Is Bedside Nursing Really for me?

Nurses General Nursing

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I find myself asking the Age old question we New graduates seem to ask after ourselves after the first year of working as a bedside nurse....Is Bedside nursing really for me. Sure I love my patients, but is the stress really worth it. Is the Drama really what I want to deal with. Could I do this for the rest of my life?

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Yes, but those areas do (and should, in my opinion) require some amount of experience at the bedside.

And it's expected that one is proficient in...you nailed it...patient care.

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I understand you fully. Bedside nursing is what I consider the trenchwork of nursing. It can be miserable and depending on where you work and your own constitution, psychologically and physically debilitating. I've reached a breaking point myself and determined it best to step away from the bedside as I feel it is sapping more from me energetically than I am getting from it financially or spiritually. I don't want to be one of the bitter, burnt out nurses that I see time and again returning to work at the bedside day after day because it's too late for them to change course or begin again. Do what is best for you.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Why?

There are many fields of nursing that don't require patient contact... Working for insurance companies... Legal nursing... Administrative nursing...

We are not living in the mid 1900's where nurses have to fit into one certain mold (wearing funny hats with white tights)

The nursing field has come a loooong way

Obviously nursing ain't for the person who despises patients/working with sick people, but not everyone has to love the bedside to be a nurse

​It's very difficult to get into those fields without experience. One year is just getting your bearings.

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Specializes in cardiac/education.
but every day seems to be a 'sh*tshow'

LOVE IT! LOL, gonna tell hubby I have to go to the "sh*tshow" tommorow...;)

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Specializes in Outpatient Psychiatry.

I can attest that "bedside" work is not for me. There isn't anything about it that makes me look forward to work, and there isn't anything about it that I find gratifying. Will other staunch bedside nurses hate that? Absolutely. Nonetheless, it's how I feel. Clinic is great. ER isn't bad, but it can be a bit worrisome. Office work is ok depending on what you're doing. My $0.02.

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Nurse J hit it on the head. Its not so much about the bedside nursing as it's about the poor running of the units. understaffing, telling you they're hiring when you can't even find a post with Google, preaching about safety while giving 7 patients to a newbie with only 12 weeks experience, calling/emailing you almost everyday (5am - Really? there's this concept called planning...) to work more shifts. THOSE are the stressors. fix this kind of hot mess and there won't be any shortage of nurses, jmho.

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Specializes in cardiac/education.
I can attest that "bedside" work is not for me. There isn't anything about it that makes me look forward to work, and there isn't anything about it that I find gratifying. Will other staunch bedside nurses hate that? Absolutely. Nonetheless, it's how I feel. Clinic is great. ER isn't bad, but it can be a bit worrisome. Office work is ok depending on what you're doing. My $0.02.

I can so relate to this. It's so sad that for the most part I enjoy the patients but there are just not enough pros to outweigh the cons of this job. I like "serving" but not at the expense of my own health and sanity. I hope there is some other place for me in nursing.

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Specializes in FNP- BC, Med-Tele, PCU, Home Health Case Manager.
Nurse J hit it on the head. Its not so much about the bedside nursing as it's about the poor running of the units. understaffing, telling you they're hiring when you can't even find a post with Google, preaching about safety while giving 7 patients to a newbie with only 12 weeks experience, calling/emailing you almost everyday (5am - Really? there's this concept called planning...) to work more shifts. THOSE are the stressors. fix this kind of hot mess and there won't be any shortage of nurses, jmho.

Thanks! I agree if they could fix those things, it wouldn't be as rough of a ride to gain that experience... But they have an excuse for everything and they know...every quarter schools around the nation are pumping out more and more new nurses that they can full your position with if you choose to leave. In fact, I almost feel like they bank on people leaving early so they can make some money off you quitting early. Maybe its just the company I work for...doesn't seem like they truly value their employees. We have a lot of more experienced nurses that are leaving now, due to the hot mess...I don't blame them at all...but they have more options being more experienced. So I'm a little stuck til I'm finished with my contract. But where to go? Only time will tell I suppose.

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