Options other than the bedside

[Cgritz77]

Hello all,

I have been a nurse for 4 years going on 5. I have my nursing diploma and am currently going for my BSN online. I have jumped around in my career a lot trying to find the right place for me. I've worked in a hospital, a few nursing homes, home health, and a long term acute care hospital (similar to ICU). I loved long term acute care, but I just wasn't very good at it. I'm really not sure what I will do next, but I'm starting to feel the bedside isn't for me. Could anyone tell me what my options are to do nonclinical nursing? I won't have my BSN until sometime late next year, but I would also appreciate answers as to what I would qualify for nonclinically with my BSN as well. I have also decided that once I am finished with my BSN then I will go back for my MSNtoo. Please let me know what my options are. I really don't want to quit nursing as I've put so much effort into it, and I am willing to get any other degrees I have to to be able to leave the bedside. Thanks.

[SeasonedOne, RN]

You have gotten many great options to your initial request. Unfortunately, you didn't say what you are good at, not good at, and why you feel your time in LTC was not successful. With "your fix" being to get more education, makes me wonder why the emphasis is there?

While continuing your education has it's benefits, I often see newer nurses are not able to connect to their patients because they haven't achieved an effective level of personal interactions, empathy, time management or self confidence. Unfortunately, if this applies to you, it is likely more nursing education isn't going to be helpful.

Nursing is the "art" of being able to understand the concerns and emotions of your patient, while being able to effectively function from the perspective of a caregiver, educator, friend, counselor, promoter, realist, guide, investigator, option giver, etc....encouraging the best while standing back and observing our patient's success or failures from their perspective and choices.

Ours is a complicated profession where being uncomfortable should be a somewhat normal occurrence ensuring our progression toward becoming a better nurse.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

1 hour ago, SeasonedOne said:

You have gotten many great options to your initial request. Unfortunately, you didn't say what you are good at, not good at, and why you feel your time in LTC was not successful. With "your fix" being to get more education, makes me wonder why the emphasis is there?

While continuing your education has it's benefits, I often see newer nurses are not able to connect to their patients because they haven't achieved an effective level of personal interactions, empathy, time management or self confidence. Unfortunately, if this applies to you, it is likely more nursing education isn't going to be helpful.

Nursing is the "art" of being able to understand the concerns and emotions of your patient, while being able to effectively function from the perspective of a caregiver, educator, friend, counselor, promoter, realist, guide, investigator, option giver, etc....encouraging the best while standing back and observing our patient's success or failures from their perspective and choices.

Ours is a complicated profession where being uncomfortable should be a somewhat normal occurrence ensuring our progression toward becoming a better nurse.

Nailed it. Thank you.

[Cgritz77, RN]

On 4/8/2019 at 10:32 PM, SeasonedOne said:

You have gotten many great options to your initial request. Unfortunately, you didn't say what you are good at, not good at, and why you feel your time in LTC was not successful. With "your fix" being to get more education, makes me wonder why the emphasis is there?

While continuing your education has it's benefits, I often see newer nurses are not able to connect to their patients because they haven't achieved an effective level of personal interactions, empathy, time management or self confidence. Unfortunately, if this applies to you, it is likely more nursing education isn't going to be helpful.

Nursing is the "art" of being able to understand the concerns and emotions of your patient, while being able to effectively function from the perspective of a caregiver, educator, friend, counselor, promoter, realist, guide, investigator, option giver, etc....encouraging the best while standing back and observing our patient's success or failures from their perspective and choices.

Ours is a complicated profession where being uncomfortable should be a somewhat normal occurrence ensuring our progression toward becoming a better nurse.

Yes I love being a nurse. It has been my dream to be a nurse anesthetist or a nurse practitioner, and I absolutely love ICU. However, I have had multiple jobs and all were basically direct patient care, and I am afraid I am not good at it mostly because of the politics of the job. I do feel I have a good understanding of my patient's needs, and I am very compassionate being commended by patients, coworkers, and management alike. The whole attaining more education aspect has always been a goal of mine as I want to excel in nursing knowledge and advocacy attempts for my patients, however with the immense stress of the bedside I am constantly anxious when I am work worrying I will forget something or do something wrong. I do understand the point of being uncomfortable as I think any nurse should strive to hold herself accountable with each interaction and be careful to communicate therapeutically. I worry that the bedside is not right for me, because of the immense amount of stress it causes me. I am only seeking answers as to other options that may be available to me that I may not know about or have thought of. I do not believe anyone should be chastised for wanting to attain a higher level of education in nursing as it it statistically proven the death rate of patients decreased the more education the nurse taking care of them has.

[Workitinurfava, BSN, RN]

On 4/8/2019 at 10:32 PM, SeasonedOne said:

You have gotten many great options to your initial request. Unfortunately, you didn't say what you are good at, not good at, and why you feel your time in LTC was not successful. With "your fix" being to get more education, makes me wonder why the emphasis is there?

While continuing your education has it's benefits, I often see newer nurses are not able to connect to their patients because they haven't achieved an effective level of personal interactions, empathy, time management or self confidence. Unfortunately, if this applies to you, it is likely more nursing education isn't going to be helpful.

Nursing is the "art" of being able to understand the concerns and emotions of your patient, while being able to effectively function from the perspective of a caregiver, educator, friend, counselor, promoter, realist, guide, investigator, option giver, etc....encouraging the best while standing back and observing our patient's success or failures from their perspective and choices.

Ours is a complicated profession where being uncomfortable should be a somewhat normal occurrence ensuring our progression toward becoming a better nurse.

Being uncomfortable with what?. please elaborate more on what you mean. I am wondering how being uncomfortable will ensure progression to becoming a better nurse.