Dont wanna be a floor nurse..

Nurses General Nursing

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So i know this may sound horrible coming from an RN but i am not into direct patient care. I am planning on going back to school for a masters in nursing leadership and management. But as of now, i have my associates and i have been working in telemetry for 2 months (im a new grad). So my question for all my other nurses out there is, are there any positions i can apply for (once i hit the 6 month mark) that arent in direct patient care that i wil qualify for i mean without a masters degree yet. I just want to start getting my feet wet in the area i want to be in. But for a new nurse, will they accept me in like case management or quality control or SOMETHING. Can a 6 month experienced nurse possibly get a position in a non pateint care area of nursing?

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
So i know this may sound horrible coming from an RN but i am not into direct patient care. I am planning on going back to school for a masters in nursing leadership and management.

*** You are a nurse who dislike taking care of people and want to get way from the bedside before you even have mastered nursing skills? The good news is that when you do become a nurse manager (and I have no doubt you will) you will fit right in with the other nurse managers.

You might try insurance companies. The often hire nurses for various positions like case managment and utilization review.

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Specializes in Inpatient psych/LTC/Acute psych.

I would suggests you try psych nursing. It's more communication than actual work. Little to none blood and gore.

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

And you want to tell me how to work in the trenches when you haven't?

Go get some experience. You will gain respect and actually know what you are talking about.

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Well, I've had managers who are nurses and managers who weren't. Some had a lot of experience in that particular area of nursing, and some didn't. Some were fantastic, and some were horrible to work with. What I have found is that quite often personality, intelligence, interpersonal skills and leadership ability matter far more than the magical six months of work experience.

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Specializes in ED/ICU/TELEMETRY/LTC.

Sure, it's kind of like writing a cookbook and never getting near the stove.

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Specializes in Neurology NP.

Wow, you're so new and fresh to nursing and you already want out of direct care? If you don't mind answering, what makes you want to get out of this aspect so soon?

I just ask this because when I first started, I thought the same thing. I thought I wanted to go straight for NP and get off the floor craziness. I'm getting off the floors finally and going to CCU (2 patients!) next week. Welp, I'm still not an NP nor on the way to be one. Everyone in a hospital(and healthcare) is stressed! Case management?! Yeah they go home at 400pm, but they are busting their humps all day too. They too need nursing knowledge to foresee problems at home and discharge needs.

I agree with HIPAA to wait out tele for a year (I know it's tough, that's where I started), and then make a move! I've always been told, if you can make it on telemetry, you can make it on any floor! Plus, that might give you a year to network with the right people for managerial/leadership roles.

Either way, kudos to your educational endeavours and best of luck whatever you may choose! :)

(Sorry for typos, this reply was from my phone!)

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Specializes in LTC, Nursing Management, WCC.
Umm would that be primary, secondary or tertiary? LOL

Oh God... flash back to school... Get it out of my head!! I'm going with primary. LOL :lol2:

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Specializes in med/surg.

I don't know how someone who doesn't have much bedside experience could possibly be an effective manager. Real life is different from theory. I am a BSN educated RN with 3 years experience with a BSBA in management and HR and I understand the theory quite well. I still work med-surg. Leadership is a gift and maybe you have it, but IMO you cannot lead anything unless you are an expert in the field yourself. You may please upper management on paper, but how will the nurse with 10 years experience feel when her manager honestly has no idea wht her job is really like? Nobody can teach someone how to be a nurse. Some of the best nurses I've ever met are LPNs. The degree doesn't matter, it's the practical knowledge that counts. Spend some time. You can't get something for nothing.

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I would suggests you try psych nursing. It's more communication than actual work. Little to none blood and gore.

I'm pretty sure any psych nurse would probably be a little offended at that statement. But ok... :confused:

As for the OP you just started! Why go into nursing if you immediately want to not do "real" nursing, ie) bedside nursing. When I think of a manager I think someone who has experience. How will you manage others with 5, 10 yrs experience when you worked for 2 months? 6 months? Even a year? Seems very unlikely to me personally that that would happen, and for good reasoning. Perhaps you just don't like the area you are in? I would stay there for a full year though, it takes time to get used to it, I'm sure. Give it a chance. GL :)

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Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

I'm not in the states so it's hard for me to comment re ur procedures over there for hiring, but why don't you contact all the nursing agencies near you? They may just have a position that would suit you.

And yeh floor nursing sucks - don't care what arguments people make. Dayshift is the worse especially with older, demanding people who want their meds/bath/beds made & breakfast all at once, argumentative doctors, NUMs hovering over u & criticizing instead of actually helping out, & you still have dressings, BSLs, charting, turning & a million other things to get done.

It just plain SUCKS.

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Specializes in diabetic wound care/podiatry.
Nobody can teach someone how to be a nurse. Some of the best nurses I've ever met are LPNs. The degree doesn't matter, it's the practical knowledge that counts. Spend some time. You can't get something for nothing.

I have been fortunate enough to be hired as a Student Nurse while finishing my last year of school, my biggest educators have been the LPN's who know their meds and pt's inside and out, not afraid to jump in and get "elbow deep".... While I am polishing my assessment skills, they are continually teaching me bout the real stuff... IMHO you MUST get the floor experience to command the respect for the future career.....:cool:

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Common misconception. Most outpatient are settings, with the exception of doctor's offices, want way more experience than the OP has. In my clinic (oncolgy), believe it or not,we look for nurses with critical care or ER backgrounds.

BTW...totally agree with your last statement. I would have a great deal of difficulty garnering any respect for someone in management with minimal bedside experience no matter how much schooling they had.

I totally agree with the bold part.

My current Occupational Health job wanted atleast 2 years ER or Critical Care experience.

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