Hospital nurses are great and someone has to do it right? Well, that stated:
Some people have to tear others down in order to build themselves up. When I transfered from telemetry to outpatient my ex-coworkers gave me much grief. I was going to lose my skills, I was giving up nursing, and I would never be able to return to the bedside.
A few things: What I currently do is a skill set all of it's own. Hospital RN can't just jump in and do my job without training.
Skills? What skills are they referring to exactly? Does an ICU nurse have the same skill set as a SNF/LTC nurse? Do they need to have the same skill set?
Also, there is something called a refresher course if I ever get tired of always having nights, Sundays, and all major holidays off while still getting the same pay as the nurses on my old unit. I also do not have to give report to the next nurse because we are CLOSED after my shift and there are NO PCAs.
If you're happy at the bedside then by all means carry-on and I thank you for your service. If you're not happy at the bedside then don't let anyone make you feel inferior for your choices.