HATE bedside nursing

Published

Specializes in PACU, OB, Med/Surg, Psych.

After switching specialties a few times, I’ve come to the conclusion that I hate bedside nursing. It’s won me chronic migraines (for which I have tried a plethora of drug therapies with no relief), hypertension and most recently have been grappling with pretty serious depression.

Because somehow complaining online to strangers is therapeutic, let’s dive into all the things I hate in hopes that someone feels the same way.

1. Incivility. Nursing for me has been Mean Girls in real life. Nurses (and providers) are all too comfortable airing their grievances to everyone but the source. Providers are condescending, and I’ve been publicly belittled as much as I can tolerate. Management plays favorites. PSRs have become a fancy way for other staff to be self righteous and passive aggressive simultaneously.

2. We don’t have CNAs or other support staff where I work. Vitals, butt wiping, bed making, ambulation... it’s all on us. In addition to all the other stupid things we have to do in a shift. See #3. I worked as a CNA throughout nursing school. At the risk of sounding entitled, I became an RN in the first place to get relief from the manual labor.


3. Endless documentation on the aforementioned obsolete charting system. Every week, the good idea fairy comes along and we have yet another stupid thing that we have to mindlessly chart (in 5 different places) for every patient. Hourly rounds... God forbid you didn’t document that your patient is STILL lying in the bed, watching Judge Judy... just like they were an hour ago, and the hour before that. Chart audits are on us too.

I have to get out, but I don’t know how. I like the idea of pharmacy but acknowledge that obtaining a Doctorate for which none of my credits will transfer is no small decision. I like the idea of becoming an NP, but not sure what I’d specialize in. Concerned about the market being saturated. Hell, I’d toy with public health or informatics.... anything to get away from the bedside. I’m currently active military, and I am unsure where I would even like to live. I feel like I should talk to a career advisor but don’t know how. My biggest fear is going back to school, taking out more loans and spending years on a job I will also grow to hate. I see a lot of new grads hating nursing, but after 5 years, I’m just....done. Anyone else go through this?

5
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.

You ain’t seen nothing yet! But a big part of your problem is that you’ve chosen to work in a facility with no clinical support staff. HOWEVER, depending on the atmosphere, clinical support staff can add to your migraines exponentially. People are just mean and feel more entitled today than the old days.

I love my job now, not because I got the job I applied for (I did and I didn’t: they hired me for one job, placed me in another, and when corona arrived, I was mandated BACK to 12-hour nights in an entirely different setting from what I’m experienced in...and this is at my new place of employment, all happening since March 2nd!). But I love it because the entire organization was shaken up, and though I feel like they placed us all in an area where we DON’T want to be, it has been a godsend...at least for me.

I work with a lot of nurses, from NPs to NAs, who have zero hands-on experience and/or last hands-on was anywhere from 15-20 years ago, who were mandated to floor nursing during this crisis.

For me, it’s business as usual, while others are panicking and feeling extremely LOST. I was told the other night that I was very reassuring and calming when showing these nurses how to do neb treatments and suction set-up (our RTs spend a LOT of time on the COVID unit, and can’t always get here for the regular tx), tube feedings and kangaroo pumps, alaris pumps and starting IVs, etc.

This is a very small unit with a few patients. Everyone on the team came from primary (outpatient, non patient care areas). I came from traveling at level one trauma hospitals last month to one of those positions, only to be snatched from it before I was able to dust off the desk in my office.

Anyway, it took an organization-wide shake up, and meeting people that I otherwise never would have met for me to appreciate the fact that the experience I received from my background at the bedside (and it’s BS) is what now has me thriving and shining like the North Star whenever I walk onto the unit.

All of that to say this. What you’re going through is the norm on bedside units, especially med-surg, because of the world today (pre-COVID). But whether you know it or not, you’re being molded to thrive in a better situation. Use the stepping stone for what it’s worth: a step in YOUR right direction. Hopefully it doesn’t take you as many stones as needed to create The Queens Staircase like it did me.

