Is there such a thing?

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Anyone heard of a dead end nursing career? Someone recently told me that at her hospital there was no room for advancement unless someone quit or died... I thought people could get promoted easily If they did their time?!

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Specializes in Med/surg, Tele, educator, FNP.

As an ADN RN I felt as though my options where limited in moving up the ladder. You have options working the floor OB, ER, ICU , in terms of moving up to house supervisor. Charge nurse, director. Those types of positions need a experience and usually a degree. A know ppl with tons of knowledge with only an ADN degree, they are 50 plus with no options to move up, for even teaching LVNs you need a BSN in California. I believe your degree limits you. A BSN only helps a little but I do a agree a MSN is the best to have. If you plan on not getting injured on the floor, you can probably do it till you retire and move around units.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
As an ADN RN I felt as though my options where limited in moving up the ladder. You have options working the floor OB, ER, ICU , in terms of moving up to house supervisor. Charge nurse, director. Those types of positions need a experience and usually a degree. A know ppl with tons of knowledge with only an ADN degree, they are 50 plus with no options to move up, for even teaching LVNs you need a BSN in California. I believe your degree limits you. A BSN only helps a little but I do a agree a MSN is the best to have. If you plan on not getting injured on the floor, you can probably do it till you retire and move around units.

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THIS...especially the last line.

My semi retirement plan is to become a NP...I have twenty more years to go until retirement, if my body is willing...:whistling:

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

I think you're confusing dead-end career with dead-end facility. Nursing is far from a dead-end career. However, there may be facilities where you'll find yourself able to advance only so far.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
I think you're confusing dead-end career with dead-end facility. Nursing is far from a dead-end career. However there may be facilities where you'll find yourself able to advance only so far.[/quote']

I agree. One facility I worked was NO advancement...the only "advancement" I had going from LPN to BSN was the ability to get more patients. :blink: What helped me actually get a higher position at another job is that I was on committees and helped create policies at this "dead-end" facility...I think I made a difference :yes: however, I need MORE in my career. The organization I accepted a position in has a great history in career advancement; I know several mentors of mine who were able to advance, so there is room for possibilities.

...but I still have my semi-retirement plan... :yes:

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It's like with any job. You must prove that you are leader and have people skills. Like you said many people just want to be floor nurses. So there is room for some advancement but you may have to look at other facilities because once people go into management they tend to stay there until they retire. And it does not always take a long time to move up either. Employeers can automatically see potential in those who are ment to lead (which is def not everyone). My sister is in management and she says that although she misses the patient contact that she had as a bedside, she has more flexibilty with her life (at her job).

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I think your friend is right, and I don't think that is unusual or surprising. Unless a nurse has an advanced education s/he isn't going anywhere of interest.
I think you do bedside nurses a disservice.

Bedside nursing is an honorable profession that is fascinating and rewarding.

Not everyone needs to have the alphabet after their name to feel fulfilled and satisfied. It is this type of rhetoric that I find nursing consistently defeats itself.....it makes me angry and sad.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

Esme12 just said what I was thinking.

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Specializes in Med/surg, Tele, educator, FNP.

It is very honorable, i did it for many years

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Specializes in Med/surg, Tele, educator, FNP.

And I wasn't trying to degrade bedside, for me it got boring. I personally didn't move units too often because at my facility my "work family" and I were way too close to move to let's say OB. So maybe I didn't try hard enough that's why I kept moving on with school. So being med/surg/ tele for 15 years stopped being challenging and I moved on. No you don't need the alphabet behind your name if your going to stay at bedside and that's perfectly fine. I was just wondering if you can move up with just those credentials my friend is having a hard time.

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Nursing in general is a dead end job.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Nursing in general is a dead end job.

*shrugs* one can only put out what they out in their career...I have done a lot in my years of nursing, and there is more to do that I get to enjoy. :yes:

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You know McDonalds is always looking for managers. :nailbiting:

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