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It happens in the breakroom around 3:00 AM. Someone is staring blankly at their cold coffee, and they finally say it out loud. "If I didn't have this mortgage, I would have handed in my badge months ago." Someone else nods, not even looking up from their phone. "I am literally only here for the night differential." We all know nursing is supposed to be a calling. But the numbers tell a very different story. According to the 2026 State of Nursing Survey by Nurse.org, 41% of bedside nurses admit that financial necessity is the primary reason they remain at the bedside, eclipsing personal satisfaction and even commitment to patient outcomes. You are not alone in feeling this strain. This guide is for every nurse caught in the ultimate trap, struggling with burnout but feeling bound by financial obligations. We'll break down why these "golden handcuffs" form, the profound, unseen toll they take, and provide a practical, 4-step financial strategy for how you can safely begin plotting your escape to a more fulfilling career path in 2026. Quick Glance: The Bedside Nurse's Financial Escape PlanFor many nurses, the desire to leave the bedside is strong, but the financial implications can feel insurmountable. Here's a quick overview of how to loosen the grip of nursing's "golden handcuffs" and move towards a career that aligns with both your financial needs and your professional well-being: The Problem: In 2026, up to 41% of nurses feel financially bound to bedside roles, often leading to burnout, moral injury, and dissatisfaction. The Hidden Costs: Staying in a role you resent exacts a heavy toll, manifesting as moral injury, chronic stress, emotional exhaustion, and an eroding sense of purpose. The Financial Trap: Reliance on overtime, shift differentials, and the fear of a significant pay cut create a powerful financial dependency that makes career change seem impossible. The Strategic Solution: A four-phase approach involving meticulous financial planning, a "fake pay cut" simulation, exploring flexible transition roles (like PRN), and a comprehensive audit of your unique transferable nursing skills. The Goal: To achieve financial independence and professional fulfillment in alternative nursing roles or adjacent healthcare sectors, allowing you to reclaim your passion and well-being. Understanding the "Golden Handcuffs" in NursingThe concept of "golden handcuffs" isn't unique to nursing, but its application in the healthcare sector, particularly for bedside nurses, highlights a critical issue in workforce retention and well-being. It refers to financial incentives or benefits that encourage employees to remain in a job, even if they are dissatisfied, due to the high cost or perceived risk of leaving. The Alluring Grip of Financial AnchorsFor nurses, these financial anchors don't drop all at once. They are meticulously crafted, shift by shift, by a system adept at optimizing staffing through various incentives: The Overtime Trap: What begins as picking up an extra shift for a specific financial goal (e.g., paying off a credit card, covering a new expense) quickly escalates. Soon, that critical staffing bonus or premium overtime pay becomes an indispensable part of your regular income. You find yourself working 50, 60, or even more hours a week just to maintain your current lifestyle, creating a cycle that is difficult to break. The Penalty of Leaving: The common refrain heard at the nurse's station is, "I'd love to work in a clinic or a remote role, but I simply can't afford the pay cut." Transitioning away from the bedside often means a salary reduction, sometimes by 15-25% or more. In 2026, with persistent inflation and ongoing student loan obligations, the prospect of a reduced income can feel like an impossible barrier, making lateral career mobility seem like a myth. Shift Differentials: The allure of an extra five dollars an hour for night shifts or weekend shifts is powerful. Your lifestyle and budget gradually adjust to this premium pay. Consequently, taking a standard Monday through Friday job with a lower hourly rate suddenly becomes financially unfeasible, locking you into undesirable schedules. When your primary motivation shifts from providing compassionate care to needing to hit your overtime bonus to cover household expenses, your relationship with your career fundamentally changes. This financial dependency can lead to profound dissatisfaction and burnout, as discussed in resources like the American Nurses Association (ANA) on nurse well-being. The Data: Why Nurses Stay in 2026The 2026 State of Nursing Survey by Nurse.org starkly illustrates this reality: 41% of bedside nurses are financially anchored to their positions. This isn't a small segment; it represents nearly half of the bedside workforce. This significant percentage underscores a systemic issue where the economic realities of life push dedicated professionals to remain in roles that may be detrimental to their long-term health and career satisfaction. Hospital administrators may acknowledge burnout, but the depth of this financial entanglement often remains understated, perpetuating a cycle that needs to be broken. The True Cost of Staying: Beyond the PaycheckWhen you feel financially trapped in a high-stakes, emotionally draining environment, the damage extends far beyond physical exhaustion. It subtly alters your professional identity and personal well-being. The Silent Erosion: Moral Injury and Guilt"I used to care so much, and now I just want to chart and go home." This sentiment reflects a deeper wound known as moral injury. The National Center for PTSD defines moral injury as the distress that occurs when people "perpetrate, fail to prevent, or