I am getting really worried about the state of nursing and where we are going. Conditions seem so bad in the hospital setting that good nurses are flocking to non-hospital positions, and others are leaving the profession completely. What is going to happen when ALL the good nurses are gone? I know realistically not all will want or be able to go, but some nurses leaving the bedside is just going to make staffing and working conditions even worse, which in turn may encourage even those nurses who love bedside nursing to leave. There are already so many threads on this board about nurses who are suffering from extreme stress, anxiety, and depression much of which is directly related to nursing. Others who are just very unhappy and long for a change. Many posts that I read I end up thinking "get out, get out now!" I also tend to shy away from posts from excited newbies or students who seem so happy to be getting into nursing, just as I was before reality set in and I became disillusioned with the whole profession.
It begs the questions, if all the nurses leave the bedside, who is going to be left to care for myself and my family if/when we are in need?
I am one of those nurses who left the bedside. I am a school nurse, and unless I am forced to I do not plan on ever returning to the hospital setting. Eventually I may get out of nursing all together, once I have paid some bills out and my student loans. I do, however, feel some "survivor guilt" for my sisters and brothers who are still in the trenches. I think I have mentioned that on this board before. I feel bad for not being "strong" enough to put up with the terrible conditions and stick it out. I know my leaving the hospital just made it that much harder on my co-workers, but on the other hand I had to do what was right for me. Does anyone else who left the bedside feel this way?
I hear ya, purple scrubs. I couldn't last at the bedside and now am working in health information. While "the bedside isn't for everyone", ideally, anyone has met the licensure requirements and has a good head on their shoulder could at least *function adequately* in an *entry-level* nursing position. I agree that it's a real problem when so many otherwise intelligent, well-balanced, hard-working people find themselves not just *disliking* floor nursing and wanting to move on but feeling *so* overwhelmed and/or unprepared that they want to get out *now* daily.
I think the world we have is exactly what would expect with so many people so turned off by bedside nursing. A certain percentage of nurses seem to handle bedside nursing but about 60 to 70% of the positions just turn over and over again and again. A drop out rate by newbies that is totally unacceptable and experienced people jumping into non bedside jobs when ever they get the chance. Hospital executives crying to congress to churn out tons of new grads so they chew them up and spit them out also. Yup, the answer to your question about "what happens when no one wants to do bedside nursing" is exactly the situation we got. I realize a small percentage of nurses do seem to manage to keep their heads above water but the drop out rate is really, really bad.
I am one of those nurses who left the bedside. I am a school nurse, and unless I am forced to I do not plan on ever returning to the hospital setting. Eventually I may get out of nursing all together, once I have paid some bills out and my student loans. I do, however, feel some "survivor guilt" for my sisters and brothers who are still in the trenches. I think I have mentioned that on this board before. I feel bad for not being "strong" enough to put up with the terrible conditions and stick it out. I know my leaving the hospital just made it that much harder on my co-workers, but on the other hand I had to do what was right for me. Does anyone else who left the bedside feel this way?
I feel your guilt, the only difference between you & me is that I don't feel I wasn't strong enough. I know I am strong enough, I just feel that there is no way I would put up with the terrible conditions we deal with as Nurses in the outside world. I feel guilty about leaving my pt's, I worry if the next Nurse that takes care of them will love & care for them as I did. But, for my own sake, I had to draw the line.
I think the world we have is exactly what would expect with so many people so turned off by bedside nursing. A certain percentage of nurses seem to handle bedside nursing but about 60 to 70% of the positions just turn over and over again and again. A drop out rate by newbies that is totally unacceptable and experienced people jumping into non bedside jobs when ever they get the chance. Hospital executives crying to congress to churn out tons of new grads so they chew them up and spit them out also. Yup, the answer to your question about "what happens when no one wants to do bedside nursing" is exactly the situation we got. I realize a small percentage of nurses do seem to manage to keep their heads above water but the drop out rate is really, really bad.
Just think what we could accomplish if we were all ORGANIZED UNDER A STRONG UNION, and we could freely talk to the press, media, the public, and let them know what is REALLY GOING ON!!
