Leaving Bedside Nursing

[Deebuzz]

Your emotional, physical and mental health will suffer along with your family life. I have finally decided to leave the bedside and I've never felt so happy. At only 25, I felt like I was going to be stuck in this state for the rest of my working life but I found the courage to finally make the decision that saved my health and my marriage.

I went into nursing with the intention of helping people and being the one to make a difference to those who may feel hopeless. All my intentions were quickly shut down when I started working on the floor.

We deal with some unappreciative, sarcastic, rude, and egotistical (patients, family members, physicians, coworkers, and managers). There is no care in nursing just bottom-line concerns.

My first nursing job was ok, I worked in ND at the time, I moved to FL and that gave me the green light to officially leave floor nursing. I hate the anxious feeling before every shift, the nagging family members, pts who are rude self-entitled, coworkers who throw each other under the bus, physicians who disregard concerns, and a whole lot of other things I can elaborate about that is just downright awful.

I'm glad to say my degree didn't completely go to waste as I am now an RN case manager. I believe being away from the bedside will renew my interest. I refuse to live a day dreading having to go to work, nursing has literally changed how I respond to people before I use to smile at everyone now I walk past people with my face looking like a pit bull ready to bite.

Whenever someone would tell me to smile I thought, "Wow I have changed for the worst" I refuse to be a martyr for this profession.

Taking care of myself is more important than risking it for people who **** on theirs.

[Sensibility, BSN, RN]

Some people, Ruby, are not as good at others at blowing people's reactions off. They don't teach that in school and when we do act that way, we become the very people we dislike so much. It hard to stay above it. My husband, God bless him, has listened to me on more than a few occasions share some of my frustrations. He prays for me. I don't know what I would do without a husband that prays for me night after night. God has woken him up on some of my worst nights to pray. That is the truth. The thing that works for me is forgiving my offenders and giving it to God to handle. And trust me, He has handled things for me in ways that I could not have. It doesn't help me though when there is so much pressure, anger, abusive talking from patients and the overwhelming responsibility. One thing I am grateful for is that my hospital has zero tolerance for negative behaviors. If an employee wants to get in trouble, just start giving people a hard time of it and that includes the physicians. Nevertheless, when one situations is resolved, another seems to arise. The better we are at patient care and knowing what we are doing, the better we are in other areas. In other words, experience helps. I am a nice person. I don't like nursing either when people aren't nice. I don't like to be yelled at or for people to take their frustrations out on me. These are things that people should know when they sign up for nursing. It is not easy to live day to day in the pressure cooker.

[Bruce_Wayne, ASN, RN]

I used to miserable but then I came to terms with expectations vs reality and I just do the best I can with what I have. As a shift lead my process was to give mys of all the biggest baddest cases but that line of thinking was unsubstantiatable. I got a lot of stress from making assignments and having to deal with the complaints and venting from other nurses. It's especially hard when you're understaffed. Sometimes I wished I could just twitch my nose and materialize a nurse.

Now on my coping skills are much larger and I don't take things personally anymore. Actually being firm and decisive has made things better for me as people are less likely to question my actions and I try to be as transparent with my thought process as possible. Now people pretty much trust me to be fair and flexible but sometimes nurses get really tough assignments but I do my best to spread the grief around evenly.

Personally my biggest stressor isn't the job or personality issues with coworkers it's the culture of choosing quantity over quality of life that I see day after day. Sometimes I feel like a tool of torture more than a nurse as we trach and peg people who's only prognosis is to be in bedridden pain for the rest of their life with tubes in ever orifice until the day that we code them and can't get them back. That's the one thing that keeps me awake at night.

[sefRN]

If you work where co-workers throw you under the bus, you are in the wrong facility. Case management is another grueling nursing job. Find a Magnet facility! Yes, there will always be patients that work the system and family members that lack communication skills. Where I work, the verbally abusive family members are escorted out by security. Respect is expected and nothing less is tolerated. It is the culture of the environment where you are working, not nursing. Don't give up!

[peggy2624]

For goodness sake don't send any more burnouts to the OR....that being said, if you didn't have empathy I doubt you'd have even begun nursing and I'm so sorry you burned our so quickly. No career is ever what you think it's going to be and the "system" doesn't value empathy....maybe you might try Hospice....I know I found it the best nursing I ever did....Good luck with whatever you decide and I hope you find the right spot for your gentle heart...

[Libby1987]

Some of the places where you guys work are unbelievable. We aren't mistreated or yelled at where I work and yet we hold customer service very high, something we did long before ratings. And yes, customer service is something we have to teach. We don't allow our staff to act out their frustrations on our patients, caregivers, providers or each other. It takes no more time to have an emotionally mature approach than one that's ego based. And we practice it from the top down. We work hard no doubt but our morale isn't in the gutter.

As far as home conditions, I worked as a home health case manager for years and while there were some horrendous living situations they aren't common and most were average to good.

Many patients and their families have fear and anxiety, many grieving loss of function, but mistreatment of staff is rare. Soft skills of the staff as well as perception are major factors that affect experience.

It's been a few years now but I spent many days all day long over an 8 week period at my dad's bedside, both in acute and rehab settings. I sure didn't get to see or hear the shows described here and on many threads.

I don't know why I've had such a different nursing experience spanning 3 decades, and still working. I think part of it me as there have been nurses I've worked with that hated what I've thrived in. We have had both nurses that have ran (run?) screaming and others who have worked/work with us as a second job because they just love it. Some resent the paperwork while others of us shake our heads at the crummy part of a job that we otherwise like/love.

And the ironic part is that I expect to like my work. I can't imagine going to something everyday that I loathed.

For those who missed the post, OP is taking a home health case manager position, not as conventional insurance or discharge planning case manager.

[kalevra, BSN, RN]

Congratulations, and welcome to the club.

I respect your decision to place your family and health before others. It is a difficult decision to make, but at the end of the day, you must take care of your own first.

Corporate healthcare is the face of the modern American healthcare system. There will always be martyrs willing to throw themselves on to the patient care pyre. Luckily enough, you wont be one of them.

Helping patients does not necessarily mean working at bedside. It also means managing their care from a computer of managing staff and resources.

Good Luck and I wish you the best!

[sammiesmom]

Totally understand. I can handle direct care but not like the floor. That is a living hell. I work in the ICU and having 2 patients lessens the family involvement and doctors care more about what nurses say but its a higher level of care so there are other stress like um how to keep this patient alive cause they are trying to die right now?! Nurse-patient ratio has to improve on the floor. Just way too much patients.

[cshennett]

I have done 20 yrs floor but enjoy outpatient better han bedside @ this point. U really called floor nursing & everything connected to it out. Thank You. It It takes sheer God given strength & lots of prayers throughout the day. I am not bitter but needed a break & anywork out patient, be it Cemo. Pre-op or post ou or surgicare any outpt clinic (not E.C. ) to rejuvenate you.

[Hmfog]

I am in nursing school right now, but I used to be a teacher. I knew teachers who left the classroom to go into administration, thinking it would mean less dealings with the classroom ****. Instead, you're just dealing with every classroom's ****! Maybe the same situation you're walking in. Maybe not, I've never done either job!

[cshennett]

Thank You, I love your post......Keeping it Real.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Lisa.fnp said:

Getting away from the bedside nursing is the best thing a nurse could do. I encourage every single nurse to go back to school and continue their education. To be a care provider as a NP. Well you just don't experience such problems.

Not every nurse has the funds, time or desire to be a provider. There are MANY other avenues away from the bedside.

[nurseypants328, BSN, APN]

I am curious what kind of nursing you are leaving the floor for? I have been having this feeling and I don't even know what my options are!