witness events that contradict deeply held moral beliefs." Nurses inherently know what constitutes safe, quality patient care. However, when faced with chronic understaffing, overwhelming patient loads (e.g., six high-acuity patients with no auxiliary support), and insufficient resources, you are often forced to operate in survival mode rather than nursing to your full ethical capacity. As the VA specifically notes regarding healthcare workers, this injury deepens when staff "witness what they perceive to be unjustifiable or unfair acts or policies that may lead to a sense of betrayal." This discrepancy between what you know is right and what you are actually equipped to do creates a profound moral conflict that erodes your conscience and self-worth. It is a heavy burden, unlike simple burnout, because it directly challenges your core values as a caregiver. Furthermore, society often elevates nurses to the status of "heroes" and "angels." Admitting that you are trading your mental health and professional ideals for a direct deposit can trigger intense feelings of guilt. You might feel selfish for prioritizing financial stability, even as the healthcare system often treats you as a line item on a budget rather than a valuable human asset. This internal conflict exacerbates distress and makes seeking help or making changes even more challenging. The Cynicism Armor: A Shield Against DissatisfactionTo survive a job that has become a source of resentment rather than fulfillment, many nurses develop an armor of cynicism. This coping mechanism manifests as disengagement: You stop actively participating in unit meetings. You consciously avoid workplace drama or discussions. You mentally check out the second your report is over, eager to escape the environment. While this emotional distancing might offer a temporary sense of protection, it ultimately leaves you feeling empty and disconnected from your calling. It becomes a barrier to advocating for yourself, seeking professional growth, and ultimately, finding joy in your career. Your 4-Step Strategic Escape Plan (2026 Edition)If you're reading this and nodding in recognition, it's time for a concrete plan. You don't need another pizza party or a mandatory "resiliency" module. You need a pathway to liberation. Here's how to strategically loosen the anchor and build your way out of the bedside trap: Step 1: Define Your Financial "Bare Minimum"The first crucial step is to gain absolute clarity on your financial baseline. Strip away all discretionary spending, overtime, and weekend differentials from your current budget. What is the absolute lowest amount of money you need each month to cover essential living expenses: housing, utilities, food, transportation, insurance, and minimum debt payments? A nurse recently shared on our forums: "I sat down and realized I only need $60,000 to survive annually, not the $85,000 I make killing myself on nights." This lower, non-negotiable number is your target salary for a less demanding or non-bedside role. Knowing this figure empowers you by setting a realistic financial goal that doesn't rely on unsustainable overtime. Step 2: Implement the "Fake Pay Cut" ChallengeOnce you know your financial bare minimum, put it to the test. If a desired non-bedside role (e.g., a clinic, remote, or informatics position) pays 15-20% less than your current full-time bedside salary, start living on that lower amount today. Take the difference from your current bedside paycheck and immediately transfer it to a separate savings account designated for debt reduction or an emergency fund. If you can successfully live on this "fake pay cut" for three to six months, you will have concrete proof that you can afford to leave. This exercise builds confidence, demonstrates financial discipline, and provides a crucial financial cushion for your transition. Step 3: Embrace Hybrid or Phased Transitions (e.g., PRN)You don't have to quit bedside nursing cold turkey. A phased approach can significantly reduce financial stress and allow for a smoother transition. Securing a remote prior authorization job and keeping a PRN status at the hospital can help make up the difference in salary during the transition. Consider taking on a lower-stress, non-bedside role as your primary income source. Maintain a PRN (as-needed) status at your current hospital. This allows you to pick up one or two shifts a month to bridge any income gap, keep your clinical skills sharp, and potentially maintain benefits for a transitional period, all while easing the pressure of full-time bedside demands. This strategy acknowledges the financial realities of leaving and provides a safety net, making the leap feel less daunting. Step 4: Audit and Market Your Transferable Nursing SkillsStop limiting your self-perception to starting IVs and pushing medications. Your nursing career has equipped you with an incredible array of highly valuable, transferable skills that are in high demand across various industries. Think beyond the bedside: Crisis Management: You expertly triage, prioritize, and manage multiple complex situations under pressure. Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: You rapidly assess situations, identify root causes, and implement effective solutions. Data Analysis & Interpretation: You constantly collect, interpret, and document intricate medical data. Communication & Interpersonal Skills: You effectively communicate with patients, families, physicians, and multidisciplinary teams, often in high-stress scenarios. Patient Education & Advocacy: You empower patients with knowledge and advocate for their best interests. Technology Proficiency: You navigate complex EMR systems and various medical technologies. Attention to Detail & Organization: Your work demands meticulous accuracy and systematic organization. Tech companies, insurance providers, medical device manufacturers, legal firms, and even corporate wellness programs are actively seeking professionals with your unique blend of clinical insight, critical thinking, and communication prowess. Don't just list your tasks on your resume; articulate the skills those tasks required and the impact you had. Beyond the Bedside: Exploring New Horizons for Nurses in 2026The nursing landscape is evolving rapidly, and 2026 offers more opportunities than ever for nurses to leverage their expertise in diverse, less physically demanding roles. Breaking free from the golden handcuffs doesn't mean leaving nursing; it often means rediscovering and redefining your nursing career. In-Demand Non-Clinical Nursing RolesHere are just a few of the high-growth areas where your nursing skills are invaluable: Nursing Role Description Salary Range Outlook & Notes Nurse Informatics Specialist Combines nursing science with IT to manage data, enhance patient care, and improve systems. $95,000 – $120,000+ High demand; often requires certifications or a master's degree. Clinical Documentation Specialist (CDS) Ensures accurate and complete medical record documentation for proper coding and reimbursement. $70,000 – $90,000 Steady demand. Care Coordinator / Case Manager Orchestrates patient care across settings to ensure continuity and optimize outcomes. $75,000 – $100,000 Strong growth, especially in outpatient and community settings. Telehealth Nurse Provides remote care and advice via phone or video, managing patient needs from home. $70,000 – $90,000 Rapidly expanding field with competitive salaries. Nurse Educator (Academic or Clinical) Teaches future nurses or provides continuing education for current staff. $70,000 – $110,000+ Consistent demand due to faculty shortages, especially for those with MSN or DNP degrees. Clinical Research Coordinator / Nurse Manages clinical trials, ensuring patient safety and data integrity. $65,000 – $95,000 Growing field within the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. The Return on Investment (ROI) of a Career PivotWhile a non-bedside role might initially offer a slightly lower base salary than your high-overtime bedside income, consider the long-term ROI: Reduced Stress & Improved Well-being: The financial value of reduced stress, better sleep, and improved mental health is immeasurable. Avoiding chronic burnout can prevent future health issues and related costs. Stable Hours & Predictability: Standardized schedules can significantly reduce childcare costs, improve family life, and allow for better work-life balance. Career Growth Potential: Many non-bedside roles offer clearer paths for advancement, specialization, and leadership within their respective fields, potentially leading to higher earning potential in the long run. Skill Diversification: Expanding your skill set beyond the clinical setting makes you a more versatile and marketable professional in the evolving healthcare industry. Calculating your personal "break-even point," which is how long it takes to recover any initial perceived income loss through these benefits, often reveals that pivoting is a smart investment in your overall quality of life and career longevity. -
Learn what bedside nursing is, how it functions in healthcare, and why it plays a central role in patient care. Bedside nursing refers to direct, hands-on patient care provided by nurses in clinical settings such as hospitals, long-term care facilities, and home settings. It is often considered the core of nursing because it involves continuous patient interaction, clinical decision-making, and coordination with the broader healthcare team. Key TakeawaysBedside nursing involves direct, in-person patient care It includes both clinical tasks and emotional support Nurses coordinate care between patients and providers The role is physically and mentally demanding Bedside care is central to healthcare delivery -
Your emotional, physical and mental health will suffer along with your family life. I have finally decided to leave the bedside and I've never felt so happy. At only 25, I felt like I was going to be stuck in this state for the rest of my working life but I found the courage to finally make the decision that saved my health and my marriage. I went into nursing with the intention of helping people and being the one to make a difference to those who may feel hopeless. All my intentions were quickly shut down when I started working on the floor. We deal with some unappreciative, sarcastic, rude, and egotistical (patients, family members, physicians, coworkers, and managers). There is no care in nursing just bottom-line concerns. My first nursing job was ok, I worked in ND at the time, I moved to FL and that gave me the green light to officially leave floor nursing. I hate the anxious feeling before every shift, the nagging family members, pts who are rude self-entitled, coworkers who throw each other under the bus, physicians who disregard concerns, and a whole lot of other things I can elaborate about that is just downright awful. I'm glad to say my degree didn't completely go to waste as I am now an RN case manager. I believe being away from the bedside will renew my interest. I refuse to live a day dreading having to go to work, nursing has literally changed how I respond to people before I use to smile at everyone now I walk past people with my face looking like a pit bull ready to bite. Whenever someone would tell me to smile I thought, "Wow I have changed for the worst" I refuse to be a martyr for this profession. Taking care of myself is more important than risking it for people who **** on theirs.
