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Discussion

Considering return to hospital / bedside

I left working on a Med Surg floor pretty early in my nursing career. Ive since spent several years working in the outpatient setting - family practice and later a public health clinic. Im in not completely sure what I want to do with my career. Im working on a masters degree that is health related and not sure if i will stay in nursing or leave for a non-clinical job once finished with my degree. I have at least one year of my masters degree program left. Im really bored at my current outpatient job and know it is not the job for me. I really have an itch to give the hospital a try again, but then I read all these posts online that make the bedside sound horrible. The bedside appeals to me because I would have 4 off days to do my school work. Working a 9-5 makes it hard to have dedicated school work time except for the weekends. I would also like to be busy all the time, rather than bored - but many nurses online sound overwhelmed at the bedside. I see all these posts of nurses trying to leave the bedside for a job like mine. I know the grass is always greener...but is the hospital really that bad? Is it worth it to go back? Has anyone left and returned?

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    • Featured Replies

    I've done it.

    Don't.

    Also, there are productive ways to make your current job more stimulating. If you can't, try to find a different non-bedside job that is. There's a lot of variety out there if you look hard enough.

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    • Expert

    There were only two reasons you left bedside in the first place; you were running away from something or you were running toward something. With some exceptions, it's been my experience you'll regret the move.

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    I hate to discourage this since there is such a need for experienced nurses at the bedside! But yeah, you've saved yourself, lol, don't do it.

    In all seriousness, if you believe this is the right move for you, check in with some of your contacts who do bedside now and see where it doesn't suck as much. If you're going back, it can't hurt to make sure you're working somewhere that other people don't mind. I can understand the motivation with being in school and everything, but as someone currently in school, I am so tired on my days off and playing catch-up at home that it doesn't feel like I have extra time.

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    I'm gonna go against the crowd and say go for it! I love bedside nursing, but there is a big caveat.... I've only worked critical care. The times I've floated to med-surg, I thought to myself, "that is not something I ever want to do" -- and that is for many reasons I won't get into here. That said -- I don't think I'd recommend going back to med-surg just for a year and then going to a non-clinical job after that. What about a procedural unit, like endoscopy? Seems less stressful, gets you in the hospital doing something different for your year -- with maybe 4 days off a week for school?

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    • Expert

    My thought is if you aren't going to be clinical when you finish your degree in a year and you're just bored, I would find a hobby rather than go back to the bedside. Another option would be a PRN bedside job instead of completely switching over.

    I personally love bedside but go through periods of burnout. Thankfully I work in a specialty (pediatrics) where ratios are always very safe.

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    • Guides

    Like others have said here, don't do it. Bedside was bad enough when I was working med/surg, and it's gotten much worse in the 15 years that I've been out, if the nurses here on AN are to be believed (and I do believe them). I know you're not fond of your current job, but if you've only got a year of school left and no overwhelming desire to leave your place of employment, you're better off sticking it out until you finish. Then you'll have a wider variety of opportunities and you won't have to go back to bedside if you don't want to.

    I know what you mean about having an itch to go back to hospital nursing, I did it twice after having desk jobs that bored me to tears. I always regretted it though, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't want to be run ragged, get injured, subjected to verbal and physical abuse, treated like a pack animal and regarded as nothing more than a widget by management. That's the reality of acute care nursing as experienced by many nurses. Good luck to you no matter what you decide.

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    I did it! I returned after 19 years to med-surg. At first I was like what in the world have I gotten myself into? LOL! Then once I got out of orientation and more proficient I really enjoyed it but there was always SO much to do and so little time it was overwhelming. I did love the 12's though. I stayed a year and left when a full time school nurse job opened up so I'd have more time with my kids. However, now that my youngest is going to be a sr. next year I'm seriously considering trying to find a more specialized unit and returning to the hospital. I loved the challenge and I learned SO much. I never regretted going back even if just for a year. I think a lot depends on the unit and hospital. The first hospital I worked at out of school I didn't realize how bad it was until I went to a different one. However, it was annoying to be asked to work extra days, getting phone calls to come in, work holidays, do more with less, feel like a number, etc. However, now I get dumped on, am not that respected, get paid very little, am micromanaged, bored to tears, etc so I'm just trying to figure out which I want to live with the most right now!

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