Leaving bedside after pandemic

[Peachy Em, ADN, BSN]

I'm a med-surg PRN float nurse. I've been in this position for about 2 months now, prior I was a med surg full time staff nurse for 1.5 years. Due to covid-19 the floats are being used for tier nursing in the ICU or put on the Covid unit. I hate my job and I don't enjoy being a bedside nurse. I knew bedside nursing wasnt for me but it's been even more evident during all this. I feel expendable, worried and underappreciated. I want to leave but dont plan on doing so in a pandemic. How long and how many job changes til you found your niche because that's my goal after this crap is over.

[Nic2003]

I realized pretty soon after I graduated that floor nursing wasn’t for me. I’ve since moved on from floor nursing, I did triage in an outpatient cardiology clinic for about a year and a half. Now, I work in the EP cath lab and I really enjoy it. It just takes some time to find where your happy place is. Luckily, once I did leave the bedside I was so much happier immediately. I now realize I will never be happy working the bedside. I love caring for people but the bedside nursing just isn’t for everyone.

[sergel02, BSN]

Every new job I had ended up being a bit better than the last. With more experience you start to realize what you like and don’t like. 
 

I’ve been a bedside nurse for over 3 years and unless I end up finding a unit I really like, I don’t think I’ll stick with it forever, whereas some will want to be bedside forever. It’s been rough with the pandemic, but there is so much more to nursing.