ANurseDivided

It sounds like you may have had a plan of what you wanted to do when you became a nurse but unfortunately, many do not or rather maybe they change their minds once they got too far in. I think that is great if you know exactly what you want to do... I kind of feel that healthcare is probably more secure than many other professions but that is my opinion. I get about 10 calls a week from agencies calling about open nursing positions...so there is a need. I think that the problem lies in the fact that employers want everyone to be already made...meaning experienced. No one wants to train anyone anymore which is unfortunate.

Hi JennJen512Finally someone who feels the same way that I do. I am almost embarrassed to tell anyone that I really do not like being a nurse. I don't even like to tell people that I am a nurse.I do feel that nursing is not for everyone. I truly feel that nursing is engineered for a nurse to work at the bedside, be a nurse manager, CRNA, or NP. If one does not want to do either one of those jobs then you are stuck.I so badly just want get away from the bedside but it is so hard. The nursing profession makes it seem like there are so many opportunities available for nurse but I would have to disagree. If you don't have the experience then guess what you are not leaving the bedside. I feel so trapped.I go to work everyday dreading going there. I try not to have a bad attitude but I'm fading fast. I don't want to take another bp or push someone in a wheelchair or help someone to the bathroom.But it is unrealistic for me to try to change mid course now as I have been a nurse for 12 years and I'm 37 years old. Let's face it, healthcare = job security. But don't think for one minute that I have not thought about doing exactly what you have done.

ACNP2B I understand your pain. I am not a NP but an ICU nurse for 9 years. I have worked with many NPs. I will have admit that I did kind of turn up my nose to some of the NPs for several reasons. I think that one of them might have been some deep rooted jealousy the other being that some of the NPs had a chip on their shoulder making it seem like that they were somehow better or smarter than the bedside nurses. I am all for people getting more education. Especially in this profession. I do believe that when a fellow nurse learns that you are trying to go back to school...for anything, it is an automatic uncomfortable situation. A lot times it is followed by a "Oh I would never want to do that" or "Why do you want to do that" or a myraid of other nonsupportive comments. What people have to realize that everyone has different goals. Like I know that I am not supposed to be at the bedside for the rest of my life. There are some people who belong there because they do not have goals or that they are really good at it. I would not really worry about the negativity because there will always be haters but I realize how stressful it might be. Good luck to you

I think that you should think about what you could see yourself doing. What are you passionate about. I too so desparately want to leave bedside but I have an idea of what I would like to do instead....I don't think that everyone is meant for the bedside but it does not mean that that same person could not excel in a different capactiy. I think that some of the possible career choices would involve some patient interaction so I guess that it would depend how much patient interaction are you going to be comfortable with.

I actually found some managerial interview questions on this website. It can be found under the Career tab at the top of the page...go to the Nursing Interview Help Topic. Good luck

I never thought in a million years that I would EVER apply for a nurse manager position ( in fact, I have joked about this very thing with co-workers on several occassions), but I find myself at a stage in my career where I feel that is the most logical next step for me. SO I took a chance and applied for a ICU nurse manager position. Well, the director wants to meet with me for possible consideration!! I am SO NERVOUS. I woke up out of my sleep just thinking about it. I've been reading management interview question examples and going over different management styles to see which one suits me...but I was wondering if anyone could pass on some words of wisdom of what it was like when you interviewed for a nurse manager position for the first time without any experience. I have had nightmares about dealings with staff and what they will expect out of me and worry about if I can deliver being the person in charge. I am trying to hold it together but...I'm nervous lol. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

I second that notion of never burning bridges. You NEVER know when you are going to need someone. You can always catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar. Be kind, respectful, honest, professional, and sincere and it will get you far.

Well I just left the ICU after 9 years and my coworkers and I would often complain about this very thing. It wasn't until I had an opportunity to speak with an ER nurse that I fully grasped the concept of what their role is. The ER nurse is supposed to stabilize the situation so that the patient is able to move onto the next part of his/her field trip through the hospital. I had coworkers complain about "big" things which are "little" things to an ER nurse in the grand scheme of things. I do feel, however, if a patient has been in the ER nurse's care for a substanial amount of time, certain things can be done--such as placing a line or sending them to the department for a critical test rather waiting for the ICU nurse to do it. As we all know, time is off the essence with some of these patients. I think that it would be great if time permitted, ER and ICU nurses had a chance to switch position for a day or maybe for half a shift to truly grasp the concept of what the other expects...until then, I feel that it is always going to be us versus them so to speak.