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Should a student have to be able to do direct care in order to become licensed as an RN? Must an RN be able to give direct care in order to stay licensed? This topic came up in a discussion at work recently when one of our techs was involved in an accident that left her unable to give hands-on care. I think that a person who can learn what a nurse needs to learn (chemistry, anatomy, physiology, biology, etc.) and can pass the exams, there is no reason this person can't be licensed as an RN. Feasible work would include teaching, doing the questioning part of Admissions, maybe other tasks. What do you think? What are some other tasks this type of RN could perform?
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Hello everyone, I just graduated an LVN/LPN program and wanted to know if there is anything else I can do besides bedside nursing. I dread having more than I can handle and I don't want to take it out on the patients. The other day I was working as a CNA and a lady coded on a different hall, and I could tell the nurse had been crying. The patient died and was a full code. This scares the daylights out of me to be in a situation where there are tube feedings, dysrhythmias, c/o SOB, etc., and can't check on the patients. The constant choking and moaning almost makes me want to shy away because of the liability. Does anyone know of a fun job for nursing, LVN/LPN?
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Guest posted a topic in Career Advice ColumnDear Nurse Beth, I have worked on a medical floor for 14 months. Started there as new grad. Acuity levels are through the roof with 7 pt./ nurse ratio. The stress is terrible. Can you tell me of other nursing occupations that are not as back to the wall? Dear The Stress is Terrible, Unfortunately, only California has nursing ratios, which include 1:5 on MedSurg and 1:4 on Tele. It makes better business sense to me to reduce nurses stress, reduce turnover, increase patient safety, and retain nurses than to give nurses seven patients. Especially when it's not seven patients, it's seven beds. With admissions and discharges, this may mean ten or more patients on a shift. So the solution for many nurses is to flee from the bedside, or to look for units that typically have lower acuity patients, such as post-partum. Pre and post-anesthesia units are considered by some to be less stressful and less physically taxing, although they are not without stress. Some hospitals are hiring documentation specialists, which is a non-clinical position. Here are a few other ideas: Case Management NursingInformaticsInfection PreventionInterventional Nursing (diagnostic and interventional radiology)Palliative Nursing.Check out 8 Jobs to Work from Home for more ideas. It depends a lot on if you have your BSN, opportunity in your area, what interests you, and if you are ready to leave clinical nursing practice or not. -
Hello, I am in need of some encouragement/advice about where I stand right now with my job. I graduated nursing school in May 2016 and have been working on a general pediatric floor in a Children's Hospital for 1 year and 2 months. This job was my first choice and I felt so blessed and lucky to get the job, and initially I was super excited about it. Very quickly after beginning orientation I began to realize that bedside nursing wasn't for me. There are so many aspects about the job that I don't like, but the 2 main things that I don't like are 1. how much anxiety I get before going into work each time and 2. being so busy that my phone is ringing off the hook, running non stop, and RUSHING to get everything completed, all which makes me feel like I can't be the nurse I want to be and unable to do my job throughly. Other smaller reasons are the 13 hour shifts and working nights has taken a toll on me. The times that I am not running around like crazy, I enjoy the job more because I feel like I can check on my patients and complete tasks without being stressed about other things weighing on my shoulder. I have a 2 year contract and truly want to complete my contract on this floor because I am not one to quit and I know I will feel accomplished when my 2 year mark comes. One thing I have found interesting is that in this hospital we get pulled to other floors and a lot of the time its going to the NICU. I actually enjoy working in the NICU more than my own floor. I realize we are given the easier babies, but the NICU is 10x more structured than the floor, and I feel like I am making more of a difference in the NICU. I am very discouraged because I feel like I am the only one who doesn't "love" their job at this Children's Hospital. I am a very efficient person and I desire to be the best nurse I can be. I am going to stick this out until my contract is over and see where I stand, but my questions to you guys are if I don't like bedside nursing... then is nursing even for me? Do I not have the right personality if I have a lot of anxiety and worry with this kind of job? Where are some areas that you think would suit me better... or have suited you better rather than bedside nursing? Have any of you left bedside nursing for a clinic job or school nursing? I am shadowing a school nurse next month and have also thought about looking in to pediatric clinics. I have also thought about public health, but I don't know very much about it. Any advice, encouragement, personal stories are appreciated! :) Thank you!!
