Disapointed with nursing...

I went into nursing because I like patient care. I like to be with patients and find out what is going on with their health. Then I like to help them. But the reality is that I'm more like a clerk. I spend more time in front of a computer than I stay with patients. I feel like a computer job could be better accomplished in a office. What is your experience?

Well, I was a clerk (in various places) for many years before I became a nurse. In my experience, they're quite different. I don't necessarily need to be face to face with patients for the majority of my shift, just available for them. In fact, a lot of patients don't want to be hovered over for any extended period of time.

I can understand where you are coming from. It's one reason I'm not a hospital floor nurse anymore. There are many types of nurses and many different nursing practice environments. Find one that fits and feels better for YOUR practice.

I chart in the room with the patient so I get a chance to talk to them. I find out lots of interesting things, they like the attention (most of them, if they want to be alone, I don't do it) and it makes them and me feel like we have a little relationship.

For my MSN pracitcum as an informatics nurse, I was going to do a project teaching new nurses about charting in realtime, in the pt's room. "Socialization of the new nurse using in-room, real time charting" It didn't work out time-wise, but I thought it was a great idea.

In room charting helps break the ice when you have to ask some questions that might be a little difficult