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.

[NurseRies, BSN, RN]

I understand everyone deals with a stressful job a little different. I remember my mom used to come home and vent for an hour every day and tell us a lot of details. I guess I've somehow learned to leave work at the door. It is a hard thing to do!!! Keep working at it. And I do understand that some people hold the stress and can't just let it go magically.

As for marriage , I guess everyone is different- we don't have kids yet which helps. But we both have insisted on having Sundays off. We both work every Saturday. And then he has more set hours so I get to see him Wednesday and Thursday nights also. Sometimes an occasional morning as well, but our time is limited. We both have made an effort to have one set day off a week together and we always spend the day together. He works 50 hours a week, I do 50-60 hours a week plus on call shifts. It's not easy...

[Maevish, ASN, RN]

There will be rotten people everywhere you go, but maybe you're right that bedside isn't for you. Hell, I question that many nights when I'm at work, but there are "better" places. Cath lab, OR, postpartum (my personal happy place), etc are all available. Even legal nursing and insurance jobs

Good luck! xo

[sneed1o1, BSN, RN]

At 25, I also have decided to leave the "Hilton Hospital" for a specialty I feel will be more suitable to my personality. After working cardiac telemetry for 2 years, it's time for me to upgrade to the OR Granted, I always knew I wanted to be an OR nurse, but I had a ton of nurses telling me to get floor experience first, so I was doomed from the beginning Just had a patient this week gripe at me (not the tech) for not fixing her bed sheets properly after using the bedside commode...and she is a retired nurse. I agree, the line between a nurse and a slave is becoming blurred. At least you have the experience under your belt!

[INN_777, BSN, RN]

Seriously? All your patients are unappreciative? All your coworkers are backstabbing? And all the docs disregard concerns?

I've been at bedside for almost 1.5 years (2nd career) and, yes, it is a tough job, but I find it also very rewarding? Maybe you were just in a bad workplace.

[dawniepoo]

I recently left bedside. I hated almost every shift I ever worked. Now I am the happiest nurse on the planet. I have a job that is zero stress and I make more money sitting at a desk and writing appeal letters. This job lets me use my knowledge and love of writing to help patients. It's a win win!

[Kiminindy, BSN, RN]

Let the next wave of nursing shortages begin. I hope the powers that be are reading :-) It won't happen to your hospital? You are to big? California is paying over 100.00 oder hour for nurses...no, really, they are. CPMC! Of course, California is about bankrupt from helping everyone and nobody can afford to live there, but as an agency nurse...go collect. I have to somewhat agree...the constant worry over scores and patient satisfaction is off the hook. My last ER travel assignment was in California. A patient's family literally said "we needed more entertainment for the patients and families." Sadly, she was serious. She said the last nurse joked around more than I did. I am a it dry witted but then again, I applied to nursing for my caring heart and skills. Maybe next job I'll ask if entertaining the patient's families are a requirement. Let me put this EKG, IV line, o2 needed and rest treatment on hold. Geez....figure it out people.

[jme2018, LPN, EMT-P]

Boy, talk about nursing "eating their young!" Why are you guys busting on the OP for writing about how she's feeling? Are all you "I never bring my work home with me, me and my husband have the perfect arrangement because I know I don't need to be with him 24 hours a day, I put on my happy face every single day for my patient's" really that perfect, or are you just unable to admit the truth like the OP did? After 11 years as a Paramedic, and 4 years as a nurse, I totally get where he or she is coming from. Not because I'm a terrible person, or because I have mental health problems, or whatever other reasons you people came up with for why they MUST be feeling that way; maybe it's just how they feel. Healthcare right now is in a terrible, terrible state, and it's only getting worse. It is emotionally, physically and mentally exhausting, and admin, in general, doesn't give a crap, becaue they aren't the ones in the trenches dealing with the bull****. After 15 years, I'm getting out too, and it's all because of the general attitude in health care right now, and some of you on here are a perfect example of that. I have more self-worth than to be spit on, swung at, swore at, or treated like a maid, etc, etc, the rest of my life, in the name of an "A+" survey score!! How about climb off your high horse, and have a little empathy for a fellow healthcare worker, instead of tearing them to shreds. Or how about this, if you don't like what they have to say, keep scrolling.....End rant!!

[scgle, ASN, RN]

The patient nurse ratio doesn't help the situation, ya barely have time to get the basics done, let alone answer their questions and where is the time for education..

[rubynrse, ADN, RN]

I'm glad you're away from the bedside, DeeBuzz. Maybe you should find a different career altogether. You are really jaded and cynical. I'm hoping it's just a response to incidents and you will be able to have a happier and more gentle personality and this is not who you really are.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I find that I am unable to quote the original post, but WOW! What a nasty, negative post. I cannot see how blaming everyone around you for your unhappiness is going to result in a happier work life, a better marriage or a more pleasant life. I would wish you well, but I'm afraid that someone who is so negative and nasty that words must be asterisked out probably isn't going to be any happier anywhere else, either.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

INN_777 said:

Seriously? All your patients are unappreciative? All your coworkers are backstabbing? And all the docs disregard concerns?

I've been at bedside for almost 1.5 years (2nd career) and, yes, it is a tough job, but I find it also very rewarding? Maybe you were just in a bad workplace.

Or maybe the original poster is encountering all of these terrible people because of the poster's own attitude, which is amply demonstrated in the original post.

[SarahLPN2RN, LPN]

Deebuzz, I'm sorry you had such a terrible experience. All acute care nursing is hard, but it sounds like you were in a toxic work place. So, for all of you who don't understand where she's coming from, congrat's on never having to experience that. I am truly glad if you've never had a supervisor lie to your face, had to deal with a physician who stopped caring 20 years ago, coworkers with personal problems they brought to the job, or a myriad of other factors that make a toxic work place. Every work place has its challenges, and nursing has diverse areas to practice. Instead of shaming each other, maybe we should be encouraging each other to find our own niche.