you feel go ahead and share. I'm so sorry for this long post I can't stop writing! Thank you for any help!
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
If you love working in primary clinic adn being a scribe, why not just get your MA and continue with that? What's the draw to nursing?
Bad Wi Fi day....thought I posted this earlier...but it didn't post...
I agree you sound like you should be an MA rather than a nurse.
Are y'all referring to medical assistants when you mention 'MA'? If so, I'd recommend the MA route only if income will never be a priority.
Most MAs are paid less than $15/hr in the majority of employment markets. Although some MAs are paid handsomely, they tend to live in high cost-of-living locales such as NYC or San Francisco.
Job availability is also an issue. I completed a medical assisting program 16 years ago and was never able to work as one. Competition in that particular market (Southern California) was too fierce for me, an inexperienced MA, to come out on top.
It seems I've seen more threads lately from potential nurses that don't really want to work as nurses. It may not be impossible to find work away from bedside nursing right out of school, but I don't think that it is likely. I guess my question to you and the others that are posting this question is if you really don't ever want to work providing patient care as a nurse, why would you even want to be a nurse?
It seems I've seen more threads lately from potential nurses that don't really want to work as nurses. It may not be impossible to find work away from bedside nursing right out of school, but I don't think that it is likely. I guess my question to you and the others that are posting this question is if you really don't ever want to work providing patient care as a nurse, why would you even want to be a nurse?
This is 'cause now everybody knows that "there are 500 things you can do as a nurse", so apparently everyone should be able to pick up something he or she truly enjoys. Which is very much the truth, just not complete one. 495 of these things require either BSN, MSN, DNP, just experience (anywhere from 6 months to 10 years), experience in a particular area, particular skills, particular connections, etc. Or any combination of the above. And all of that becomes suddenly dawning right after you find yourself exactly in that gray zone between "a new grad who knows nuthin" and "she sure knows quite a lot" while quietly hating every moment in your nursing life.
Home health, hospice, school nurse, camp nurse and health department to name a few other options. you also have contacts at the clinic you are at so maybe network to get hired there - even as a new grad. Most home health and hospice agencies want some experience but it's still possible. Dialysis is another option as some offer the training.
As far as UR or CM, at least where I live the RN has to have experience AND be certified.
Even if it's "possible" it is NOT good advice. Home health ,school nursing, and camp nursing require assessment skills that require a lot of experience. The nurse will be the only health care professional assessing the kidlet/patient.
I tried home health care after 20+ years of experience... did not want to stick my neck out that far... for $40 a visit.
Money is the main answer to why I don't remain a scribe, though intellectual and career growth are also part of it. Where I work medical assistants and scribes make $12 to $14 an hour with zero advancement opportunities. That's just not what I consider a living wage for an adult.
Many good questions have been asked and most of them also answered on this thread - thank you! I'm thinking public health at this point, but I will keep my eyes and ears open for a variety of opportunities. If I could land the job and keep the pace, I'd love to get ER experience also. Thanks again, everyone!
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Money is the main answer to why I don't remain a scribe, though intellectual and career growth are also part of it. Where I work medical assistants and scribes make $12 to $14 an hour with zero advancement opportunities. That's just not enough money.
I entered nursing for the pay, advancement opportunities, flexibility, career mobility, and educational progression. So far I've reaped all of these benefits from my nursing career and have no regrets.
I entered nursing for the pay, advancement opportunities, flexibility, career mobility, and educational progression. So far I've reaped all of these benefits from my nursing career and have no regrets.
But did you go into nursing with OP's aversion to patient care?
Well, I entered the nursing with 110% understanding that I will stay bedside no one day longer than absolutely necessary to pay for my NP. And I had first year experience worth to write a horror novel about. But now, when I am on my way to NP, I am still working, and not for money but for that particular place and these very particular people.
I entered nursing for the pay, advancement opportunities, flexibility, career mobility, and educational progression. So far I've reaped all of these benefits from my nursing career and have no regrets.
No shame in that!
Nursing is a highly stressful job, and nurses in general are severely underpaid for what is expected.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
But did you go into nursing with OP's aversion to patient care?
Nope. I didn't enter nursing with an aversion to direct patient care. However, over time I began to strongly dislike patient care and recently left the bedside due to it.
NursesRmofun, ASN, RN
1,239 Posts
Bad Wi Fi day....thought I posted this earlier...but it didn't post...
I agree you sound like you should be an MA rather than a nurse.