Do you ever plan on leaving the bedside?

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Just wondering if the RN's out there plan on staying at the bedside for their whole career or do you plan on one day doing something that is not "bedside" nursing?

Me?

yes, one day I pan to to something like case management. It may be soon or it may be in 10 years.

I have been an RN for 13 years.

Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.
I never thought I would be happy anywhere BUT the bedside. I loved doing total patient care in the ICU and thought I was where I belonged. But after a forced change in environment (I'm in recovery and under contract with my state's Board of nursing), I look back now and wonder what the hell I was thinking! LOL. I love where I work now, I get to work one on one with the clients and work in conjunction with the psychiatrists. I don't have to worry that my arthritis is going to flare up and I won't be able to fulfill my job duties (having to turn 300 and 400lbs patients every 2 hours was beginning to take a toll on my poor back). I don't have to work 12 hour shifts and I get an entire hour for lunch. I work a nice, normal schedule of 8-5 and am home every night with my kids. I get holidays off AND get paid for them (instead of having to fight 30 other nurses for Thanksgiving/Christmas off). I have a pension, great insurance, and the nurses here are respected by the doctors in our clinic. And best of all, I get to use the past 2 years of my experiences (of being in recovery) to help my clients with their struggles.

Are there negatives? Yes, of course. I miss the technology and the medical aspect. A client of mine came in last week with a PICC and I was excited to help teach her how to care for it. Just seeing it brought back memories of working around the busy atmosphere of the ICU and the excitement of not knowing what the next trauma would bring. But do I miss it enough to give up a job I love? Nope. And the ironic thing is....I NEVER would have considered even looking at my current job had the past 2 years not taken place. I had no intention of leaving the ICU anytime soon. So for me, bedside nursing is something I'm not sure I will ever return to. I am looking into getting my certification in addictions nursing and see where that leads me.

What is addictions nursing? I have a nurse/friend who is in recovery and would like to use her expertise. I have never heard if it and I know she hasn't. Where and how would you become certified? It sounds like a perfect job for my gf and I envy your hours!

Congrats on your recovery too.:yeah:

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Specializes in ICU, psych, corrections.

Here are some links to get your friend started:

http://www.intnsa.org/

http://www.addictionrecov.org/paradigm/P_PR_F98/FrontLine.html

http://www.addictionarena.com/journals/Journal-on-Addictions-Nursing-1088-4602

Hope these help....it's where I've started learning about the process. I think it's still a fairly new area of nursing but with the way society is quickly becoming addicted to prescription medication and alcoholism is always present, I think it will be an area to check into, if that's something that interests you.

~Melanie

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Specializes in PCU/tele.

I hope to leave floor nursing to work in OR.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I took a desk job in August and absolutely hate it and am now looking for a bedside job. Going to regroup and stay at the bedside a little longer. I've been a med-surg nurse for 18 years, guess it's my destiny. :) Sometimes you don't know what you've got until it's gone. I miss direct patient contact.

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Specializes in Ortho and Tele med/surg.

No offense to anyone on here, but after reading all your responses I'm scratching my head thinking, "What have I gotten myself into?" I mean, I'm really not that excited. It seems like two years down the road I'm probably going to start looking for other jobs.

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:redbeathe It's bedside nursing for me. I love my pts and co-workers. I can't see how shuffling paper or re-teaching some nurse basic CPR can be anywhere near as rewarding. To me, it's the highest position and trust in nursing. What a question! Can you imagine asking a doctor if s/he ever planned on leaving the bedside? I mean, what kind of sense would that make? To me, a manager's a manager, a trainer's a trainer, and a nurse is found at the bedside. :redbeathe

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:redbeathe It's bedside nursing for me. I love my pts and co-workers. I can't see how shuffling paper or re-teaching some nurse basic CPR can be anywhere near as rewarding. To me, it's the highest position and trust in nursing. What a question! Can you imagine asking a doctor if s/he ever planned on leaving the bedside? I mean, what kind of sense would that make? To me, a manager's a manager, a trainer's a trainer, and a nurse is found at the bedside. :redbeathe

I think I know what you are trying to say but the way you said it sounds kind of bad! Nurses also have valid roles in areas away from the inpatient bedside, such as home health, teaching the next generation of nurses, diabetes ed, infusion therapy, public health, research, etc, etc. You can find docs in many areas away from the bedside too!

