I’m tired of being a bedside nurse...

Obsessedrn · Jul 22, 2021

15 minutes ago, SmilingBluEyes said:

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.

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

I agree. I would never forget where I came from. I want to get in management to actually make a difference, not just to get away from bedside. I wouldn’t have even thought to become an administrator without doing my time. Education is okay, but I don’t see myself there long term.

18 minutes ago, Jedrnurse said:

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)?

Our manager will not let anyone drop their time because we have been so short on the units. Mandatory overtime was done by administration and is 2 extra days per month.

Jedrnurse, BSN, RN · Jul 22, 2021

4 minutes ago, Obsessedrn said:

. Our manager will not let anyone drop their time because we have been so short on the units. Mandatory overtime was done by administration and is 2 extra days per month.

Dang. I'd be telling them "see ya!" in twelve different languages...

Obsessedrn · Jul 22, 2021

25 minutes ago, Jedrnurse said:

Dang. I'd be telling them "see ya!" in twelve different languages...

I’m about to that point. I honestly just hate to have a gap in my work experience and didn’t want to start over in a new unit as a bedside nurse.

caffeinatednurse, BSN, RN · Jul 22, 2021

An administrative position is not as difficult to break into as you might think.

I worked on my unit for approximately 6 months before I was politely encouraged to be a charge nurse because there was no one else to do it. (By politely encouraged, I mean my strengths were emphasized and no orientation was offered.) I did that for 3 more years before a clinical coordinator position opened up. I ended up in that position for a while and was told that it was a stepping stone to becoming a manager one day.

I've also worked in LTC before. I was there 3 months before I was promoted to a supervisor, and then 6 months later was offered a clinical coordinator position. I was also told then that a CC job would position me to be ADON or DON, eventually.

The moral of the story...you can get leadership experience in a variety of settings. If it's not working out in acute care, consider LTC settings, where there tend to be fewer people with higher degrees and a greater demand for employees who can be leaders. With an MBA and an MSN, you are in a great position to take on a clinical coordinator, ADON or DON position.

Also, make sure that you're communicating your professional goals clearly to your employer. Managers and directors aren't usually aware of your professional development goals unless you're very clear and specific about them. If they seem hesitant to talk bout it, ask them for their honest opinion of your current strengths and weaknesses and go from there.

Obsessedrn · Jul 22, 2021

14 minutes ago, caffeinatednurse said:

An administrative position is not as difficult to break into as you might think.

I worked on my unit for approximately 6 months before I was politely encouraged to be a charge nurse because there was no one else to do it. (By politely encouraged, I mean my strengths were emphasized and no orientation was offered.) I did that for 3 more years before a clinical coordinator position opened up. I ended up in that position for a while and was told that it was a stepping stone to becoming a manager one day.

I've also worked in LTC before. I was there 3 months before I was promoted to a supervisor, and then 6 months later was offered a clinical coordinator position. I was also told then that a CC job would position me to be ADON or DON, eventually.

The moral of the story...you can get leadership experience in a variety of settings. If it's not working out in acute care, consider LTC settings, where there tend to be fewer people with higher degrees and a greater demand for employees who can be leaders. With an MBA and an MSN, you are in a great position to take on a clinical coordinator, ADON or DON position.

Also, make sure that you're communicating your professional goals clearly to your employer. Managers and directors aren't usually aware of your professional development goals unless you're very clear and specific about them. If they seem hesitant to talk bout it, ask them for their honest opinion of your current strengths and weaknesses and go from there.

Thank you so much! This has given me hope!

TriciaJ, RN · Jul 25, 2021

On 7/22/2021 at 1:39 PM, Obsessedrn said:

I agree. I would never forget where I came from. I want to get in management to actually make a difference, not just to get away from bedside. I wouldn’t have even thought to become an administrator without doing my time. Education is okay, but I don’t see myself there long term.

Our manager will not let anyone drop their time because we have been so short on the units. Mandatory overtime was done by administration and is 2 extra days per month.

Their only solution to short-staffing is to work everyone to death? No wonder you're dying to get in there and manage things yourself.

Unfortunately, you may need to seek a bedside position somewhere else so you can work your way up through the ranks. It's the pits when you're more than ready to do it now, but your current job seems a dead end.

I do suspect, though, if you jump ship the opportunities will come sooner than you think. Good luck!

Hannahbanana, BSN, MSN · Jul 25, 2021

Don’t dis case management or your as not requiring a MN or, by extension, being beneath you as an MBA. Either of those nursing degrees can do nothing but enhance your practice and, more importantly, expand your exposure to a wider range of options. I parlayed my MN plus case mgmt /insurance experience into a great situation as a legal nurse consultant and life care planner, from which career I am retiring this year.

Of course if you’d rather be management and accept the scorn you’ll get from the rank and file along c the incessant pressures from higher-ups to cut corners, be my guest.

Obsessedrn · Jul 25, 2021

35 minutes ago, Hannahbanana said:

Don’t dis case management or your as not requiring a MN or, by extension, being beneath you as an MBA. Either of those nursing degrees can do nothing but enhance your practice and, more importantly, expand your exposure to a wider range of options. I parlayed my MN plus case mgmt /insurance experience into a great situation as a legal nurse consultant and life care planner, from which career I am retiring this year.

Of course if you’d rather be management and accept the scorn you’ll get from the rank and file along c the incessant pressures from higher-ups to cut corners, be my guest.

I don’t think anything is beneath me. I did a large portion of my clinicals in case management and I hated it. Which is why I said I had no interest in it.

5 hours ago, TriciaJ said:

Their only solution to short-staffing is to work everyone to death? No wonder you're dying to get in there and manage things yourself.

Unfortunately, you may need to seek a bedside position somewhere else so you can work your way up through the ranks. It's the pits when you're more than ready to do it now, but your current job seems a dead end.

I do suspect, though, if you jump ship the opportunities will come sooner than you think. Good luck!

Basically ? I’ve considered it but I just keep hoping something will pop up elsewhere in my specialty since I actually love what I do.

Hannahbanana, BSN, MSN · Jul 25, 2021

Hope is not a plan.

Good luck.

Obsessedrn · Jul 25, 2021

23 minutes ago, Hannahbanana said:

Hope is not a plan.

Good luck.

I’m not sure why you are being rude. However, it’s very uncalled for and unnecessary. Have a good day.

FlorentineRN · Jul 25, 2021

I think you are in a great position to put your education to good use. So many possibilities including: quality improvement, patient safety, patient advocate, infection prevention. See if you could be on one of those committees at your current facility. A lot of that work is really interesting. By serving on some of those committees, it will increase your visibility when positions become available.

And, of course, you could be a nurse manager.

summertx · Jul 25, 2021

On 7/22/2021 at 10:31 AM, Obsessedrn said:

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?

I agree with others. If you have an MBA and MSN, then you need to start somewhere. LTC has a lot of DON positions or regional director positions. If you find a good LTC, or small hospital. If you are in a place like California, I can see the opportunities hard to come by, but if you are in rural Arkansas, that's different.