Tired of floor nursing

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello everyone,

I haven't been to this site in a long time, I look forward to "meeting" everyone again! I have been a floor nurse for the past three years and have grown to hate it. I am looking for ideas of other opportunities in nursing. I am an RN, but do not have a BSN or MSN. I have no other experience except the floor. I am excellent with computers and Microsoft office software (was an accountant before I became a nurse). I am willing to go back to school if the company I work for will pay for it. I live in California.

I need ideas! Thank you for your help!

Chris:)

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Nursing informatics? You could use both your business and

nursing background...

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Specializes in Hospice, ONC, Tele, Med Surg, Endo/Output.

I hear your pain. Go to Vitas hospice. There you can be a case manager, on call nurse, pool nurse, or admit nurse--lots of options and a great place to work; and you don't need a BSN for any of these positions at this particular company. The orientation lasts about two months with most of it being computer classes and shadowing. It's the best job i've ever had.

As an on call nurse I work Mon-Fri evenings 8 hour shifts, guaranteed 40 hrs per week no matter how many patients i see. Sometimes for the full eight hours i see no patients; most nights only one to three patients. I am alone in my car with my computer; my car is loaded with supplies; the hospice physicians actually answer their cell phones; and the local pharmacies deliver the meds. Pt's families are happy to see me because i am the fix it person, and since i'm not the case manager there is less documentation since i doc to the palliation of the particular symptoms that are bothering the patient. I attend one meeting every two months. There is far less drama and politics overall because i rarely see my co-workers or management and the social workers take very good care of dysfunctional families.

Hospice is great--you are not opening up 10 packs of pills, dealing with bowel movements, chasing down a CNA who is hiding from you; there aren't three meals to worry about with intakes and outputs, etc; there are no ancillaries in your face, no doctors to page overhead, no residents or nursing students hogging the nursing station; and management is nowhere in site. You are also not trapped in a horribly busy, mind-numbing ward with the same annoying patients for 8-12 hours per night, and you don't have to wait for the next shift to show up to give a laborious report. And you are not dealing with drug seekers begging for narcs every hour. Sooooooo much nicer than acute care. I can't believe how lucky i am to have this position after 16 years in back-breaking, frustrating med-surg/tele. I would only return to acute care if i lost this job and could not find another hospice, home health, or clinic position after several months of looking.

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I know how you feel being tired....... Everyone expects you as a nurse to solve the world problems in 8 hours! I remind myself when I start a new shift "I'm not running around like a chicken with no head." I wonder if this is the point when it's time to start another specialty....:confused:

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How about some type of administrative position?

I think it's interesting that a career changer doesn't like it. I worry about that since I'm a career changer. I don't hate my other one though. It's just kind of restrictive.

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i wonder if alot of career changers end up getting the heck outta nursing. i have a few freinds who were career changersa nd cannot believe the atmosphere of bedisde nursing. most left within a few short years to go onto NP or left altoghether.

maybe b/c people in other careers know this job is insane in its demands and working conditions??

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I know how you feel being tired....... Everyone expects you as a nurse to solve the world problems in 8 hours! I remind myself when I start a new shift "I'm not running around like a chicken with no head." I wonder if this is the point when it's time to start another specialty....:confused:

It is............;)

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Hello,

Thank all of you for your help! I':)m definitely going to check out your ideas.

If I had known what I know now, I NEVER would have changed careers. Bedside nursing is backbreaking work and nurses treat each other like ****. It is hard to go to work everyday.

Keep the ideas coming and thanks again.

Chris

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Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

Hey Chris what about agency nursing? They have many differing jobs, for example, I did a job where they needed a RN to do accreditation for a doctor's surgery or LTC, ie: you know the computer side and all the drugs, charting, you liaise with staff, etc. It was interesting work, good hours and better still! No bedside nursing.

Just a thought as you sound really down. Just apply for everything outside of the bedside and highlight your other skills - something will turn up.

Don't give up that's all! :)

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Specializes in hospice, ortho,clinical review.
i wonder if alot of career changers end up getting the heck outta nursing. i have a few freinds who were career changersa nd cannot believe the atmosphere of bedisde nursing. most left within a few short years to go onto NP or left altoghether.

maybe b/c people in other careers know this job is insane in its demands and working conditions??

That is probably true! I'm a career changer and I do think the demands/conditions are insane. Sad thing is, I would enjoy the job so much more if it were staffed properly, but yeah I get it, it's a business so it's about keeping a budget.

I'm hoping to get into a pain management center Mon-Fri type thing after about a year. That'll be August for me and it's sad, but yeah I'm counting the time til I get out with my 1 year in med/surg. Life's too short for all this b.s. I too am stunned with the realities of bedside nursing.

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Specializes in LTC.

Have you tried LTC as a Staff Development Coordinator or MDS?

Both aren't bedside nursing, and with computers showing up in LTC the need for someone computer literate is high to educate staff on how to electronic chart. MDS uses computers to chart everything.

I work in a tiny, less than 70 bed facility and nursing charts electronically, and MDS is exclusively computer charting.

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Specializes in acute care then Home health.

Can I ask you a question? If someone offered you a monday-friday, 9-5 office job (on call every other weekend) would you take it? I'm struggling right now with sticking with my 3 12's which is really flexible or going office in nursing admin. I enjoy my 4 days off so its kind of tough to commit. Nursing is back breaking, hard work but you cant beat the days off or the flexibility. With that said, I've heard private duty is the way to go, lots of my friends love it. It pays a little less though, but you have one patient that you can really get to know.

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