That was me about 5 years ago...well almost....mostly just fried on the ends lol

I am like you. I only call off when I REALLY need to and even then I am stressing about the fact that I have left my coworkers one nurse short. But there are many nurses who have no problem doing that. I used to really get upset at people when they would do that. I mean I think that I was getting mad them because they choose to not practice the way that I do. Should I get mad at someone because their work ethic is not like mine? I truly feel that management needs to deal with these people but for some reason, management has gotten soft about situations like this which are truly important...I mean that effects patient care. But then on the other hand they will fire someone because they went onto a forbidden website at work or followed someone out of the parking garage without paying (I know that is considered stealing but you get what I am saying). I just think that people are more and more selfish and they do not think about how their actions affect another. I really feel that is something that is instilled in you at a young age. It can be taught but sometimes it is difficult to teach a old dog new tricks so to speak.

I really feel that it is all about balance. While I do agree that you can probably get more accomplished by being calm, cool and collected (soothing talk, constant applause when the patient does what you want them to do, holding the hand, etc), sometimes it does not work and you need to resort to more drastic measures. There is nothing worse than dealing with a confused / combative patient. It just gets under your skin (or at least does for me and I consider myself pretty patient with patients although I am not patient in everyday life). I feel that you should at least start down the path of least resistance and then alter your plan as needed. I think that with experience, we all become pretty jaded at some point. Think about all the crude and unprofessional "jokes" that we say at the most inappropriate times. When I talk to my husband about some of the things that happen at work and how we "joked" about it gets him so incensed. But I feel that we do it because it is a coping mechanism for us...it helps us get through it. If we sat around and cried about every little thing that we did we would all be basket cases and nothing would ever get accomplished. So with all of that being said, I understand your struggle and I do not find that you were wrong. It was also at this point that I knew that I needed to remove myself from the bedside, because I was becoming less and less sympathetic to my patients (not to say that you are). I still cared for them with compassion and respect, but I was definitely becoming less sympathetic. It would irritate me when my patients would start to cry because I told them they could not have something to drink 5 minutes after being extubated for the 3rd time among other things. So I made my exit and never been happier.

I am just curious, does one really need to have a ER/Trauma background to work as a Forensics nurse? I was a CV ICU nurse for 9 years which I know is not the same but just wondering. I took the Kaplan's LNC program some years ago but never pursued starting my own business because it entails a lot of leg work and I guess that I was/am not very confident in myself to market myself. I like the idea of a LNC moonlighting as a FN or vice-versa. I was just curious on how important it is to have the ER background. I'm 37 and not really sure if I want to move to the ED/Trauma (although I always wanted to work there) as I left the bedside approximately 7 months ago to work in an outpatient clinic. I think that FN speaks to me as I LOVE psych (I acutally went to nursing school so that it would pay my way to go to med school to become a psychiatrist...what was I smoking?) and I love the "whodoneit" aspect of FN. I guess that I am just interested in exploring the legal side of healthcare hence the LNC. Any advice would be most appreciative!! Thanks to all :)

Thank you so much again for your comments! I have book that you are talking about...haven't read it yet. It's good to know that you weren't perfect when you started...maybe I will keep that in mind if I decide to go that route. I'm thinking I will go for it. I'll never know if I am capable of doing it unless I try. Thanks for the encouragement

Thank you for your reply. I too want to make a difference. I am all about patient safety and wanting to make processes as they relate to patients and nurses better. I think that I could do that being in management. Did you always know that you wanted to be a manager? I am so nervous about the idea of being "it" when it comes to me having the final say. I would like to think that with experience I will develop those skills. Did management come naturally for you? I have books that I was going to read, did you do that at all? Thank you again for your reply!

Hello all I have a major dilemma. I am ready to make a move into the next phase of my career but I am not quite sure how to go about it. I am ready to leave the bedside and move into the administrative side of nursing. I seem to be really interested in the legal side of nursing and thought that legal nurse consulting was for me, but it seems to be very difficult to break into and I don't think that I have the personality to sustain a personal business. I am also very interested in risk management and patient safety/quality improvement. This is also beginning to look like it is going to be very difficult to get into as well as everyone wants their applicants to come ready made with all of this experience specifically in the field all the while overlooking what years of bedside nursing can bring. So I am at a loss...I've debated about the idea of going in to management by becoming a clinical nurse manager. I was thinking that I could use this as a stepping stone to move into the other positions. I just want to make a difference. My problem is that I am not quite sure if I am management material although I have had many tell me that I would be more than capable. So I am posing these questions to the group: What aspects of being a nurse manager do you enjoy the most? Do you feel that you are able to make a difference in regards to quality improvement/patientsafety/risk management? What are some of the positives about being a nurse manager? I am just so ancy because I am so ready to move on to other things and I feel that I am at a grid lock...primarily because I do not have the experience. I feel that you can only do so much with your resume without over exaggerating. I truly appreciate any advice that someone may have to offer. Part of me just feels like I need to step out of my comfort zone and try it. One never truly knows what they are capable of until they are put into that position. Not all good managers started off that way I like to think although some were born to be just that, a leader. Thank you for your time!!