Wanting to leave bedside nursing

NCLEX Columnist · Jan 27, 2019

Good afternoon highhope. First, let me assure you that you are not alone in feeling the way that you do. Many of us nurses go through the same thing around the 6 month mark. Eager to make a difference, yet so tired of not being empowered, supported, or autonomous in our abilities to actually illicit the type of difference we want to make. It is very common for nurses to move to a different department, or specialty altogether within the first year of bedside nursing, so you're actually right on track with the norms.

To better assist, let me answer your question: I knew that as a new nurse I had very little authority, leveraging power, or negotiating power to best advocate for myself, as well as my patients. I also knew that no matter how much experience I had in my previous career (15 years of Customer Service and Food and Beverage Industry Management experience), that I would still be viewed as new and "wet behind the ears". When I attempted to negotiate the way I would as a regional store opener for a large multi million dollar causal restaurant chain, focusing on customer service, and now as a nurse - patient safety, I was immediately accused of "stepping out of line", or "shedding a negative light" on the facility. Basically, I was told that if I had a problem with anything, I would have to figure out a way to deal with it, because management was unwilling to change the way they were doing daily business as usual.

After about 6 months of the same old tiresome struggles, I decided it was time to shake things up and move towards a different path. I thought long and hard about leaving the profession just as you are now. After a few weeks of contemplating, I decided that I wouldn't give up on nursing... heck, I devoted a LOT of sweat, blood and tears into becoming a nurse, so I wasn't going to give up on nursing, but do something that would put me in a position to make a bigger impact. I knew it was a losing battle as a staff bedside nurse. I knew that if I didn't gain additional experience or additional certification that I'd be "wet behind the ears" for several years to come.

Instead of accepting that as my future, I enrolled in a Master's Degree program that focused in nursing education. I knew that if I earned a degree in nursing education that I would be empowered with the insights, and skill set to enhance the nursing profession, by having the appropriate ammunition readily available to advocate for not only patients, but to advocate for the nursing profession as a whole. I enrolled in an online program that afforded me the ability to work my three 12 hour shifts per week, and earn a 4.0 in my program of study. I gained the knowledge and skills to better negotiate my working conditions. I gained the knowledge and skills to better advocate for my patients. I learned how to collect data, and present it to upper level management in a way that they cannot ignore. I became an authority of my nursing practice, and more importantly, I became aware of how to hold others accountable to best practices.

I worked the entire three years I was in my MSN program, and I was treated the same throughout my entire program. Senior nurses tried me. Nursing management tried me. I was just another new nurse. However I was gaining the ability to see my way out of undesirable work circumstances. I knew that I had a much brighter future ahead of me. And just like magic... once I graduated and earned the initials MSN behind my name, people started treating me differently. All of a sudden I was a respected resource. I became the "go-to" for nursing excellence. I was able to negotiate a higher salary. I was able to professionally refuse unacceptable assignments, and use my grad school training to leverage resources that we needed to best care for our patients.

Since then, I have come to teach for a college, travel the country as an agency nurse, serve as a staff development clinical practice education specialist, and run my very own nursing education and consulting business - all things I may not have had the opportunity to do without my Master's Degree. I fully understand that nursing isn't for everyone. To this very day there are times when I question why I stay within this crazy profession, and at the end of each of those days, I always remember why I became a nurse. It's the same reason why we all become nurses. There is no other healthcare provider role that does as much, knows as much, is as innovative, flexible, intelligent, resilient and is as trusted as much as nurses!

For those reasons, I did not leave the profession of nursing. Instead, I found my passion within it, and now I am doing exactly what I love each and every day!

Hang in there, and seek out the support from those around you. Let's change the narrative and work towards shaping the nursing profession into what we NURSES want it to be! #nursesmatter

Best,

Damion

Career Columnist / Author · Jan 28, 2019

You need to strategize your employment future. Most non-clinical nursing jobs require 2 years clinical experience, and 6 months tenure may count against you from an employer's point of view.

Leaving nursing altogether after 6 months all you've put into it may be premature.