What Do You Miss About Bedside Nursing?

Specialties CRNA

Published

Do you miss the continuous interaction with the patient? How much interaction is involved with the patient while performing anesthesia? I love the autonomy that being a CRNA will provide, but would like some follow-up with the patients if possible. Do you all do this? Thanks in advance!:)

Yes. Open heart recovery, IABP, and CRRT pts are all 1:1. I can't wait to only have 1:1 assignments on a daily basis.

Try telling that to the nursing coordinator who only sees the open bed and doesnt care if you are in charge with patients. I not sure 1:1 is in their vocabulary.

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Try telling that to the nursing coordinator who only sees the open bed and doesnt care if you are in charge with patients. I not sure 1:1 is in their vocabulary.

That's what I will miss. Being short staffed, being pressured to take more patients. Not having a freaking IV pump that works. (always 1 channel broken). Getting kicked, spit at, cussed at, etc. And those lovely code browns! Let me think a little bit....i'll really miss all that BS!

Here's to higher education!:balloons:

I am still praying for you guys left at the bedside! You're not forgotten.

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I definately agree with all the aforementioned enjoyable tasks to the job...let us not forget cleaning up funk in people's junk. I must say I will have to savor my last three shifts (done with floor nursing this Sunday ) No, I have not been counting down at all. :rotfl:

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Our CRNA's talk with patients and families prior to surgery so they still have some contact but it's limited.

This is a common misconception by people outside of anesthesia. Actually, alot of anesthetics are done with the patient awake these days, so there is more time to interact with patients than you would think.

CougRN is absolutely on the money. I have had patients wake up and hug me, crying with gratitude for helping them get through one of the toughest things in their lives. No feeling like it.

During anesthesia we render the patient unable to do anything for themselves, even breathing and hemodynamics must have outside support. We take on the responsiblity for the patients most intimate and vital functions. In a sense, we "become" the patient, and it is as if it us lying there on that table. Anesthesia is the ultimate in patient advocacy. How much closer patient interaction can you get?

loisane crna

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this is a common misconception by people outside of anesthesia. actually, alot of anesthetics are done with the patient awake these days, so there is more time to interact with patients than you would think.

cougrn is absolutely on the money. i have had patients wake up and hug me, crying with gratitude for helping them get through one of the toughest things in their lives. no feeling like it.

during anesthesia we render the patient unable to do anything for themselves, even breathing and hemodynamics must have outside support. we take on the responsiblity for the patients most intimate and vital functions. in a sense, we "become" the patient, and it is as if it us lying there on that table. anesthesia is the ultimate in patient advocacy. how much closer patient interaction can you get?

loisane crna

thank you! :redpinkhe

i know that it has been said before, but i want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all who post here.....it is enlightening, encouraging, and downright uplifting at times! :kiss just hope that i will have time to stay abreast of current topics when school starts in two weeks! :p

gc

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This is a common misconception by people outside of anesthesia. Actually, alot of anesthetics are done with the patient awake these days, so there is more time to interact with patients than you would think.

CougRN is absolutely on the money. I have had patients wake up and hug me, crying with gratitude for helping them get through one of the toughest things in their lives. No feeling like it.

During anesthesia we render the patient unable to do anything for themselves, even breathing and hemodynamics must have outside support. We take on the responsiblity for the patients most intimate and vital functions. In a sense, we "become" the patient, and it is as if it us lying there on that table. Anesthesia is the ultimate in patient advocacy. How much closer patient interaction can you get?

loisane crna

That is comforting to know! As for the other posts; I guess since I'm only a student I'm still have my rose colored glasses on so to speak, so some of your experiences are more exciting to hear than depressing (even wiping the junk out of their junk):uhoh21: ....AHHHHH the nieve students, don'tcha just love us!:chuckle

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This is my feelings as well. We all have had the opportunity to touch patients and families with our humililty and humanity and we should never leave that portion of our nursing behide us. WEll Said. GC

As I await to hear if I will now move away from the bedside into an Educator position I know I would miss the connections. I would miss the stories, the relationships I have developed with patients, their familes and friends. The fun I have had with people who are facing down death with a grin and a joke. I would miss the seriousness of what it is I do - the chance to save lives. I would miss holding a hand during a bone marrow aspiration, giving good and bad news, crying and laughing and giving and receiving hugs. I would miss working side by side with heroes. I would miss knowing I helped someone in at a deeply personal time of their lives.

I would miss my fellow nurses - on the combat front as it might be considered. I would miss having them as a sounding board - a vent station to discuss my frustrations. I would miss the laughs and understanding we have of each other, as we are all in it together. I would miss the hugs I get from my fellow nurses, the love.

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I've been a CRNA for over 10 years and am still practicing bedside nursing. I take care of the patient and never leave the bedside, gurney, nor the OR table.

Anesthesia is nursing care of the patient in the surgical environment. Basic nursing principles, althought not evidently apparent, are integral to caring for a patient in the perioperative period as a nurse anesthetist. Don't forget, you are a Certified Registered NURSE Anesthetist.

An Yogi, CRNA

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Specializes in i.c.u., med surg.
As I await to hear if I will now move away from the bedside into an Educator position I know I would miss the connections. I would miss the stories, the relationships I have developed with patients, their familes and friends. The fun I have had with people who are facing down death with a grin and a joke. I would miss the seriousness of what it is I do - the chance to save lives. I would miss holding a hand during a bone marrow aspiration, giving good and bad news, crying and laughing and giving and receiving hugs. I would miss working side by side with heroes. I would miss knowing I helped someone in at a deeply personal time of their lives.

I would miss my fellow nurses - on the combat front as it might be considered. I would miss having them as a sounding board - a vent station to discuss my frustrations. I would miss the laughs and understanding we have of each other, as we are all in it together. I would miss the hugs I get from my fellow nurses, the love.

beautifully said! nursing student over here, and can't wait to get to the other side!

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Specializes in Anesthesia, critical care.

I will miss NOTHING of bedside nursing. I would be a used car salesman before I return to the bedside. Providing anesthesia care is the most rewarding patient care I have ever had. I dont understand why people think "you dont have patient contact". No I dont have patient contact, I have full contact! One ear to a precordial, the other ear on the pulse-ox, one eye on the patient and the feild, the other on the monitor and gas machine. It is my conversation pre-op and before induction that assures they can trust me with their life. This is much more intensive than any ICU.

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I also am afraid to admit that I do not miss much of anything about bedside nursing.

I use my nurisng experience to quickly establish trust and rapport with the patient and all those long hard years in ICU have paid off as I lateralize all those skills to my anesthesia career. But missing bedside nursing is not an emotion I have ever felt, since entering anesthesia.

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Specializes in Infection Preventionist/ Occ Health.

Thank you to everyone who posted- I am considering becoming a CRNA. However, my main concern was that I would miss out on patient contact. Now I see that this is not true at all :) Thanks again!

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