Is bedside nursing really that bad?

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

This is not question about being "bad" or not. It is a question of your future value as advanced specialist, and, whatever specialty you are going into, this value is determined by your level of expertise. Since specialties like IT, QA, education and such are "generic" and prepare every specialist appoximately the same level, the value of each such specialist is at large determined by what this person ALREADY knows - in other words, his/her past RN career.

From what I see, it makes sense to squeeze everything possible from one specialty before making a jump into "advanced". All possible certificates, education, skills, most advanced experience available - it all will one day or another work for the future. Fleeting experiences here and there add, too, but by far not that much.

[Sour Lemon]

From the limited experience I have to draw from, I'd say you may find it a very difficult transition. Med surg and tele are pretty much like psych except that the patients are very ill. It's sort of like "double" the work (or more).

[OldDude]

I worked one shift on a med-surg floor when I got called out of the ER for staffing shortage one night. That was one shift too many for me.

[NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN]

From the limited experience I have to draw from, I'd say you may find it a very difficult transition. Med surg and tele are pretty much like psych except that the patients are very ill. It's sort of like "double" the work (or more).

I find it very hard to find a patient that doesn't contain some psych issue. If it's not them it's their crazy family. I had an attending write in his note that the patient would probably benefit from a low dose anxiolytic...and that he told the family members that they should consider the same for themselves! Yes, this was part of their medical record now.

I also found that IVDA patients really, really like apple juice. I'm not sure why, but they MUST have Apple juice!

[Have Nurse, ADN, RN]

I am one of those nurses I guess some would consider lucky- I have been a nurse for 10 years and have never worked in traditional "bedside" nursing. I have worked psych in an acute care hospital, but since the vast majority of our patients are walkie talkies (they are pretty much all talkie), I wouldnt consider it "bedside."

My work has always been clinical- psych, case management, outpatient/primary care --- but before moving onto something nonclinical (informatics, quality management, administration) I am considering giving the bedside a shot. I am interested in tele or ED nursing.

However, I am constantly reading horror stories and desperate-seeming posts from people looking to get OUT of bedside.

Any thoughts about pros of bedside from people who work at a decently staffed unit?

Some of my feared cons include the waitress-like feeling, focusing on tasks vs big picture, entitled patients/family members, being understaffed, not getting lunch breaks, worrying for my license due to inappropriate workload... I know these things are real, but are they really the majority of the time/situation??

My motivation for trying bedside is to make sure I don't regret not trying it, being more well rounded clinically, more marketable, and the learning/science piece. I have to admit I am mostly interested in these factors, not patient care (although obviously, patient care is the job).

Any thoughts or advice?

Much of it depends on where you work, acuity of the patients and your skillset.

You will need a strong stomach at times.

I did bedside for 18 years. I had both regular floors, mostly Med/Surg/Ortho Neuro, some Oncology although not chemo, and I floated. In MN one has to be certified to do Chemo, and I am not.

But, the majority of patients that I have cared for were anxious to get better and go home. They were the ones that were easy to teach regarding the need for increased activity, how to monitor an incision, what to watch for regarding possible infection, diet, pain management, etc.

And it is true that there were many who had some kind of mental health issue they were dealing with from substance abuse to unresolved grief. And if I was able to spend more time with them, I did. And it does make a difference in how the recovery goes if they know that someone really is on their side, rooting for them.

There were those folks who were elderly and lonely, on their light more than others, but I couldn't get upset with them. There's a reason for every kind of behavior as you know, and these poor souls sometimes were confused and hit their light by mistake.

My body won't tolerate it now, or I'd still be doing it.

Sometimes they required more observation due to their condition but all in all, I am very glad I did bedside nursing. I learned a lot and it helped me in other areas of my career and home life.

[Daisy Joyce]

I work in a decently staffed unit.

I like it.

I've worked in poorly staffed units. It sucked.

Where I work now has a local reputation for being a good place to work.

[WestCoastSunRN, MSN, CNS]

It totally depends on where you work and the specialty your in. I'm a big advocate for bedside nursing, but I can honestly say I do not ever want to work Med/Surg. When you get into higher acuity and more narrowly specialized units the fun starts, IMHO. Of course, that also depends on the institution you work for. I work for a highly regarded system-- staffing, management, overall culture is all good. All that makes a HUGE difference.

You mention ED. I've always thought it would be fun to try ED (except that I'm a control freak). It's not bedside nursing in the same sense as in other areas of the hospital, but it's totally hands-on, fast-paced and potentially interesting. I think you'd learn a lot.