Don't you feel guilty for not working in a hospital?

[Marshall1]

A coworker (non-nurse, very nice) said to me yesterday "Don't you feel guilty not working in a hospital? Don't you miss it, being a real nurse?"

I politely explained to this person that "real" nurses come in many forms, it's just the environment and skills utilized that vary. As far as feeling guilty...no. But the question had me wondering...are there nurses who have decided to leave the hospital setting but end up feeling guilty about it?

I have worked a LOT of years in the hospital setting and in the past 5 years or so branched out to other flavors of nursing...I have toyed with the idea of returning to the hospital setting, but frankly, I am not sure I am up to the 12 hour shifts on top of the drive time (45 min on way if traffic is good) plus the weekend/holiday/short staff issues that plague and will continue to plague nursing. I work a M-F, no weekend/holiday position closer to home with occasional call.

Just curious as to what others who have left hospital nursing think about what she asked...

[Graduatenurse14]

When I do leave the bedside I might feel guilty for about 2 seconds then NO WAY!! I've "paid my dues" at an urban level 1 trauma academic hospital that is going to hell in a hand basket! Heck, I was even a nursing assistant!!

I'm getting my BSN to get away from the bedside and with every committee I join, I have not only weighing on my mind how it will help my patients now but also how it will look on my resume and help me in the future.

[txredapple79, BSN]

I have never felt any guilt at all. I have been working in a work at home disease management position as a supervisor now for some time. We work M-F no weekends no holidays.

[Cola89]

Maybe she feels jealous. I wouldn't feel guilty about using my degree to get a job that I liked.

[NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

I never worked in a hospital. Never wanted to and still don't want to. I love the population of LTC. I love getting to know not only my residents but some of their families. For a good many of these elders we are their family. I feel like I make a positive impact in their lives every day. So no. I don't feel guilty. I just wish that in my neck of the woods that LTC was valued enough to pay better.

[middymids]

A nurse is a nurse no matter the setting. I educate nurses, to give back to the profession, and I will always be a nurse until the end of my time.

[Everline]

I feel very grateful to the hospital that gave me a job as a new grad and I learned a lot during my time there. I left eligible for re-hire, with a reminder that the door was always open. But I wouldn't go back to that job again. It wasn't right for me. I suppose I might work in a hospital again one day, under different circumstances. But I wouldn't mind if I never did. I don't feel guilty at all and I am definitely a "real" nurse. In fact, I have more opportunity to be a nurse, as I envisioned it and always wanted to be, in my current job outside the hospital. I'm not saying I have the perfect job, but it's a much better fit. Plus, having no weekends, no holidays, no night shifts really makes me happy. Nope, I don't feel guilty working outside of the hospital.

[Eagle2110, ADN, BSN, CNM]

Not at all. Have never desired to work hospital shifts and I always wanted to see patients come and go instead of in a room during my whole shift. I work Monday-Friday, no holidays/weekends/calls and my patients come to see us and leave within an hour. I have also had conversations with nurses who feel that EVERY nurse should start off as a floor nurse to gain experience...but why?? I have learned so much without working in a hospital and have not once had to do it by working 12+ hours on a holiday. Big ups to those who do work in a hospital, it's just not ideal for me.

[TheSocialMediaCoach]

I too have never worked in the traditional facility. I was a Patient Care Tech, I worked nights and I knew I never wanted to work nights as a New Nurse. Working nights was the only option for New Nurses where I worked. So I decided to"Brand" myself as an Outpatient Nurse. That means, that as a PCT, I worked the ER/ICU and other areas that would give the desirable experience when I applied for other roles...it worked :).

[feelix, RN]

You are probably blessed you are not working on the assembly line any more.

[JinnSchlajfertig]

I wonder if your coworker does not value the work that SHE does at your work site? I see that she is not a nurse, but surely her work contributes to the greater work of your agency/company. Maybe she is having questions about her own career and how they mesh with her own values. She, at the very least may need some education on how diverse the field of nursing is (research, quality control, hospital, public health, outpatient clinic, medicolegal, product development, insurance, policy) and how each role contributes to the public's health.

To answer your question: no, I have never looked back. I only performed in a medical floor as a nursing student. I hated it. I am thankful for my friends and the countless other nurses who are in hospitals. You all are there for the people who need you. I love working in community health, and psychiatric inpatient/outpatient. I have worked in detox and am now in corrections. I do what works for me. Those patients need nurses just as much as patients in a "traditional" hospital setting. Why would I feel any guilt?

[Erythropoiesis]

You said it yourself. This person isn't a nurse, and the only reason she thinks "real" nurses work in hospitals is because the only exposure she gets of nursing is on TV from shows like Nurse Jackie, starring a burnt out nurse working 80 hour weeks in a hospital.

I'd have blown off her non-opinion the second she made it.