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×

You don't need a doctorate to get away from the bedside. Scour the job boards to see what your degree and experience can do for you. The insurance industry worked for me.

Best wishes.

8
Up Vote Up Vote ×
10 hours ago, LTdick said:

After switching specialties a few times, I’ve come to the conclusion that I hate bedside nursing. It’s won me chronic migraines (for which I have tried a plethora of drug therapies with no relief), hypertension and most recently have been grappling with pretty serious depression.

Because somehow complaining online to strangers is therapeutic, let’s dive into all the things I hate in hopes that someone feels the same way.

1. Incivility. Nursing for me has been Mean Girls in real life. Nurses (and providers) are all too comfortable airing their grievances to everyone but the source. Providers are condescending, and I’ve been publicly belittled as much as I can tolerate. Management plays favorites. PSRs have become a fancy way for other staff to be self righteous and passive aggressive simultaneously.

2. We don’t have CNAs or other support staff where I work. Vitals, butt wiping, bed making, ambulation... it’s all on us. In addition to all the other stupid things we have to do in a shift. See #3. I worked as a CNA throughout nursing school. At the risk of sounding entitled, I became an RN in the first place to get relief from the manual labor.


3. Endless documentation on the aforementioned obsolete charting system. Every week, the good idea fairy comes along and we have yet another stupid thing that we have to mindlessly chart (in 5 different places) for every patient. Hourly rounds... God forbid you didn’t document that your patient is STILL lying in the bed, watching Judge Judy... just like they were an hour ago, and the hour before that. Chart audits are on us too.

I have to get out, but I don’t know how. I like the idea of pharmacy but acknowledge that obtaining a Doctorate for which none of my credits will transfer is no small decision. I like the idea of becoming an NP, but not sure what I’d specialize in. Concerned about the market being saturated. Hell, I’d toy with public health or informatics.... anything to get away from the bedside. I’m currently active military, and I am unsure where I would even like to live. I feel like I should talk to a career advisor but don’t know how. My biggest fear is going back to school, taking out more loans and spending years on a job I will also grow to hate. I see a lot of new grads hating nursing, but after 5 years, I’m just....done. Anyone else go through this?

FWIW the NP world isn't going to be better. This myth #1 that bedside RNs believe when thinking about NP school.

5
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.

Sorry you're feeling this way but you are definitely not alone. My only advice to you is to do much, much more research in deciding your next step than you did when you thought switching from CNA to RN would " get relief from the manual labor."

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in retired LTC.

BSNbeDONE - good for you!! ?

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. Sounds like you hit the lemonade jackpot!

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×

Number one nearly got me out of nursing. The facility you work in can make all the difference. Try moving, maybe from rural to urban, or vice versa.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Community Health, Med/Surg, ICU Stepdown.

Public health and informatics are both fields you can go into with just an RN degree. Outpatient clinics, dialysis, GI, pre-op/post-op, tons of things you can try away from the floor, and now you have the experience required to apply ?

3
Up Vote Up Vote ×

Sorry to hear you’re having a rough time! There are lots of other options if you think bedside nursing isn’t your thing. Have you considered ambulatory care? I work in family practice and love it! They pay is less than bedside nursing where I live, but I find it very rewarding and the hours are hard to beat.

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med Surg, Tele, PH, CM.

There is a wonderful life outside the hospital. Nursing is a wide-open field. Go for it.

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in cardiac/education.

Sorry about the chronic migraines. Such a tough thing to have when you are at the bedside. I hope you find your place.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
On 4/30/2020 at 4:20 AM, LTdick said:

I’m currently active military, and I am unsure where I would even like to live.

How much longer is your AD commitment? Have you talked to any of your mentors? Do you have anyone who mentors junior officers? In my experience (Army), there are plenty of non-bedside opportunities in the military, especially once you make O-3. Our medical company commander when I left the Army was an L&D nurse.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion