Non bedside nursing Option ... and a side question bout Nails?

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Jul 30, 2018

Wow. You have not graduated , but you are looking for 'Great" non- bedside jobs. Perhaps you are going for the wrong degree.

There are no patient care positions that allow acrylic nails, they are not allowed for infection control reasons.

lovelyc, ADN · Jul 30, 2018

I Love taking care and helping people but i can tell i don't think i would not want to bed side the rest of my life. So in looking for Great non-bedside jobs I'm looking as to be able to go to school now while im young to get whatever education is needed not wait till I'm older and ready to change to go back to school.

LovingLife123 · Jul 30, 2018

Do you have to wear acrylics? I get gel on my nails and you can't really bite them. They are kept short.

As for great non-bedside jobs? Not right out of school. You will need to develop critical thinking skills which really comes with bedside experience.

Focus on passing nursing school, and then nclex.

City-Girl · Jul 30, 2018

More and more out patient clinics seem to be hiring medical assistants (in my neck of the woods). Not sure what their education requirements are or what they get paid, but most of them seem to enjoy their jobs. Of course they still are not allowed to wear acrylic nails due to infection control practices.

cleback · Jul 30, 2018

Public health nursing, but they still may require experience and a bsn and you may not be able to wear fake nails if/when you provide patient care (vaccine clinics, home visits, etc.).

Are you sure you want nursing? I honestly think you would do better in a job without patient care as the focus. Healthcare administration? Social work, maybe? Technologies that can be utilized in healthcare/population studies (software development, eg). You're young, and if you know you don't want to do bedside, it's not too late to go a different direction.

Alex_RN, BSN · Jul 30, 2018

Do you consider School Nursing bedside? I have friends that love it. There is a sub-board here you might find insightful.

linda1959 · Jul 30, 2018

I am a school nurse and love it. But I also came to it in the second half of my career which meant I had 19 years of pediatric/adolescent experience under my belt. Now, I don't think someone needs 19 years of experience to be a school nurse, but to come in with no clinical background would be very tough. We practice almost independently, and you really have to have excellent assessment skills, critical thinking, and "people" skills to do the job well.

If this is something the OP is interested in, your suggestion to drop in on the School Nursing board would give her great insight into what it entails.

inthecosmos, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN · Jul 30, 2018

Really reconsider your major. If you're willing to be bedside for 5-10 years, then I would definitely recommend getting into it and discovering, for yourself, what non-clinical jobs exist.

Management requires some ability to work on the floor still, at least at the bottom management level. It does not require a BSN or even a MSN in certain situations, but is definitely recommended. You'll need more than a few years experience to be a good leader, however. You're the floors back-up and if a staff member needs help with a patient, you need to be able to think critically and collaborate with people who look up to you for guidance.

Educators still have to perform bedside nursing. Most educators who work in academic settings have a MSN and participate in clinicals (bedside nursing) often. They keep up their bedside nursing to be better educators.

Other positions that are non-clinical require years of experience before you'll land them. If you don't think you can hack it now, I would definitely consider your options.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jul 30, 2018

Really reconsider your major. If you're willing to be bedside for 5-10 years, then I would definitely recommend getting into it and discovering, for yourself, what non-clinical jobs exist.
Management requires some ability to work on the floor still, at least at the bottom management level. It does not require a BSN or even a MSN in certain situations, but is definitely recommended. You'll need more than a few years experience to be a good leader, however. You're the floors back-up and if a staff member needs help with a patient, you need to be able to think critically and collaborate with people who look up to you for guidance.
Educators still have to perform bedside nursing. Most educators who work in academic settings have a MSN and participate in clinicals (bedside nursing) often. They keep up their bedside nursing to be better educators.
Other positions that are non-clinical require years of experience before you'll land them. If you don't think you can hack it now, I would definitely consider your options.

Where do you work? When I worked in the hospital, my manager refused to help with patient care at all, didn't know how to use our EMR and didn't have access to the Pyxis. In no way was she "back-up" nor could she answer most clinical questions. That was our Clinical Nurse Specialist's role. Our educator also didn't do patient care. Manager jobs in this hospital required MSNs.

K+MgSO4, BSN · Jul 30, 2018

Where do you work? When I worked in the hospital, my manager refused to help with patient care at all, didn't know how to use our EMR and didn't have access to the Pyxis. In no way was she "back-up" nor could she answer most clinical questions. That was our Clinical Nurse Specialist's role. Our educator also didn't do patient care. Manager jobs in this hospital required MSNs.

I have an MHA and currently a NUM. I cover incharge shifts if someone calls in sick and no other person is available esp around grad programme rotation and the seniors are precepting.

I am in the middle when the emergency buzzer goes off, facilitating family meetings, complex d/c planning etc. The first part of NUM is "nurse".

BoriLPN3 · Jul 31, 2018

I can't believe all the responses telling someone to rethink their career choice just because they want to wear fake nails. How rude and mean!! I had fake nails when I worked as a floor nurse at a rehab center for many years. I just kept them short. I work at an assisted living facility now and I have very long fake nails. My boss has never said anything to me and I have been there for several years. I do not perform a lot of bedside care though. I think in the nursing profession it depends on where you work and the level of care you provide. Keep your nails and wear them with pride!