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I have been an FNP for one year and I just resigned from what was an absolutely terrible job. I have many years ( 20+) of PACU, ICU, CCU and ED experience. As an RN that is. Those willing to hire me as an NP are only offering one terrible job after another. I have spent my life working in hospitals and I miss it soo much. Yet, I can't get a job working in a hospital as an NP. They want 3 years of experience in the area of specialty as an NP. They don't care about my RN background. In fact, most worthwhile jobs want 3 years or more of NP experience. I hate the long hours, rotten pay and poor benefits that seem to be the fate of an office FNP. I hate the office environment period. I feel awful, I regret this more every day and I want to return to hospital RN life.. I want to return to three 12 hour shifts in a PACU or ED as a staff nurse and get my life back. In addition to rotten pay and benefits, My FNP experience was very lonely and beyond boring. I miss the fast pace of the hospital and the camaraderie of fellow nurses. All that time and money on my education will be wasted, but I'm starting not to care about that because I'm so miserable. Has anyone else done this? Has anyone out there quit and gone back? Will I be able to go back? Will hospitals allow it? ANY advice on ditching this career path is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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In an environment of increasing pressure to pursue BSN degrees, many forums and threads seem to include comments regarding the increased aspirations of younger nurses entering the field. There seems to be a perception that bedside nursing is being used as a "stepping stool" to management or leadership, or advanced practice nursing. In some of the comments, there is a sense of condemnation and wonder about why this change seems to be occurring, with many nurses somewhat put off by a perception that younger nurses don't value the bedside anymore. Just a pondering, but could it also be that an increase in pursuit of degrees above an ADN is also relative to a perception that bedside work is not realistic as a lifetime career choice? When considering the vast changes in nursing care, is it possible that increasing acuities, comorbidities, larger body habitus of the population, and increased violence against health care workers contribute to a conclusion that the physical ability to perform the work will be limited over time? When I personally consider how many coworkers have been injured moving patients, or as a result of patient violence/behaviors, it seems fairly reasonable to believe that sustaining a career at the bedside for 30 years in today's environment may be very difficult. That's not to say it was ever easy, but certainly things have, and will continue to change.
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Hello, I am a recent graduate nurse with no previous work experiences in nursing (other than our rotations) and was offered an interview for a full-time community health nursing position in a remote area. Community health is a passion of mine, but I am not a person who likes to settle in one specialty early on in the career. I want to gain as many experience and knowledge regarding different specialties before I finally settle. So, I hope to work in a hospital on a med/surg floor in a year or two. I know hospitals will offer orientation to any newly-hired nurses to the floor anyways, so I believe I would pick it up fast once I'm exposed to the work environment. But I want to make sure that I'm not completely limited to community health nursing once I enter my foot into it. Therefore, I would like to inquire about the feasibility and likelihood of working at the bedside in a big hospital after a year or two of working as a community health nurse? Any nurses who have done that in the past ? What are the challenges and goodnesses encountered during the transition? Was it hard to transfer from community health to bedside nursing? How did the employers/HR at the hospital react to your background in community nursing? Thanks a lot for the help and feedback!
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I am one of those nurses I guess some would consider lucky- I have been a nurse for 10 years and have never worked in traditional "bedside" nursing. I have worked psych in an acute care hospital, but since the vast majority of our patients are walkie talkies (they are pretty much all talkie), I wouldnt consider it "bedside." My work has always been clinical- psych, case management, outpatient/primary care --- but before moving onto something nonclinical (informatics, quality management, administration) I am considering giving the bedside a shot. I am interested in tele or ED nursing. However, I am constantly reading horror stories and desperate-seeming posts from people looking to get OUT of bedside. Any thoughts about pros of bedside from people who work at a decently staffed unit? Some of my feared cons include the waitress-like feeling, focusing on tasks vs big picture, entitled patients/family members, being understaffed, not getting lunch breaks, worrying for my license due to inappropriate workload... I know these things are real, but are they really the majority of the time/situation?? My motivation for trying bedside is to make sure I don't regret not trying it, being more well rounded clinically, more marketable, and the learning/science piece. I have to admit I am mostly interested in these factors, not patient care (although obviously, patient care is the job). Any thoughts or advice?
