RN's future role

In the practice of health care there are only two real elements: the physician and the nurse. Both are essential. Both have assistants, and of course there are the allied healthcare workers.

The role of the RN will always exist. A complete nurse will always be a registered nurse. If LPNs take over all the duties of an RN, then LPNs will have become RNs.

Physicians use PAs and NPs and surgical techs as assistants. Nurses use CNAs, LPNs and the other various kinds of med techs or patient care assistants. Both use allied health care workers. But the foundation of health care is the physician and the nurse. Neither one can do without the other and accomplish the goal of treating sick people.

That's my take on it anyway.

Actually, that's what the ADN is all about, preparing the nurse for bedside care. But that's another debate.

I hope it's what you want it to be. If you want to remain at the bedside, then whatever is behind your name, you'll be able to find a place, be it critical care, or wherever.

There will always be a place at the bedside for the RN in my opinion. (Especially, if as many desire there's going to be a movement towards more BSN nurses, and those nurses supposedly provide better care, but that's another debate. :))

I've left two positions in this hospital to stop doing charge nurse and to work the bedside. Each unit have put me in charge, the second unit after only six months, then three years later, I transferred again to do patient care and not be in charge and I was in charge from the first day. So you might have to advocate for yourself and what you want a little better than I do. :)

Originally posted by 3rdShiftGuy

Actually, that's what the ADN is all about, preparing the nurse for bedside care. But that's another debate.

I hope it's what you want it to be. If you want to remain at the bedside, then whatever is behind your name, you'll be able to find a place, be it critical care, or wherever.

There will always be a place at the bedside for the RN in my opinion. (Especially, if as many desire there's going to be a movement towards more BSN nurses, and those nurses supposedly provide better care, but that's another debate. :))

I've left two positions in this hospital to stop doing charge nurse and to work the bedside. Each unit have put me in charge, the second unit after only six months, then three years later, I transferred again to do patient care and not be in charge and I was in charge from the first day. So you might have to advocate for yourself and what you want a little better than I do. :)

If they put you in charge, then maybe that's what God is calling you to do. And if God is calling you to be in charge then just take what I said in "Bedside is Best" with a grain of salt. That wasn't the Higher Self speaking there.

I want to stay at bedside, but I fear the same could happen with me as you describe. But I suppose if I don't get a BSN, and don't put in an application, perhaps they won't notice me. Really, I'm not a good manager. I would like to lead by example some day, but I'm not very good when I'm "in charge." I don't even want to be charge nurse, but where I work I understand, everyone has to take a turn at that. Every shift it's someone different.

What I will volunteer for at every drop of the hat is to be a preceptor for a new nurse. Oh, I'd eat that up.

Hey, and by the way, you seem pretty cool. If you're not in charge, then God help us, one of these others will be:eek:

Originally posted by ADNRN

If they put you in charge, then maybe that's what God is calling you to do. And if God is calling you to be in charge then just take what I said in "Bedside is Best" with a grain of salt.

Sorry, but I don't believe God is calling me to be a charge nurse. Based on the fact it makes me unhappy and is driving me absolutely insane. :)