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Honestly, if they'd just let nurses be nurses and doctors be doctors, I'd consider staying at the bedside longer -- but honestly, I just feel so damn responsible for EVERYTHING, and I'm tired of it. I don't get paid enough for that sort of responsibility. Docs can push things on you, patients can, management can -- we are just the whipping posts for everyone! I mean -- how long can one person take that kind of stress?

There are days when it is tolerable, and then there are days when one gets stuck with unbelievably difficult assignments on our floor -- a couple of patients in isolation, one on a heparin drip who is constantly climbing out of bed and falling, one who is on suicide precautions and calling you every five minutes, toying with your mind, one w/ some heavy unstable condition, despite having been moved from an ICu and takes all your time w/ drips and crazy orders non-stop, or codes, or whatever. Or, simply one in pain w/ multiple Q1H pain meds, or insulin, or wanting to be walked, or whatever. Those are usually the days when there are not enough aides, or no aides willing to be of help and you don't eat lunch until 4 p.m., if at all. Meanwhile, you've got 10 managers on the floor, all micro managing at any given time, but unwilling to actually HELP in any meaningful way and it's just a recipe for burnout and dissatisfaction.

I don't know how ANYONE could stay at a job like this for longer than a few years. It's just so stressful for me that I go home on my days off and just stare at the wall. I can't enjoy my life on my days off. I need something just a tad more manageable and normal.

I feel guilty, but honestly, that's how it is. Bedside nursing on my unit is blisteringly stressful on some days. I'm surprised I haven't had a heart attack on some days, or a stroke. I get headaches that are killer. It doesn't even feel healthy at times.

And don't get me started on the paperwork. It's just insidious.

What kills me most are the managers. All sitting in the back, tee-heeing and drinking coffee, bringing up their lunch at 1130 while I'm starving and shoving a snack in at 1 p.m. so I can run right back onto the floor. All just sauntering down the hall chatting and socializing. It seems once they get into these positions, they are like queens who don't have to lift a finger. Meanwhile us workhorses are out there sweating it and doing all the heavy lifting. I don't get it and I don't know WHY we need SO many freaking managers on our unit!!

So, these are just some of the reasons I don't want to stay in it long term. I hope someone out there is listening.

soundofmusic, I would love to speak with you, I am three years in and burned! You described my floor and my feelings perfectly. I am seeking a new RN role, curious to see where you are now.

[email protected]..

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Specializes in acute rehab, med surg, LTC, peds, home c.

Soundofmusic,

You put that so well, all management needs to read this. This is the problem with nursing everywhere. They have unrealistic expectations that we can never live up to because it is physically impossible, yet we run ourselves ragged trying and end up feeling like failures because we can almost never be successful. I for one would never, evergo back to the bedside in a million years, you couldn't pay me enough.

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Specializes in LTC, Med-Surg, IMCU/Tele, HH/CM.

I recently started a job that involves case management, and intermittant nursing visits to the patients at home. It doesn't involve as much "bedside" nursing as floor nursing, but you still get to interact with patients and to use your nursing skills and judgement.

I don't see myself ever going into nursing education, or management. I'd like to do some public/community health in the future but I am still working on my BSN to be able to do so.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, ER.

Absolutely.

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Specializes in med surg.

I also love bedside nursing but am leaving it for a education position. I will do some per diem work but after 33 years the toll on my mind and body is at a point where I need to find something else. Unfortunately with the economy I do not see myself ever being able to retire

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