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Hello, I've been a RN, BSN for about 7.5 years, working as a floor nurse for the most part on the night shift 7pm-7am. I started out my career at age 25-years-old on a busy Med-Surg Tele unit, worked my way up to a Preceptor, Resource Nurse and Charge Nurse within 2 years and have won the Daisy Award. I am now per diem at my old job since I wanted a change of scenery and better pay. Now, I currently work full-time at a busy Stroke Unit in a bigger hospital and I still don't "love" nursing. I don't want to go to ER or ICU, nor am I interested in management. I am tired of being extremely tired on my days off. I believe the night shift is wearing me down. The constant physical demands of the job is wearing me down. The mental demands of the job is wearing me down (constantly having to be fake-nice with rude coworkers and/or rude doctors, and demanding family members). I am tired of having all the responsibility of having lives at stake under my watch for 12 hours and having everything blamed on the RN no matter what. I am tired of hospital politics and dealing with mean higher ups who have forgotten what working the floor is like. Life is short, and I want a job that I LOVE going to, but still pays about the same or better. My question is, when did you leave bedside nursing? And what non-bedside nursing job did you go into? And did you love it? Any insight or advice is greatly appreciated! Non-Bedside nursing jobs I'm considering: Nurse Educator or Clinical Instructor, Hospice, Home Health, Clinical Nurse Researcher, Corrections, Public Health, Nurse Writer, Aesthetic Nursing, or go back to school for NP to specialize in Dermatology. Please help me get out of bedside!! Do I have enough experience to leave?
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I'm a 59 year old RN with 39 years of nursing experience in ICU, ER, Case Management, Occupational Health, Home Health, and Pediatric nursing. Over the last year, I have lost 3 jobs. In all 3, my supervisors have said I'm no longer safe to work at the bedside. I didn't believe them. Over the last few years, I've begun taking meds for bipolar disorder and have had 2 TIAs. I'm told I had no residual effects. To be honest, I'm physically slower than I used to be and I don't think as quickly. I'm looking for a lower stress job that doesn't involve bedside care. Are there other nurses like me? What did you do? I can't afford to retire yet.
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.. And I know I’m not alone in this sentiment. Many of my former classmates who are less than a year at bedside are already planning their exits. Many nurses who are more experienced than I have made remarks about needing something different about it becoming “too much”. All over nursing forums and social media I see people of all years experience trying to escape the bedside or people trying to tell others how to get away from it like they did. I am over it and that makes me sad, because I want to love it, I love the close interaction with the patients. I think there’s a lot wrong with bedside nursing that needs to be addressed. I often work twelves but end up st work for 13 hours or more trying to complete charting, then commute twenty minutes to pick up my toddler late, until finally reaching home st almost 10pm. Don’t think anyone, kids or no kids enjoys staying late after a twelve hour shift on a consistent basis. The way it functions now doesn’t promote good mental, physical or emotional health for the nurses who are expected to care for the patients and the stress sent frustrstion barges into home life. It also doesn’t promote safety for patients when their caregivers are stretched thin, floors are understaffed, ratios don’t promote safe patient care or even some of the basic care needed. A lot of information I see online about dealing with stress at the bedside and work life balance tells the nurse what they can do but doesn’t address policies, poor practices and how cheap healthcare acts when it comes to hiring adequate staff and how that impacts us. I don’t think it’s too much to want a rewarding career but to also want to be able to get home to family on time, take vacations when you want (at my hospital we can’t request weekends off so we have to schedule vacation around weekends) or have a reasonable work life balance. As as a new nurse I’m not sure what I can do outside of bedside at this time since a lot of jobs require experience but I’m just not very happy here.
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Hello all, I am starting my research here. I currently have a non-nursing bachelors degree (Biology) and I am curious to know that if I get my MSN for family NP, would I be able to work in bedside nursing (Medsurg or ICU)? Or just only family practice? Location: CA I have applied to both aBSN and MSN (w/o BSN) programs.
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I graduated in May passed boards in June and started in working in ICU. I made great grades through school, and I looked forward to clinicals. However, ever since I started work I am a nervous wreck, I cry before and after work and on my off days, I dread going back. This is my second ICU job since June because at first, I attributed my misery to a long commute and I moved to a closer hospital. I feel like bedside nursing is not for me, but I do not know where to turn. I dislike the 12-hour shifts, the death of patients, and the stress of it all. I feel ashamed, embarrassed and miserable. I have thought about home health but I know they prefer at least a year of bedside experience. I just don't know what to do.
