Getting away from bedside nursing

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Sep 6, 2008

Dakota, they are there but your clinical experience is a little light right now for you to be considered for most of them.

LTC is difficult but a smart person can pretty quickly move to MDS coordinator, nurse manager, ADON. But again, it requires some dues-paying on the floor.

The case managers, infection control nurses, utilization review folks all have a lot of experience.

I was lucky to find a niche as the informatics nurse in a small facility - but I am in a rural environment, and I can guarantee you that my credentials would not have gotten me this job in an area with a bigger applicant pool.

Stick it out for another six months and start researching now.

Doctors' offices are less stress, but also less pay.

Good luck.

80sNurse · Sep 6, 2008

Have you thought about home care? Less wild, but still lots of clinical assessment, teaching, variety, organization skills needed... and is still direct patient care. I've done UR and not only can it be overrated (unless you like LOTS of cubicle time) but many places will offer pay actually LOWER than inpatient b/c some nurses so badly want to switch they'll take a pay cut. Home care runs the gamut... well mother-baby, hi tech stuff, private duty for chronic conditions. Your state home care association may have some learning opportunities. Can even check out within your institution if you have a home care division... keep your vacation/benefits seniority, etc.

angel337, MSN, RN · Sep 6, 2008

you need more experience to be considered for those positions you mentioned, but i think in the mean time you should talk with you manager and tell her/him how insecure you feel in emergencies. you might be pleasantly surprised what the hospital can do for you. it is very expensive to train new nurses and most hospitals will try to transfer you to a different unit than have you quit. the years go by very fast and in about 2 years you will be able to apply to those desk jobs with confidence. good luck.

jjjoy, LPN · Sep 6, 2008

you might be pleasantly surprised what the hospital can do for you. it is very expensive to train new nurses and most hospitals will try to transfer you to a different unit than have you quit.

Or you might be surprised at how little they will work with a nurse to keep them employed there despite cries of "nursing shortage!" and complaints about how much it costs to train up a new nurse.

Still, if you're that unhappy, it would probably be worth it to address your concerns with someone on the unit. Of course, they probably don't want to hear it and will likely try to assure you that you're doing fine and not to worry about it or try to rouse your fighting motivation by saying something like "well, not everyone is cut out for this" or sigh with frustration because they've lost other newbies and can't seem to figure out the magic formula to get them to stay. But you DO have your own needs and this could be an opportunity to practice advocating for yourself (and for your patients since a better, happier you means a better nurse for them).

Try to stay focused on your needs as a new nurse and as a unique person with your own strengths and weaknesses. Could you use more exposure to emergencies so that you'll feel more comfortable? Could you use less exposure to emergencies (eg set up a system to let the senior nurse take over in emergencies) so that you can nail down your other skills? After another few months, you might feel secure enough in your basic skills to better handle the chaos of emergent situations. Are there any classes that focus on the type of emergencies you're having to deal with?

Could you drop a shift here or there to allow yourself time to recouperate & reflect and to study up on conditions and situations you come across at work? Could you come in on a day off to observe and learn without having any nursing responsibilities to distract you and keep you busy? Could you schedule to work any half shifts which might not be as draining?

Before switching out of this area/unit, consider how much you've already learned to this point. I'll bet it's a ton! It probably still doesn't feel like nearly enough, but compared to your first day there, I'll bet you've come a long way. If you start over another on unit, you start the learning curve all over again... well, not completely over, as some general skills and new self-awareness will transfer.

Remember that if they haven't let you go, your unit considers you valuable enough and safe enough to keep you on the schedule. In other words, as insecure, unprepared, or as miserable you may feel, your performance has been good enough.Take it as the pat on the back that you probably don't get enough of.

Try to remember that when colleagues seem to expect more from you than you feel you have to offer, take it as a compliment that they haven't written you off as a hopeless case, remind yourself that only you know what you know and there's no way they can know what you are and aren't ready for, and if you can't do what they ask or know what they're asking about, you can simply let them know that without feeling ashamed or stupid. Even if they roll their eyes or huff with exasperation. Take it as frustration with the situation, not as frustration with *you personally*.

Good luck with whatever you do. One way or another, you will make it through this and come out on the other side.

mpccrn, BSN, RN · Sep 6, 2008

lol....don't mean it in a bad way but what did you think nursing was? reading too many cherie ames books when you chose this career?? :confused:

D&Ggirl · Sep 6, 2008

holy cow! i had to read your name because the first line of your post sounded EXACTLY like one i made a while ago!! i work in the same dept, and have the same feelings and was looking for another job! i just got hired at a research institute as a clinical research coordinator (Try putting that in the job searches on monster and career builder) i decided in april L&D wasnt for me so i started looking then and it took a very long time (for me it took forever it seemed, 6 months) i also graduated in Dec 07 so yeah, lack of experience is a major problem. what i did was look in the sunday paper every week, look at careerbuilder.com, monster.com, indeed.com, and just google any other job search engine. also, to find what you might like, try going to the "speciality" tab at the top of this website and click on "Nursing specialties" and i looked through each forum to see if it interests you, then if it does, type that title (case manager) in the search engine website! good luck! feel free to PM me if you want! :wink2:

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Sep 6, 2008

lol....don't mean it in a bad way but what did you think nursing was? reading too many cherie ames books when you chose this career??

I certainly had no clue.

RNperdiem, RN · Sep 6, 2008

My view is that unless you are being mistreated, pushed into unsafe practice or too unhappy to function, stay where you are for the time being.

The responsibilities, emergencies and uncertainties you describe are universal to bedside nursing. I felt the same way as a new graduate, and looked for the quickest escape route too.

There is enormous competition for these types of jobs. They generally will pay less, and you will be competing with experienced nurses for these sought-after positions.

To be sucessful, you need solid skills and confidence. Skills and confidence are hard earned. You are learning these skills every day at work.

CRNAorBust · Sep 7, 2008

Just thought i'd share my situation. I graduated in 2005, thought I'd try critical care in an ICU residency program that was suppose to be 1 yr long. Well nites were not for me, I made a mistake and that was the end of that. Had to move out of state to get a job since the nursing shortage didn't apply to new nurses in the state i was in. Found a job on a medical floor and was there for 10 months. Found out I didn't do well recognizing when people were emergent situations. So was told to leave that. Found a job on a hospice floor and that didn't work and then found one in a hospice homecare position. Well that has finally taken. But if I can move further out of floor care I will do that. The moral is if you can hang in there.......if you are not making mistakes and being warned about them, then you are not doing as bad as you might think. It might be stressful but as others have pointed out you can't move freeling between jobs in nursing till you have two to three years of experience. People bounce around in nursing till they get lucky enough to find the position that works for them. For me I was about to leave the hospice floor but someone on the hospice homecare team believed I'd do better in home hospice. Good things happen when you wind up being at the right place at the right time. And all that takes......is TIME.....

All the best......