Is it just me or.....? Warning! This is long.

Nurses Career Support

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Hello All,

I am currently a med/surg nurse with 15+yrs experience working night shift. I have worked in several different hospital settings both small and large. Most of my experience has been with orthopedics and post op pts. I did manage to "survive" one year of a critical care step down unit. It was a great learning experience but I quickly learned that it wasn't for me. I feel horrible for saying this but I am sick of bedside nursing. Is it just me or has anyone felt this way or does feel this way?

I know I need a change but not sure about which path I should choose. I know two things for certain 1. I need to get off night shift (I feel totally drained even on my days off) and 2. I want to get away from bedside nursing. I am tired of coming into work and feel like I am in a race not a nurse caring for her pts ( I can't be alone here). I have thought about several areas like the OR, PACU, home care, even working in a dialysis clinic. I do have to say, after only lasting a year on the step down unit before calling it quits, I any a little nervous to step out of "my box" again. However, I know that I need to for both my mental and physical health.

Some of the things that I enjoy about nursing is being exposed to people from all sort of races, religions, countries and backgrounds. I enjoy talking with some of my "mature" pts and hearing about their lives and families and how things were "back in the day":) I love the hospitals that were up to date and had modern gadgets and software that allowed me to print and provide educational materials for my pts. (I totally believe in giving pts as much material and education as possible and giving them control over their own healthcare).

So getting to the point (finally!). If anyone has any advice on a particular area in nursing that they would like to share, I would appreciate it. Or if anyone wants to discuss their job and what they like or dislike about it, I would like to hear that as well. I appreciate any advice or information that anyone is willing to share.

Thank you in advance:D.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I feel horrible for saying this but I am sick of bedside nursing. Is it just me or has anyone felt this way or does feel this way?
I dislike bedside nursing and do not feel horribly about my opinion. However, I think I dislike it for reasons that drastically differ from the ones you've mentioned.

I don't appreciate the increased focus on 'customer service' at the bedside. I don't particularly enjoy interacting with patients and families. I don't derive a sense of honor from exposure to some of the most private aspects of patients' lives. I don't necessarily care to be needed by my patients or their families. Finally, I don't like performing ADLs such as toileting and bathing.

I'd love to end up in HR, recruiting, employee health, infection control, case management, or utilization review. However, bedside nursing has deteriorated into sport for the birds.

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I was in your boat 4 yrs ago. I was primarily an ortho RN x10yrs & towards the end, I just felt like a robot - doing the same thing everyday, very predictable. I knew I needed a change.

An opportunity at my job opened up for a case mgmt position. I took it & was offered a little more $, but those overtime shifts & differentials def made a difference (more $) rather than being salaried. However, it is a different stress, I'm using more critical thinking skills, and I still meet w/ patients & collaborate with docs. Plus I am more involved in administration too - which is nice when the president of the hoslital says hi to you randomly and actually knows your name!

Have you considered case mgmt?

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Hi Madzluhsrn

Thank you for your response. Some of my co workers had mentioned case management but I have no prior experience. Also, do you have to have some back ground in social work. I am not too familiar with what a case manager actually does to be honest with you.

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Thanks for your reply. I was glad to read your response. When I mention to some of my co workers that I am sick of bedside nursing, I get dirty looks from some and others try to make me feel guilty for trying to find a job I enjoy. But I feel that if don't derive some type enjoyment from your job than it will eventually effect your job in a negative way.

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Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.

Oh lots of opportunities! School nursing though might need BSN at least locally. Corrections nursing. Teaching ? One of my friends with adn taught CNA classes. Any hospital educator jobs? Or doing chart reviews I know someone that works from home doing that for insurance company

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"I feel like I'm in a race " - yep, that's how I felt too. Why would you feel bad about leaving bedside nursing? You've put in plenty of time, done plenty of work.

I switched to public health and love it - there are TONS of opportunities for patient education. And it's a 9-5, no weekends or holidays. Other options involving patient care but not in a hospital....school nursing maybe? Home health? - you definitely have the skills for that. Hospice, inpatient or home-based? Maybe something in an assisted living, if you like older adults (I don't know anyone who does that, so possibly it's a different kind of race).

If you don't want any kind of direct patient contact - utilization review (reviewing charts) for hospitals or insurance companies, supervisory or teaching jobs, teaching CNAs or CPR classes, infection preventionist.

You probably won't make as much money outside the hospital, but then again there's the possibility of normal hours and a better life outside work. To me, it was worth it.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

You are not only able to effectively manage patient care, but have 15 years of dealing with acute care processes & challenges. This level of expertise can only be gained through exposure such as yours, and is a very valuable asset. Case Management seems as though it would be a great fit for you, since these are the folks that are most involved in helping patients navigate through all the complexity of acute care... including any subsequent post-DC care that is needed. Have you explored CM certification information? There are also some online programs for CMs... don't know much about them except that they are out there.

I would suggest that you have a talk with your manager & HR about your career development. Please don't feel bad about wanting a change - it does not reflect badly on you or indicate that you feel patient care is a 'lowly' job. It's natural to seek career growth. I'm sure that they don't want to lose you, so they will most likely help point you in the right direction. If not, I'm sure that other employers would be happy to welcome you.

Best of luck to you

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Thank you all for your support and suggestions.

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I've accidentally stumbled into nursing education and have enjoyed it so far. Definitely a break from the bedside.

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I was in your boat 4 yrs ago. I was primarily an ortho RN x10yrs & towards the end, I just felt like a robot - doing the same thing everyday, very predictable. I knew I needed a change.

An opportunity at my job opened up for a case mgmt position. I took it & was offered a little more $, but those overtime shifts & differentials def made a difference (more $) rather than being salaried. However, it is a different stress, I'm using more critical thinking skills, and I still meet w/ patients & collaborate with docs. Plus I am more involved in administration too - which is nice when the president of the hoslital says hi to you randomly and actually knows your name!

Have you considered case mgmt?

i am not a nurse yet but i work in public health case management alongside nurses (my cases are a little more benign than theirs but when we were understaffed i def took some of their medical cases). it's great for the thorough, deep thinking, critical mind and for people good at remembering to follow up with patients. care coordination is very important especially for the underserved populations with lost to care people. i agree that you should look into it :) we do a LOT o health education and 80 percent of our population is moms and babies and we do home visits when necessary--so you're not at a desk all day. :)

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Specializes in critical care,rapid response.

I don't have a particular answer, but just want to encourage you that I get the feeling that with 15 years of experience you're far more of an expert than you realize! Also, you've became 15 years older,not younger;). I suspect you'll find getting off of night-shift like a vitamin B-12 shot. With your heart for the elderly and diverse populations, and passion for teaching, I think the suggestion of public health nursing sounded like a great fit for you. Whatever you choose, pat yourself on the back for taking care of YOU now and move forward.

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