Can I find a "desk" RN job without experience

Nurses Career Support

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Hi fellow community,

I've held my RN liscense (with a BSN) for a year now. I only have experience in outpatient dialysis clinic. No hospital/acute care once so ever. I have not found a job in the hospital yet. I can barely stand my job now. It's not challenging, it doesn't build any nursing skills, and seems like a dead end job. Oh, and the hours are crazy (usually waking up a 3am and home by 8pm. I have known since the begining of RN school, that I do not like direct patient care. I always had plans of getting a few years of hospital floor nursing experience then moving on to case management, triage, outpatient surgery, insurance nurse, or educator. But again, the hospital barely hire new grads, without experience. Catch 22! How come in other careers it is okay for a entry level grad to desire a 9-5 job, behind a desk/management, but in nursing, the experienced RN's think the new grads are being too picky, or arrogant because we value our degree versus experience. I understand the nursing is as much skills, as brains, but I value my happiness, to take just anything to eventually reach the top. Is it too soon to be searching for that desk RN job?

Thank you all for advising me to have my email address removed. I'm new at this social media type communication��. I also thank the staff��

Specializes in MedSurg, PACU, Maternal/Child Health.

your local craigslist and also Volunteer, work, intern, organize, hire and connect. Change the world - idealist.org posts many RN jobs that are case management/RN desk jobs. Of course with craigslist, only apply to those who identify themselves as in what agency they are etc and have a real email address (not an anonoymous email that ends in @craigslist.org) just for safety that you are not sending your resume to a scammer.

Isn't he cute?

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Specializes in Med-surg, home care.

OP why did you become a nurse if you only like desk jobs? I am not a nurse but isn't nursing primarily a direct contact profession? Most jobs i see for nurses are patient contact so while there is nothing wrong with "desk jobs" they seem to be minority in nursing profession and for those with experience. I am actually interested on nursing because it isn't a desk job (currently in one). You either have to wait it out or try something else. Good luck

Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
OP why did you become a nurse if you only like desk jobs? I am not a nurse but isn't nursing primarily a direct contact profession? Most jobs i see for nurses are patient contact so while there is nothing wrong with "desk jobs" they seem to be minority in nursing profession and for those with experience. I am actually interested on nursing because it isn't a desk job (currently in one). You either have to wait it out or try something else. Good luck

The OP started this thread four years ago and hasn't been on AN in over 6 months. I don't think you will be getting a response

Specializes in Med-surg, home care.

justbeachynurse I just realized this was an old thread! Thanks

WOW! I think you covered it all! But the MOST IMPORTANT thing was having respect for the nurses who have been doing the job for 15-20 yrs. You won't find a better source of information than the nurses who have been in the trenches doing the job (while pursuing advanced degrees, raising a family, and LOVING WHAT THEY DO!) year after year. They DESERVE respect...they've earned it.

I don't have much advice on the elusive 9-5 nursing desk job. If one does exist, I've never heard of it. Positions that involve less patient care and more paperwork require a specific skill set that you can only gain through doing 'the job'. An administrative position might be within reach if you had a degree in health care management? I suppose that's my advice.

I went into nursing school knowing that I wanted to work in the ER or the OR (dad was an ER nurse-mom was OR). Unfortunately, just before I finished school I found out my back was in bad shape and it was only after failing the pre-employment physical for an incredible opportunity that I had the surgery I needed. The ER/OR dream, as I knew it, was dead. I did a lot of research and spoke to a million people in search of a nursing position I could do while sitting down at a desk. With little to no experience under my belt- the position just wasn't within reach. I chose to go into home health care, which has provided me with case management experience, to accommodate my physical limitations.

Nobody gets to jump to the front of the line in the nursing field. If you keep your mind open to ALL possibilities, respect your superiors (meaning ANYONE who has spent more hours working as a nurse), and be patient you'll find your way to a position you're happy with.

Good Luck!

What types of jobs are available for nurses who hate hospital work then?

Specializes in Student.

I just came here looking to see what kind of desk jobs an RN can get.  I never want to do management over other nurses.  I just don't know if I'm going to love patient care.  I am very introverted, and I don't know how well I will do with that.

3 hours ago, Christie Maness said:

I just came here looking to see what kind of desk jobs an RN can get.  I never want to do management over other nurses.  I just don't know if I'm going to love patient care.  I am very introverted, and I don't know how well I will do with that.

I'm an introvert too (being an only child only served to make me even more so because I had fewer interactions with people my own age), and shy to boot. There are desk jobs available - I currently work in obgyn clinic doing mostly patient message/phone triage - but just because you have a desk job, doesn't mean you don't still have to interact with people. I still do almost as much talking to people as I did when I was in direct patient care. 

It's hard to tell someone to 'get over it' and that's not exactly what I'm trying to say, but in some ways, you do have to learn how to navigate interactions with people. All jobs, desk and otherwise, will usually require you to interact with someone, at some point,even if not in direct patient care. You will get better at small talk the more you do it, even if it means relying on a few questions you can ask over and over again. 

Before you write yourself off, try patient care first. It sounds like you have no experience in the field, and you may find that it gets better with practice. 

 

 

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