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Guest posted a topic in Career Advice ColumnDear Nurse Beth, This Summer I'll have been a nurse for 3 years. I started out on a med/surg oncology unit in a hospital and burned out from that very quickly. I moved to home health after a year in the hospital, and now I work at a cancer clinic, in the radiation oncology department. I fear I ran away from bedside nursing too quickly and should have stuck it out long enough to feel confident in my nursing skills and critical thinking and develop a stronger foundation as a nurse. Now, I don't use many of my skills in my current job and I feel like I've lost all the skills I worked so hard to learn in school and during my first year as a nurse. I don't feel like a nurse most of the time. I've had 3 jobs in the last 3 years, and I've achieved my goal of working in outpatient oncology, but I feel bored, unchallenged, and that I'm not using any of my nursing skills. I don't want to find ANOTHER new job, as this is my 3rd job since I graduated in 2015. Plus, I figure staying where I'm at might increase my chances of getting hired in the infusion clinic in my building, where I'd get to use nursing skills. I've considered working at a hospital PRN just to keep up my skills/become confident in my skills as a nurse, but I work M-F full time so in order to do that I would have to have some weeks where I work every day plus a weekend, and I'm not willing to work more than 40 hours a week. What should I do to avoid losing my nursing skills? Dear Regrets, You've discovered that there advantages and disadvantages to every role, and consequences for every decision. You no longer have the intensity and challenge of hospital nursing but you are locked into the nicety and routine of M-F. You ask how to keep up your nursing skills, and it sounds like you've decided to stay where you're at, so I think you've answered your own question ? When you are in an unchallenging job, the solution is to re-frame your view. Nursing skills are more than psychomotor skills, such as IV insertions. Nursing is assessment and planning, implementing and evaluating. There is a world of knowledge to learn in oncology. You may not be losing your nursing skills as much as you think. If you are not feeling challenged, how can you challenge yourself? If you already have your ONS provider card, start thinking about certification. Do any policies and processes in your work area need to be changed, and can you be part of the change? When stuck, you need to find the passion for your job and your patients again, or make it tolerable by planning your exit. In your case, the decision to stick with it to build your work history is good.
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We can debate the why's, where's, how's, when's of the toxic culture in many hospitals and nursing homes. More work, less support staff. More work, less pay. Too many patients. Higher acuity, more orders, fewer nurses being hired. My boss is dumb. My boss is toxic. Yes, its a BIG factor in a nurses decision to leave. We hate drama. We want to do our jobs in peace. But those are just workplace semantics. There is drama in every workplace, wether in nursing, retail, law enforcement, food services, housekeeping, gaming, farming, hospitality, transportation, or basket weaving. Yes, its there now, and yes, it was there 50 years ago. Truth be told, years ago, before corporate mergers/ takeovers/ acquisitions became as simple as buying pizza, we had hospitals and nursing homes. Today we have hospital systems and nursing home chains. With these corporate conglomerates at the helm, our profession was taken away. We lost our voices. We lost our sanity. We lost our zeal. Same thing happened to the banking system in the 1980s. Local stand alone banks were bought up, one by one, until we had 6 or 7 worldwide megabanks. Corporate mentality stole the nursing profession and burned it at the stake. What used to be patient focus, is now billing focus. Today we do not have patients, we have inventory. Some generate substantial money, others are a drain. This is why, when and how "staffing to census" began rearing its ugly head. Back in the old days, there was no such thing as staffing to census. Nurses were hired on certain units, and that is where they stayed. Some days were super busy, others were not. Staffing in hospitals and nursing homes today is soley based upon inventory (patients) and money (acuity). Not enough inventory in the burn unit? Float the nurse. Not enough inventory in L & D? Tell the nurse to stay home. Too many nurses on telemetry? Send 2 home, or let them work as techs on med-surg. And the list goes on. What used to be paper documentation by exception, became EMR to generate maximum amounts of reimbursements from medicare, medicaid, and insurance. This is why we have box checkers (formerly known as nurses) spending 75% of their time at computer stations, and 25% of their time at the bedside. If you're lucky. So the next time your wife, husband, brother, sister, friend or companion starts mocking you for being a serial job hunter/ hopper, send them to this article. Spread the word. Nurses didn't leave the bedside, the profession left us.
