feeling burned out on bedside nursing

[srleslie]

So I've been a nurse for almost 2 and a half years now...18 monthsas a LPN in LTC and a RN for 9 months in acute care. I work a floor that staffs both an intermediate surgical stepdown unit and a general surgical floor. For about the first 5 or 6 months as a RN I enjoyed my job. I was constantly learning new things. I am still learning but I'm be coming bored. I'm tired of charting assessments, tired of giving countless meds, tired of the call light going off constantly and the needy patient or the patient that is constantly pooping in the bed etc. I do enjoy interacting with my patients and it is gratifying when they thank me for the care I give them.

I once was sure I wanted to give ICU or ER a try but I'm not as sure now. I don't know if its bedside nursing I'm really tired of or if I need a change. Working 12 hour shifts and weekends doesn't help, but I know that's part of hospital nursing. I think I would enjoy something like PACU or ER where you have brief but meaningful encounters with patients but don't have to juggle the needs of the same 4 or 5 patients for a whole shift.

I think I would outpatient work better too.

I love psych and I'm in a psych NP program and won't be done for 3 years. Psych RN jobs are hard to find in my area so I need something both tolerable and flexible with my school until I'm done. My current position is flexible but becoming harder to deal with. Also bad staffing issues on my floor. 4 to 5 patients on a stepdown unit isn't safe. I think in the hospital I would be better at administrative stuff. Anyone else figure out early on they don't like bedside nursing?

[CorazonDeOro]

I had the same issues as you about a year after becoming an RN on an acute surgical floor (same floor I worked on while a student). I recently left acute care and went to Endoscopy. I work mon-fri (on call 1-2 weekend days a month). Stress level is much lower, patients are generally nicer. We also do inpatient scopes under anesthesia so I still have acute care type patients (and we go to the ICU to scope vented patients). I am a little worried I might get bored sometimes but there is a ton to learn and the stress is just so different than working on the floor. I come home with energy and I am not constantly running around answering ridiculous call lights.

Maybe look into something like this? Especially since you're in school.

[srleslie]

Thanks for the advce. Isn't endocopy center work Monday through Friday? Or are there part time gigs available?

[CorazonDeOro]

I work Mon-Fri but some of the RNs I work with work 3 12s or 4 10's or part time.

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

I think I would enjoy something like PACU or ER where you have brief but meaningful encounters with patients but don't have to juggle the needs of the same 4 or 5 patients for a whole shift.

I can't speak to PACU, but this definitely does NOT reflect the reality of the ER at all. You can absolutely have some patients your entire shift, and they can be just as needy in the ER as they are on the floor.

Meaningful encounters do happen sometimes, but most of the time you're running your behind off and don't have much time for meaningful.

All the while, you've got someone critically ill circling the drain while Mrs. Jones across the hall, who's in for her third UTI this month needs to pee NOW, or needs another pillow or another blanket or some ice water or chicken noodle soup, and she's screaming "Nurse!!!!" at the top of her lungs, and little Bobby's Mom, who brought him to the ER for an ear infection, is standing in the doorway with her arms folded glaring at you as you run past with your arms full of medications, fluids, and IV pumps for your critical patient, and the drunk homeless guy is stumbling down the hallway naked trailing blood from when he pulled out his IV, and your co-workers are all just as busy as you are, so you don't have any help.

I think if you're burned out on bedside nursing, a change of scenery can be enough to pique your interest for a while, but you'll end up finding that the same things that are bothering you now will be bothering you in your new environment once the novelty wears off.

A part of me will always be an ED nurse, and I may go back to it some day because I miss it. But I will echo what many others on this forum have said, which is that getting out of the hospital was one of the best things I ever did for myself and my sanity.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

But I will echo what many others on this forum have said, which is that getting out of the hospital was one of the best things I ever did for myself and my sanity.

Ditto.

[RockinChick66]

I'm starting to Hate bedside nursing. In the same boat as you.

Hopefully, something will change soon.

[srleslie]

Don't. Jobs outside the hospital generally pay less?

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

Not mine. I was transferred to an outpatient position within the same organization, so my rate of pay and health insurance benefits remained the same, and I got to keep the hours in my PTO bank. Only the union bargaining unit is different, but that has had no major impact on me.