Future Shortage in Bedside Nurses

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I have been an RN for 22 years. In recent years, we all know that the trend has been for acute inpatient facilities to try to hire BSN nurses as much as possible. However, another trend that I am seeing, both here on these forums and in the places where I have worked, is that most of the young BSN nurses have no desire to do bedside nursing any longer than they have to. All I seem to hear is that they all want to either move into a management position or go back to school to become an NP or CRNA. Even the ones who haven't voiced those goals have expressed a great contempt for bedside Med/Surg nursing and want to work in specialty areas such as OB. The thought process seems to be that they didn't go to school for four years "just to" care for sick people at the bedside. If this continues, it seems that there is going to be a great shortage of bedside nurses in the near future as more and more of the "old school" nurses retire.

Does anyone else see this where you work? What happens to the army when everyone wants to be a general and no one wants to be a foot soldier? I'm just curious. I have over 100 undergrad college credits that I could apply towards a BSN, but at this point in my career, I just want to finish out my years as a nurse taking care of people who need help. Never had any desire to climb the ladder whatsoever. Are any of you new grads in the same boat, where you would be contented to do bedside nursing for the foreseeable future, or is being a bedside nurse becoming passe'?

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I am one of said nurses. I got my BSN in 2006 and began my nursing in grueling med/surg, or as I like to call it, "the dungeon." I worked at a notoriously under-staffed and under-performing city hospital in nyc. I was tired of the unsafe nurse:patient ratios. I was tired of the unsafe lifting. I was tired of going 14 hours without a break. I was tired of being abused by patients, physicians, and management. I was tired of wiping butts all day and handling the more disgusting realties of humanities. I am now in psych NP school. I went to an accelerated post-bac program, and most of my peers were very open and honest in the fact that they just saw being an RN as an unfortunate and annoying stepping stone to the path to be a CRNA. According to facebook, several of them are CRNAs/SRNAs. I say good for them. I want a fulfilling and satisfying career, not one where I am literally covered in **** while others figuratively **** on me.

For many of us, bedside nursing IS a fulfilling and satisfying career. If you are constantly being abused by patients, physicians and management, maybe that's your fault. I doubt that dynamic will change just because you're an NP.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

For many of us, bedside nursing IS a fulfilling and satisfying career. If you are constantly being abused by patients, physicians and management, maybe that's your fault. I doubt that dynamic will change just because you're an NP.

I wish I could like this a million times! I'm amazed when I read about people being constantly "abused" by everyone they one into contact with a the bedside. It's like this nurse I used to work with. I'd get report from her and 5 out of her 6 patients would be difficult, obnoxious, you name it. If all, or even most, of the people a person encounters are behaving badly, rude, "abusive," maybe it's time to look within.

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I wish I could like this a million times! I'm amazed when I read about people being constantly "abused" by everyone they one into contact with a the bedside. It's like this nurse I used to work with. I'd get report from her and 5 out of her 6 patients would be difficult, obnoxious, you name it. If all, or even most, of the people a person encounters are behaving badly, rude, "abusive," maybe it's time to look within.

So true! I really don't think much of it anymore when people "warn" me about "difficult" patients. There was one nurse I used to work with kind of like the one you mentioned. A patient one time was venting to me about what a **** the nurse was! Of course, I remained professional, but I could see that being the real problem. There are some nurses who just don't belong on the floor. If it involves touching a patient, cleaning anything, or just providing basic care then they are annoyed by having to do it and deem the patient "difficult" or "high maintenance." They're also often the nurses who don't get along with any of the support staff and will say they are "lazy" or "have an attitude"...hmm...wonder why!

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It seems as though people want a little more than med surge money. I wouldn't be comfortable trying to raise a family on 50K a year. It seemed to me when I was job shopping that raises came few and far between. I do not want to work the same (or similar) job for 20 ish years to only have my pay go up 10-15K in my working career. As nursing moves towards increased professionalism, with increased education and responsibilities, and can act as a households primary breadwinner; it will attract the type of person who wants to continuously move up in the ranks. I sure do. I love bedside nursing right now and its all I am trained for, but in 3 years or so when the Army says it's time to move up and take more responsibility- I won't hesitate.

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It's a good thing that people like me will be around to pick up the slack. I am 42 years old, and just starting my nursing school. I want to work with patients. I may want to do something else much later on, but not for quite a while. I have had enough of being the boss.

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Totally agree, big mistake for hospitals to excuse the value of the LPN's in the hospital team environment.

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As far as my the nurses I know are concerned, issues regarding shortage in bedside nursing in the future might actually happen. A lot of my colleagues are already practicing as bedside nurses and most of them say that they cannot imagine all their life doing that!

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Specializes in Med Surg.

I'm afraid that if I don't go on to get a BSN after completing my ADN then I won't be employable in some regional areas and/or might get phased out as time moves on. I keep hearing that the job market is more difficult for ADNs. Is this not the case?

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Specializes in PCCN.

yeah, they keep treating us like feces you bet there will be a shortage.

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Specializes in OR.

BSN nursing student here - can't wait to become a bedside nurse!

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God willing there will be one less bedside nurse this time next year. Me! I'm starting to have health issues and get tired of being dumped on because I'm a float nurse. I work much better in a quiet office, with no one else around and not micro managed to death. I'm so not a people person and have no idea why I worked the bedside for so long. I guess I thought it would change me. Nope it has made me worse. I wanted to be a research nurse when I first went to nursing school and had no intentions of staying at the bedside this long. Oh well life happens.

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There is currently a shortage that is going to become worse and worse.

Its christmas and I'm burnt out.

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