I’m tired of being a bedside nurse...

[Obsessedrn]

I’m so tired. I’m exhausted. I don’t want to be a bedside nurse any more. I worked ICU for a little over a year when I graduated. I now work in the NICU and have been there for going on 6 years. I went back to school and got my MSN in nursing administration and MBA. However, I cannot find a job. I am not looking for something like case management or utilization review. You don’t need an advanced degree for that. I have put a lot of time and money into my education and really want to use it.

Please don’t be rude to me. I’m only looking for options and advice. What is something I can look for to find a job where I can use my degrees? I have my own business and have for years, which is why I got the MBA, but it seems like no one cares about that. I have done relief charge on occasion as well. I also did a year on the code team/RRT. What is something that pays well and will utilize me for my actual skills?

[SmilingBluEyes]

Have you thought at all about advancing to adminstration one day?

Just a thought as your education would be great for that.

If not, keep trying for utilization review or case management positions. One day, it will pay off.

Hang in there. You are not alone being tired of bedside nursing.

[Obsessedrn]

Administration is the goal but I have no idea how to get into it. Every job I see requires leadership experience but I don’t know how to get that experience when they won’t give me a chance.

[SmilingBluEyes]

You can get leadership experience by being a charge nurse and/or manager of a unit/clinic. That would be a really good start.

[Obsessedrn]

I’ve tried becoming a full time charge but those spots rarely open up in my current unit. I wouldn’t mind being a manager though. We just don’t have them where I work. We only have a director.

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

1 hour ago, SmilingBluEyes said:

Have you thought at all about advancing to adminstration one day?

Just a thought as your education would be great for that.

If not, keep trying for utilization review or case management positions. One day, it will pay off.

Hang in there. You are not alone being tired of bedside nursing.

I have reservations about people who absolutely hate bedside nursing going into positions that have them managing people who are doing it. Sort of similar to when I see people who hate direct care planning on going into nursing education...

[Obsessedrn]

Okay? I currently work in education as well. I have worked and currently work bedside so what’s the problem with wanting a change? Never said I hated it. I said I was tired.

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

2 minutes ago, Obsessedrn said:

 Never said I hated it. I said I was tired.

Sorry, I incorrectly inferred that.

[Obsessedrn]

2 minutes ago, Jedrnurse said:

Sorry, I incorrectly inferred that.

It’s okay. I just work somewhere that requires mandatory overtime and working 48 hours every week gets tiring. I have a second job where I’m an educator but I have only been in that position 6 months.

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

6 minutes ago, Obsessedrn said:

It’s okay. I just work somewhere that requires mandatory overtime and working 48 hours every week gets tiring. I have a second job where I’m an educator but I have only been in that position 6 months.

How does that mandatory OT work? Mandated to stay past your shift time, or pulled in on days off? If you cut down to part-time, would you end up working closer to a normal 40 hrs (if you include forced OT)?

[SmilingBluEyes]

21 minutes ago, Jedrnurse said:

I have reservations about people who absolutely hate bedside nursing going into positions that have them managing people who are doing it. Sort of similar to when I see people who hate direct care planning on going into nursing education...

I agree to a point. But if they have "done their time" there, sometimes they can make excellent administrators. As long as they do not forget where they came from. Your point is well taken.

9 minutes ago, Obsessedrn said:

It’s okay. I just work somewhere that requires mandatory overtime and working 48 hours every week gets tiring. I have a second job where I’m an educator but I have only been in that position 6 months.

What about advancing in education? Do you like doing education?

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

1 minute ago, SmilingBluEyes said:

 As long as they do not forget where they came from. Your point is well taken.

Your point is well taken as well!