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 have met quite a few nurses over the years who run from job to job, looking for something that doesn't exist. I work with a couple people now who blame the stress of the job for everything going wrong. Their relationships are suffering, their finances aren't good enough, they go home at night and cry. I feel bad for them , but nursing is tough... There just isn't ever going to be a job without stress. Hours are long, patients are rude, nurses are blamed for everything by the doctors, patients, other nurses. We are the middle man in a high stress environment. I feel for people that are struggling but unless they can find a way to deal with their stress, nursing will make them miserable.

I guess as the years have gone on I've gotten more tough and just don't give a crap anymore about doctors yelling at me and coworkers talking about me. But unsafe nursing is a different story. If we want nursing to change, what are we gonna do about it?? Short staffing and patient ratios should be against the law, that's for sure. I have worked 26 hours shifts in my career. That's not right. We really need to band together right now before administration and CEOs push us even harder to make themselves more money.

[CaffeinePOQ4HPRN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

Welcome to the world of Nursing! We're all dealing . At some point, you stop giving a flying fig about the things that could otherwise drive you crazy (i.e. abusive/annoying patients and their families, doctors yelling, coworkers gossiping). You just (internally) start rolling your eyes after a while, let them have their hissy fits and move on.

I totally agree with NurseRies Short staffing and patient ratios SHOULD be against the law. How can anyone rationalize holding nurses accountable for things that might arise as a direct result of the fact that we are consistently working in unsafe conditions? I wish there was more we could do about it to effect positive change for the profession.

[SunnyMICN]

There are so many areas of patient care that don't involved traditional "floor nursing". I've found my niche in Critical Care Transport Nursing. One patient at a time....sometimes at their sickest. Even though my time with them is sometimes no more than an hour, I can do some traditional nursing such as teaching and emotional support without having to worry about answering call bells or dealing with any other distractions. I don't need to call a doctor for routine orders, I follow standing orders and if there is something I need that goes above and beyond those orders, that is the only time I call medical control. In the hospital system I work for, nurses in transport can also perform alongside paramedics as a Mobile Intensive Care Unit (after fulfilling the requirements dictated by the OEMS). I paid my dues in floor nursing (13 years) and have enjoyed being a Transport RN for the past 9 years.

[RNKate]

Wow! Sounds like you've had a really bad experience. I started nursing about 6 months ago and I love it. Yeah the hours are long, and I'm tired when I get home but you only have to work 3 days a week. Almost all the nurses on my floor are super nice and we all try to stay positive throughout the shift. Everyone gets "tough" patients, but I feel like the good ones outweigh the bad. Did you not realize what nursing was like during your clinicals in nursing school?

[Lovelite66]

I went into psychiatric nursing straight out of college. It has been 38 years of sadness, joy, emotional roller coasters, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and, the very worst, death, by suicide. I think, sometimes, we know who we are enough to know, what to choose in a career. How you are describing patients and families, lets me know that, the only kind of nursing that you might be meant to do, would be OR....no talking, no patient issues, just task oriented, important work. I would look into that. Allot of people don't want to admit, they chose nursing, because it is a decent living and didn't think much about the work it takes to be a NURSE...A CAREGIVER....and so, we find out, too late, that knowing you can always get a job, isn't what is important...it is...are you and nursing a good fit. I don't think you should be dealing with people on this level...case management is going to get to you as well...dealing with insurance companies, medicare, medicaid... Social Workers...you are going to get frustrated and unhappy....but something like the OR....GREAT for someone who cannot tolerate the close contact with folks who are upset, hurting, needing to blame, not taking care of themselves and are messes because of it....just my thoughts from what you wrote. But, you cannot rise in the ranks as a nurse, unless you can tolerate the bad times with patients and families...and be a mentor to others....so, even teaching, ,would not be a fit for you....you may have chosen the wrong path...but maybe Case Management will work out for you....I hope it does...if not, consider the OR...get that extra training....and go for it.,,,and if not....maybe this is not the right work for you...time will tell.

[I'm Nocturnal, BSN, RN]

It is a shame that as professionals this is the cards we are dealt every day. The hospital system is broken and is not getting any better. Behind all this is the sick patient. We are there for them, not us, not for anyone else. Part of maturity is learning to deal with all types of patients and families, to not take it personally, to deal professionally with all types no matter how rude. It is nursing. It will not change. Safe staffing bills passed would help us not be so stressed and strained all the time...but time is wasted on less important things leaving us to flounder while taking care of the sickest of sick. Luckily, nursing has many options. I hope you find your niche. Right now my niche is floor nursing.

[Born4spending]

OMG I totally understand! Nursing was my second career which I was only going to work at for 10 years. I'm now 20+ in critical care nursing. Initially worked in a level 1 inter city trauma step down position. That job was harder than anything I have ever done, I left after three years jaded by how the patients, hospital, physicians and co-workers treated one another. Saw and learned so much but I would not go back for any amount of money! Unfortunately, because RN is after your name it gives some, not all, the right to disrespect and degrade you. I care for my patients as is they were my family but that does not give them the right to be verbally and or physically abusive, same goes for physicians. Nursing is one of if not the hardest degree to obtain, yet so many times I hear "just a nurse". I'm glad you were able to find a position that suits you.