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I've been an RN for a little over 9 years now. I started out as a new grad at my current hospital and I've been on 3 different floors. I've done basic med/surg, step-down unit with trachs/vents, and now I'm on a surgical step-down unit with a focus on post-op GI & cardiothoracic surgical patients. I remember I used to love going to work and in the last year or so I've had rollercoaster weeks where some weeks I hate my job and others I love my job. It's only been in the last few months where there are way more lows than highs. I work in a wealthy part of the county and I don't know if the patient population (being treated like a waitress vs a nurse, etc) is more pronounced and causing me to feel burned out but regardless, I feel like I need a change. I've tried taking little vacations but that burned out feeling returns quickly. I sometimes want to go back to working at a desk Monday thru Friday, 8 hour days but I also love having a week off between 12 hour shift so then I don't think that type of nursing would work for me. I read that the closer you are to the patient, the higher chance of burn-out. I've looked at jobs online but I have no idea what I would be interested in doing. I just know I feel tired. I am so tired of sacrificing my body and coming home physically and mentally exhausted without ever even receiving a simple thank you in one single shift. I know I want to get away from bedside nursing - that's 100% of what I do know! I also have a per diem job doing hospice (on call 2 nights a week & good money for a side job). If I did take a Monday thru Friday job with a pay cut (I'd be losing night shift differential), then I'd also have to quit my per diem job and that's just not feasible for me. Does anybody have any experience transitioning away from bedside and if so, how did you know where you wanted to go? Thanks!!!
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Guest posted a topic in Career Advice ColumnDownload allnurses Magazine Dear Dilemma, Congrats on your job offer! It’s natural to have concerns when changing jobs. Eight-hour shifts will fly by for you since you’re used to working 12’s. It will take a while to get used to working Monday through Friday, because you may feel you’ve lost some “me” time during the week. Instead of easily making your personal appointments on your days off, you’ll be fitting them in around your 8 hour days. Then again, this is what most working people do. You’ll be joining the majority of workers who are off on weekends and holidays. You may enjoy actually being in sync with the rest of the world. Working 12-hour shifts at the bedside has a relatively short life span and much as many of us love it, there’s a time to move on. You are wise to make this transition at the 20-year point, rather than waiting until the point of injury or illness. It takes time to adjust. Expect to go through a grieving process when you leave the inpatient setting. Depending on your new job, you may be giving up some patient contact, challenging practice situations, and skills. You can always change your mind, but give yourself several months, at least, as you will feel differently as time goes on. Best wishes, Nurse Beth Author, "Your Last Nursing Class: How to Land Your First Nursing Job"...and your next!
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Sore subject. Bedside report. I don't mind it at all. The only time I don't like to do bedside report is for confused patients, dementia, impulsive patients that are fall risks that you finally calmed down and they are in a low stimulation environment and the like. For these patients I believe it to better to do report outside and then enter the room to see the patient. I feel that patients who are confused and aren't oriented would not benefit from a bed side report. I feel it could confuse them more or they make take some information you say and misinterpret things and could cause issues. I feel patients who finally have calmed down, suddenly get stimulated and worked up and start bed exiting again and I feel it does not do any good for them to hear it. I was told by a charge that these were not reasons to not do a full bedside shift report in the patients room. Just wanted some thoughts on what practices were in other hospitals. What are those reasons where a full bedside report would not be reasonable?
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Hello - In addition to my Cardiothoracic scrub position, I was nominated to join our new ‘ICU / PICU / SICU rapid response team’ that will be responsible for assisting in bedside rescue surgeries (mainly decompressive laparotomies for ACS and thoracotomies for cardiac tamponade). Does anyone have any experience with this, and any tips / suggestions? Here are the key responsibilities of the ICU Rapid Response Team “RRT” Scrub Nurse: Setup of sterile field, including gloving-and-gowning of primary and support practitioners;Initiate life-saving measures prior to arrival of primary practitioner including measures as recommended by ACLS (e.g., closed chest compressions);Identification and direction of ICU nursing personnel to obtain requisite instrumentation including, but not limited to: thoracotomy tray, laparotomy setup (bookwalter retraction, etc.);Working with RRT Circulator to establish sterile perimeter in room; and,Primary operative assistance in the sterile field (including first assisting if resident / fellow is not available).
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Hello fellow nurses, I am a new graduate nurse and have been offered positions in a : 1) Full Time M-F 7am-4pm Outpatient Clinic, no contract and 2) Full Time New Graduate program at a community hospital, in their med-surg/telemetry float pool with a varied schedule, 2 year contract My question is trying to decide on the specialty clinic that will allow me to maintain a sane schedule and advance in this specialty, or opt for a hospital where I can meet people and get a thorough training but most likely night shift hours? Another biggie is that I am currently also doing my BSN online, and the hospital would pay approx $10 more an hour than the clinic. Any tips or advice would be much appreciated!
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