Is Anyone NOT Going to be an APRN?

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

I am just wondering if any students and new nurses desire to be direct care nurses?

Or is a huge percentage striving, right from fresh out of high school, to become a CRNA, CNM, NP, Educator, business owner, or other non-bedside nurse (Case Managers/ UM, UR? Or Wound/Ostomy, IV Therapy, or other specialized nurses, Clinical Managers/Directors, Employee Health, Staff Educators, and the like?

I know the hospitals and SNF's, LTAC's, etc. (many clinical areas, I guess) are ridiculously understaffed, overworked. And I don't blame people for not wanting to be ground to a pulp by no or shortened breaks, excessive workloads, and all the stress that goes with a situation like that.

I am just wondering who will be doing hands-on, direct care, bedside Nursing.

[beekee]

I have no desire to be an APRN. However, I’m not stupid. I won’t be able to work as a bedside nurse for much longer. The hours, stress, physicality...I’m already wearing out, physically and mentally.

I am not sure what I’ll do next. It’s a shame, though. I mostly like my job and I’m good at it.

[pixierose, BSN, RN]

I’ve been in nursing for 2.5 years, so I still consider myself new.

I have no plans to become an APRN and I plan to to stay at the bedside. I am second career (in my mid-40’s) and going for my BSN for difficult enough.

There is so much out there for nursing and so much to learn without going back to school.

[shasta13]

?‍♀️

For now my plan is to do bedside until I physically can't. I love it.

[Quota, BSN, RN]

Second career new grad here, 6 months in so far, with no intention of going back to school. That doesn’t rule out moving out of direct bedside care eventually but more school is only in the cards if I discover an area of nursing I really want to pursue that requires it.

[PeakRN]

I'd love to go advanced practice at some point, but I'm not sure if the financials will make sense and I love taking care of critical care patients at the bedside.

At this point I make better money working fewer hours than most NPs that I work with. I also have zero school debt so I have a hard time understanding why I would want to spend money to make less money. NP jobs around here are also oversaturated with applicants and most new NPs end up working some job they didn't want in the first place.

[turtlesRcool]

As a bedside nurse, I see how thin the providers are stretched (MD, PA, APRN), and I can honestly say I don't want their jobs.

Maybe at some point, I'll have to leave bedside nursing due to injury or burnout, but right now I'm interested in learning how to be a better RN, not how to switch to something else.

I will say I envy the doctors their education because it's waaaayyyy more in-depth than nursing school, and there's much more instruction that goes on during their residency (I'm in a teaching hospital, so I see at least some of the continuing education). But as much as I would love to go back to school and learn more about, well, everything, I would really only want that to be a better advocate for my patients. I'm happy, though often exhausted, as a beside nurse.

[Snatchedwig, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

I'm fine with my degree level.

[Oldmahubbard]

As a Psych NP in my late 50's, I have attempted to do some recruiting. I won't be doing this forever. But so far, no takers.

One RN of my acquaintance did start a Psych NP MSN program, but she quit after realizing they were not going to show her how to do the job. I had warned her repeatedly about that.

So I think APRN is something many people consider, but not that many actually do, especially since there is no guarantee of a raise.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I loved loved loved my 10 year career at a level one trauma center ED job and like others, I was good at it. I loved the autonomy, the fact that I was the "go-to" person for difficult IVs, assessments of sick pts, etc. and that the doctors (we had no NPs then) counted on me.

Starting over as an APRN at 48 wasn't so much fun - I was the novice once again and had to prove myself. However, now after 13 years experience and once again I'm the "go-to" person for clinical expertise.

My reasons for going this route are several:

1. Though I loved my job, there is very little call for someone 60+ working the floor in a level one trauma center that sees 100k+ visits/year

2. I really wanted off night shift and even with 10 years experience, that would have been years down the road.

3. I did an MSN in management and leadership and realized mid-level managers were not high enough on the food chain to last long

4. I really wanted to learn more and wanted more autonomy.

Do I think someone right out of nursing school can make a great APRN? Yes, I guess so. However, in my area they would have a difficult time getting hired as its a saturated market.

[MiladyMalarkey, ASN, BSN]

I was one of the few in my nursing graduating class who seemed not to have some other aspiration to go beyond bedside nurse. I am also second career, so I've been around the block a bit and perhaps that may make a difference. My grand plan is to do bedside as long as my body lets me.

[SmilingBluEyes]

No way Jose. I don't want to work, seeing patients back to back, every 15 minutes and then spend several hours charting afterward. I don't think the return on the investment to be even close to worth it.

Really one needs to research the market in which they intend to work. Many are saturated, with NPs going back to bedside nursing because they either can't find a job, or can't make as much as in a hospital. School loans loom.

Not for me.