Anybody regret leaving the bedside?

Nurses General Nursing

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I recently left hospital nursing to work in public health and am absolutely miserable. I am so bored I want to scream! I thought this would be the ideal job - 8-5 Monday through Friday, no holidays, no stress. Am I crazy? Don't get me wrong, I don't miss the stress or the BS of the hospital admin, but I miss my patients and I miss feeling like I make a difference. Someone slap me, please.

Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.

I miss the clinical end of bedside nursing but that's all I miss. 6 patients to one RN was just, in my mind, getting more and more dangerous every shift. The patients just seem to be sicker and sicker. Not worth risking my license.

I recently left hospital nursing to work in public health and am absolutely miserable. I am so bored I want to scream! I thought this would be the ideal job - 8-5 Monday through Friday, no holidays, no stress. Am I crazy? Don't get me wrong, I don't miss the stress or the BS of the hospital admin, but I miss my patients and I miss feeling like I make a difference. Someone slap me, please.

Give yourself some time :heartbeat- the stress is awful in the hospital - and you are gaining different experience (good on the resume) You can always go back to bedside...:typing

(consider yourself slapped) haha:nurse:

Specializes in Med-Surg/Peds/O.R./Legal/cardiology.

Rosey,

You must be having a temporary brain fart. Get ahold of yourself, girl! :trout: There...you're slapped.

*slap* ;)

Give it some time. Are there any opportunities for you to make a difference in your new role? If you don't see any yet, maybe they will present themselves over time.

I am currently in a non-bedside clinical position (tox-related.) I do sometimes miss hands on care...but I can usually cure that by walking through the ER!

I do plan on getting back into a more hands on role by doing an FNP or PA program soon, but never again as a bedside staff nurse. Well, maybe prn. LOL!

Specializes in Emergency Room.
I recently left hospital nursing to work in public health and am absolutely miserable. I am so bored I want to scream! I thought this would be the ideal job - 8-5 Monday through Friday, no holidays, no stress. Am I crazy? Don't get me wrong, I don't miss the stress or the BS of the hospital admin, but I miss my patients and I miss feeling like I make a difference. Someone slap me, please.

can you tell me what is so boring about your job? did you always want to do public health.. or was the m-f schedule the only thing appealing? maybe you need to get used to it for awhile. unfortunately i don't have any advice for you, but i wish you luck in whatever you decide.

Take a few PRN shifts on alternating weekends at bedside. I got a feeling you will soon be very glad for your desk job.

1 Votes
Specializes in Telemetry, Case Management.

My answer is....ummm......uh.......NO!!!

Work a couple or four weeks at the new job. Take a prn shift at the hospital. You will not want to go back again. That's what I did.

:nurse::trout: Consider yourself slapped silly!!!!!:D

A per diem job will keep your skills sharp and put a little extra money in your pocket. I do work with a couple of nurses who have non-bedside jobs in teaching, research, and insurance who do put in a few prn shifts.

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I don't regret not getting to the bedside from the beginning. I was hired to work in a clinic, but had to do 6 weeks of med-surg because I was a new grad. 6 weeks was more than enough for me. The margin of error is higher to me, it is a madhouse and I didn't see any acceptable standards of care. Nope, I don't miss what I didn't really have. Maybe you can go back to do it per diem on weekends, since you have weekends off.

Specializes in Home Health, ICU,Rehab,Med-Surg,Hospice.

I am now in a clinic position after 20+ years at the bedside. Needless to say, I LOVE my new job and wish to go on to get a PA or similar in this specialty (derm).

Walk thru an ICU or med-surg floor once in a while and you'll find that you love what you do.

No no no no no no no no no no no no no no

Get the idea?

no no never

thought I'd hate not having the patient contact, but working in a clean happy area with GOOD pay and people who treat me like an adult not a mushroom...............

I love my job!

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