Maybe bedside nursing isn't for me

RazzleNdazzle · Sep 12, 2011

LTC is NOT... routine. We get daily admissions, discharges, issues with everything under the sun, MD visits, (and they leave presents(orders) to be picked up.), falls, incidents, patients who need to be sent to the hospital, patients dying, family members up your rear end, and don't forget the 8 hour med pass.
I don't meant to blast you here but based on your previous posts.. you aren't even a nurse yet. Don't judge until you've walked in our shoes.

Yes, yes, yes! Thank you. I was reading through this and just going to let the original post slide and roll my eyes but it's important not to give people misdirection. I can't tell you how many random 3-6am admissions to ER from LTC come in on a nightly basis. If it's half the headache for us as it is for them it's a horrible idea. (I'm not trying to be nasty, but think you should have experience in areas that are 24 hr operation before suggesting).

Here's how I'll emphasize the other areas... PACU-I was a patient just a couple weeks ago and my nurse was complaining about how long it'd been since her "breakfast" break and that it was well past due for her "lunch" break. Um, lucky her. Then I shadowed in the GI lab once and the RN I spoke to who was assisting with a colonoscopy said she switched to that position for routine when she became a mamma.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Sep 12, 2011

another choice might be cardiac/pulmonary rehab-- daytime weekday hours, no holidays, wearing comfy casual clothing, not much in the way of body fluid exposure :), a little fun and fitness, and you'll learn something, too.

Biffbradford · Sep 12, 2011

It's just the human condition that things can hit the fan at any time. PACU? Might have chest pain just as you're admitting someone else. GI? Could go bradycardic from the sedation and drop pressures. Drs office? Who knows what could walk through the door. Just got to get used to it, I guess.

allmylove · Sep 12, 2011

I think that research seems predictable, not very physically demanding,and away from the bedside. I've never worked in research,so i could be wrong. I'm currently in PACU and it's very unpredictable.You find out that you're getting a new pt sometimes less than one minute before they arrive.You don't know if it's a 87 yr old crani or a 7 month old baby or a 300 lb man with delerium, or a sudden laryngospasm, or a belly filling with blood ( see what I mean...?). Sometimes they wake up smiling and have a thoughtful conversation... And the homehealth-soooooooo unpredictable.Aesthetics is a good one though.

luvazsun, RN · Sep 12, 2011

I've tried aesthetics - you won't make the same money doing that.

SanDiegoCaliRN · Sep 12, 2011

I've tried aesthetics - you won't make the same money doing that.

I guess it depends on where you live but here in SD, aesthetics nurses make $40-50 an hour, have great hours, benefits, and oftentimes receive bonuses. It's also a huge plus that the clients do not have an acute condition and want to be there. What's not to love? It sounds ideal for someone who's looking to get away from bedside nursing

emily5547 · Sep 12, 2011

Chronic HD? Routine?? Maybe it was my inner-city experience, but I wouldn't have called it predictable. This one's got chest pain, that one spiked a temp, this one crashed, the other one dislodged a needle, another needs off to poop, another one did it in the chair, that one nodded off in the bathroom with a syringe in her arm... Mad house. What about case management or utilization review?

Merced · Sep 12, 2011

I guess it depends on where you live but here in SD, aesthetics nurses make $40-50 an hour, have great hours, benefits, and oftentimes receive bonuses. It's also a huge plus that the clients do not have an acute condition and want to be there. What's not to love? It sounds ideal for someone who's looking to get away from bedside nursing

But don't you have to be young & good-looking? All of us might not qualify. :D Here in CA, I did once apply for such a job & the pay was MUCH lower than going RN salary.

RainMom · Sep 12, 2011

Perhaps something like legal nursing or working for an insurance company? I'm a new graduate & haven't started working yet, but that's something I've had in the back of my mind in the event that I find myself not liking the one-to-one care or if I get burned out. I have a background of several years with insurance billing, workers' comp and PI cases & so thought that may be an area I could get into easily.

XXWeaponX · Sep 12, 2011

OK, it's been 2.5 years since I got my ASN. I've tried Med Surg and CCU. I'm starting to think that bedside nursing just isn't my thing.
What other areas could I look into.

I work in research, and I love it. I am not into bedside nursing at all. Check out medical research/clinical trials nursing opportunities.

Palliative Care, DNP · Sep 12, 2011

I have also discovered that bedside is not for me. Today I did achieve my certification in med/surg and I will be going for the oncology certification next year but they will just assist me in the future. I took the road of going back to school. I am currently in a master's program and looking into switching into a DNP. It just isn't for everyone:twocents:

ajt575s · Sep 13, 2011

Psych and prison nursing can be a good change from the bedside, but they are FAR from predictable/routine/not stressful! I work in psych, and I never know from one minute to the next what a pt. will do. A lot of people get into psych because it can be kind of exciting that way, and I have definitely had my share of adrenaline rushes at work! Psych pts are particularly unpredictable because they are often responding to internal stimuli, so they can do things with no hint/warning at all.

I was going to suggest looking at insurance companies--they often hire RN's to review claims. I've thought about doing that eventually myself.