Going Back To Bedside

[tobetheone]

Anyone ever went back to bedside after trying nursing management? If so, did you feel it was a downgrade or a waste of your graduate education, (for ex-masters degree)? I worked in management and have a graduate degree and did not like it and decided going back to bedside was best for me at this time. I came to find out I was making less than the staff I was supervising since they were hourly and I was salary based. I wasn't getting OT, differential, and holiday pay etc like they were.. Since I was salaried, any OT I did, I did not get paid for. Also, I don't have union representation since I was in a leadership role, so I found that I had a lot of less rights than the staff. 

Also, I always felt pitted against the staff by upper leadership. The staff were never happy because of short staffing. I realized that there's not much I can do for them since short staffing is a chronic issue everywhere.

What's nice is I no longer have to take work home with me. I now finish work at the end of my shift.

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

I did, for all the reasons you stated, with no union around me or coworkers

[toomuchbaloney]

tobetheone said:

Anyone ever went back to bedside after trying nursing management? I worked in management and did not like it and decided going back to bedside was best for me. I came to find out I was making less than the staff I was supervising since they were hourly and I was salary based. I wasn't getting OT, differential, and holiday pay etc like they were.. Since I was salaried, any OT I did, I did not get paid for. Also, I don't have union representation since I was in a leadership role, so I found that I had a lot of less rights than the staff. 

•  
•  
•  
•  
•  

I bounced between direct care and management my entire career.  

For everything there is a season...

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Only you can weigh the pros and cons. You have bedside  nursing experience and management  experience. "What's nice is I no longer have to take work home with me. I now finish work at the end of my shift."  Look outside the box.  There is no way you need to go back to the difficult position of bedside.  You qualify for work from home positions like utilization review and utilization management.

[Peachpit]

I've done both and I have a BSN and an MS in healthcare tho' not nursing per se.

I never felt downgraded moving from leadership roles to non leadership roles.  Sometime I made more in leadership roles, some times less than "regular" staff but my decision to move into or out of a role was based on my interests/needs at the time. 

Every position in nursing has a function and serves a purpose - regardless of the title. Do what makes you happy and you enjoy - for however long that may be.