From sister to tissue viability

World UK

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Hi, I have been a ward sister for 4 years now and I can honestly say it just isn’t for me anymore. I am starting a job as a tissue viability nurse and unfortunately it hasn’t gone down well with a lot of senior staff in my department. Everyday I’m getting comments such as….”is it even a band 6?” “Why on earth are you taking a step back?” “Why don’t you want to stay sister?!”

I’m growing tired of it and it’s getting to the point where I’m even doubting my own decisions, TVN is something I’ve always wanted to do, but now I’m not even excited. I’m tired of ward work and the hospital in general, I’ve explained that not all of us want to be managers. Is a specialist nurse regarded of taking a step back?!

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Specializes in Emergency Department.
Nursey2023 said:

unfortunately it hasn’t gone down well with a lot of senior staff in my department.

Why do you give a flying ** what others think?

 

Nursey2023 said:

"Why on earth are you taking a step back?"

Is it a step back? At worst it is a sideways step.

 

Nursey2023 said:

“Why don’t you want to stay sister?!”

Piss poor conditions, piss poor colleagues and poor working conditions.

 

Nursey2023 said:

TVN is something I’ve always wanted to do, but now I’m not even excited.

Exactly, because of the toxic environment you are doubting your ideas and dreams.

 

 

Embrace your new role and forget those demeaning, undermining people.

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Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.

I was a Charge Nurse (G grade under the old system) who left to become an agency nurse! Step down or what, but so what? I was unhappy and needed to sort myself out. I eventually came back as an H grade Clinical Nurse Specialist and spent 5 extremely happy years doing that before I decided to leave the UK.  

I'm now finishing  my career as a bedside clinical nurse again. There are no comparable grades in the French system but I guess I'm functioning between E and F grade of the old UK system. And so what? I'm happy.

Do what you want to do. Management isn't for everyone. If you've sussed that out then specialist nurse rôles are a way to remain clinical while being in a senior position. It's not a step back. Even if you downgrade, what's wrong with that?  

There are those who believe a career HAS to be a constant trajectory of onwards and upwards. Those people aren't very imaginative. 

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