Transitioning from bedside to see management... HELP!

[agrichard]

Hello all! I recently accepted a new position in case management at a local company. I've been working night shift bedside from about 3 years. I've grown very used to the night shift routine with sleeping and going about my life. I'm finding it difficult to get back to a "normal" sleep schedule. I'll get these random bursts of energy at 3AM and can't sleep. Does anyone have advice on how to tackle getting back to a normal sleep schedule? Also did anyone miss bedside nursing after working in Case Management? Another thing... I told my family and friends about the good news of my position. My friends were very supportive and understanding as to why I'm leaving bedside, but my family is convinced I'm not a nurse anymore because I'll be working in an office. I told them nurses can wear many hats but the aren't convinced. Any advice on this issue? Thanks!!!!

[mtnNurse., BSN]

I bet if you plan your exercise routines and relaxation techniques to fit your new schedule, you'll eventually return to sleeping through the night. Try to be patient and not build up anxiety around it. Careful with what times you partake in caffeine and alcohol.
Though not in CM, I'm looking for an outpatient job and figure that if I end up missing bedside, I'll just get a PRN job too. Though it'd no doubt be easier to get a PRN job if I don't go several years away from bedside before doing it. It's a bummer your family isn't supportive, and I wish they were because as a nurse you deserve that! I guess if they don't believe you that you are very much still a nurse, there's not much else you can say to convince them; maybe you could quote whatever respectable institutions they'd believe about what it means to be a nurse.

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

On ‎12‎/‎22‎/‎2018 at 6:25 AM, agrichard said:

I'm finding it difficult to get back to a "normal" sleep schedule. I'll get these random bursts of energy at 3AM and can't sleep. Does anyone have advice on how to tackle getting back to a normal sleep schedule? Also did anyone miss bedside nursing after working in Case Management? Another thing... I told my family and friends about the good news of my position. My friends were very supportive and understanding as to why I'm leaving bedside, but my family is convinced I'm not a nurse anymore because I'll be working in an office. I told them nurses can wear many hats but the aren't convinced. Any advice on this issue? Thanks!!!!

I went into case management after working NOC shift for several years. I was hired to be a Day shift case manager and I returned to NOC shift as a case manager after 1 year. If you do not work in a company that is available 24/7 (like the hospital setting) and you prefer NOCs, try finding a hospital position. If you are already in the hospital setting, ask your manager during orientation if NOCs are available or if you can transition to NOCs when made available.

When I had a Day shift schedule, I returned to a normal schedule by working out every single day, eating right (no junk food), and I kept a strict sleep wake schedule. As for missing bedside nursing? Initially I did not.

I worked for many years and was happy to remain in case management for the rest of my career. On the other hand, I hated experiencing some of the CONs of case management.

Some of the CONs were presented in the form of being treated like a social worker without social worker training and connections, but expected to perform miracles without the right resources. Plus, I did not like the lack of teamwork and family-like environment that one experiences on a clinical nursing unit. There is also stress associated with social dynamics of families rather than life-death decision making (this may be a PRO to some). I also did not get real breaks often and was refused vacation time because there was a lack of coverage. In addition, although there are opportunities to move around, there is little to no opportunity to move up. And so, after several years as a casemanager I returned to clinical bedside nursing via a second job for a few years.

Thus my advice to you is if you think you may miss being a bedside RN, you should keep a PRN job as a staff nurse. This way if you change your mind (and many do within the first year because of the learning curve and the CONs associated with the role), you will have an ability to move back quickly.

By the way, speaking of your family, don't worry... They will change their minds about your career choice once their health or the health of others who they know will dictate a need to have contact with a RN case manager. In the meantime, do not concern yourself with what they think. Your career should not be a subject of what they think a real nurse does or does not do. They do not hold your license and they are not the ones who will show up to work everyday to be a RN case manager or a bedside nurse on your behalf... Good Luck!