[ddaily]

Sorry to read after 1.5 years you're ready to leave bedside nursing! After spending 42 years full time in mainly bedside nursing only retiring recently, I must say it is what you make it! Possibly it is the generation which you are part of--unfortunately--I see trends over the years of new grads and it seems to be getting more negative toward the profession. I just hope when members of your family & you arrive at the stage you need hospitalized, there are still some dedicated nurses who will be there to take care of you or them--no matter how mean or angry you/them are due to illness etc.! I hope you are in the minority who don't seem to have the commitment to stay with the purpose of going into nursing.

[Kiminindy, BSN, RN]

I'd love to hear some comments from people with idea's on how to start fixing things. For those that agree it is real and in need of fixing...what can be done as 1 person and so on. I do think it starts with education. Perhaps bring some guided empathy somehow. All testing and cramming may be a burn out...perhaps assignments interviewing grandparents and asking how they felt as patients, did they notice decay in the care and system...something needs changed. Something needs to also bring nurses together. I noticed the cycle a bit today at work. 1 person was called out and a few of the nurses joined in right away. I don't get that at all. If you see yourself doing that...stop! I was approached by a charge nurse to see if I wanted to get on a list of nurses reporting a nurse we worked with...a list. Oh, she meant a paper trail. Any good manager would see a list and know right away that's a case of domino's...1 then 2 then 3 then more! I vow to not do this!

[lisakeenan9]

Unless we band together and take a stand things will only go south as hospital move to improve reimbursements thru hotel-like treatment. Pts come to the hospital to get better, not to be treated like they're at the Hilton.

Dee, I think you struck chord with many of us. We have all had jobs, coworkers, managers and patients we detest. But as a 22 year veteran of nursing, I think you generalizing and assigning blame where some may fall on you. You cant treat everyone well if you dont fell good about what you are doing. You do need to get out of floor nursing. I only lasted a couple weeks on the floor, but have found my passion and love in home health...specifcally home health. I hope you find yours. nursing is hard enough without working with a bunch of other people that do not want to be there. As far as increasing sonsumer satisfation and reimbursement by treating guests like they are at the Hilton, that is redonculous. Ihave been in administratio and regulatory compliance for 15 years. You dont have a clue have messed up reimbursement is these days and that you as a case manager will be grossly affected. 1. For 3000 bucks minimum a night, I would stay at the 4 seasons in Dubai, not the Hilton in anytown USA 2. Discharge planning is the newest target of Federal Regulations that expect you to have a plan in writing with follow up for any inpatient stay, even one night. That means a whole lot of dealing with families, patient services providers and maketers (liasons) that are being aloowed back into the hospital. 3. Reimbursement is moving to pay for performance and your outcomes (yes your success at discharge planning) and rehospitalizaitons that you could no prevent will directly relflectyour job evaluations and payscale. People skills are non-negotiable. If you cant do it, that is ok. But suck it up and move on to a nunnery because nursing is hard, and hardly worth it some days and better than anything else most days. You can or you cant, but you need to realize it is not everybody else's fault.

[lauriead]

I feel your pain. I worked the bedside 15 years. I changed jobs many times, feeling it was the hospital. After a few years I realized I hated the job. I thought it was about the patient. Administration does not care about you or your families. No ones cares you need to get home and give medicines to loved ones and if you are late, there can be devastating consequences. And, for a lot of patients, it is what can I get for free. How many patients have I discharged on Medicaid who go home in a Lexis? And, they all have the expensive phones. I finally went back and got my BSN and left forever. I now work as a Legal Nurse Consultant at a law firm. Even the attorneys are more civil.

[SiebertRN]

As a RN myself for 1.5 years I do understand where you are coming from. But I work Skilled Nursing with 22 patient load. It's hard to deal with the degrading and down right verbally abusive patients. I also have recently took a CM position with a hospice company. But I will say this.... I worked in a horrible horrible place before the skilled nursing position I have now and the place I am now that yes sadly I am leaving is one of the best places I have worked. Everyone gets along and we all help each other with everything. As the military states no one is left behind well that's the motto of my place of work. If someone is behind and has a admission and I'm taking paper charting admission so you can only imagine!!! We help we do what's needed so everyone can go home at the end of there shift. So not everywhere is like what you are stating. So when I say you are wrong on bedside nurse you are. You just never found that place that you really were appreciated. I love my job am I leaving it because I hate it? No I'm leaving it because I am curious of what else is out there. I'm not saying that bedside is the 100% best option and you are wrong for leaving it. What I am saying is you had two horrible jobs and not all places are like that. So don't put every place into a bad horrible category stamped bedside nursing.