This IS a public health an Public Policy, issue. We need to get the message out to the public. Their hard earned health care dollars are going to replace the same position in the same hospital every two years. It will never get better until nursing ceases to be a revolving door profession. JMHO and my NY $0.02.
You are right about nurses needing to be united and able to be heard.I was listening to President Obama talking about how to fix the healthcare system and I so wanted to be able to tell him, cutting back on these medicare, etc programs is just going to hurt us nurses because all upper mgmt will do to keep from losing their big bucks and bonuses is give nurses more pts &work to keep hosp costs down. Does any of us have a chance ever to let stuff like this be known to senators etc?No, because AJN and all the other nsg magazines wanting your subscription are useless !
I think about leaving bedside nursing all the time, then I remember my pts. My body is not holding out well these days I have been in nursing 20 years in August, I can hardly believe it. Everyday we just get more and more work to do, and less appreciation I agree with the OP how much longer will we hold up
Specializes in ICU, School Nurse, Med/Surg, Psych.
I left hosptial nursing for community health. I like the hours better and much less physical strain. If I go back to hospital nursing it will be as an advanced practitioner working adult med/surg.
I am not a nurse...yet. I am a master Jaguar technician (as in the car, Jaguar). This sure sounds similar to what many auto technicians say all the time. "Get out now", and "turnover is high", and "inexperienced techs". Kinda creepy how similar the talk is.
I am going to keep my head up. I'm sure there are negative aspects about every job in this country, and the world for that matter. I hate what I do now, and it is no longer satisfying, on a personal or professional level. Maybe it's people like me that will come along and fill a vacancy...at least for a few years until I don't enjoy it, or an opportunity for advancement arises.
Just think what we could accomplish if we were all ORGANIZED UNDER A STRONG UNION, and we could freely talk to the press, media, the public, and let them know what is REALLY GOING ON!!
This IS a public health an Public Policy, issue. We need to get the message out to the public. Their hard earned health care dollars are going to replace the same position in the same hospital every two years. It will never get better until nursing ceases to be a revolving door profession. JMHO and my NY $0.02.
Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN
Spokane, Washington
Exactly! When will the complaining to each other stop and people begin to organize and make a difference? Congress isn't comingon this site to read what is going on, they are listening to the admins who don't lose blood, sweat and tears at the bedside. If Nurses went out there and marched or joined forces across the country- they would have NO choice but to listen!
The LAST thing the public wants to hear is that when themselves, their parents or worse their children go to the hospital that they will can possibly be taken care of by people who are not qualified! Heck, sensationalize it and say that can be injured or killed...the government will not ignore cries like those.
I plan to work in bedside as soon as I become a NURSE ! I currently work in school health and I can't stand being in the a " school nurse" when I actually become a nurse.
School nurses are nurses with LPN's or RN's just like the rest of us. Just because they work in an out of hospital setting doesn't mean they aren't "actually a nurse."
Don't feel survivor's guilt!! Don't feel guilty. Lots o' people are away from the bedside not feeling guilty. Not sure if you're male or female - but I've noticed that women tend to feel guilty more easily than men. We morbidize over little things we might have done wrong, and reflect & reflect over them - we need to realize that and try to nip our gratuitous "guilties" in the bud. Believe me, I have had the same fears as you; but I'm not going to make myself miserable at the bedside.
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I work in a clinic, am a respected, organized and knowledgable LPN and even I am saying that I want to jump ship. Currently, I am considering Health Education. Maybe there, I can teach people to empower themselves because this career has not really allowed me to do so with the crappy rules, unavailable/insane policies and procedures, backstabbing, lateral violence and cowtowing with administrators. What scares me is that even with working in a clinic setting, I am too tired, and can only hope that I can put energy into earning this degree I am interested in. I am seriously weighing options. I am fortunate that I have no mortgage, no high bills. If it continues, I have to save myself.
jjjoy, LPN
2,801 Posts
I hear ya, purple scrubs. I couldn't last at the bedside and now am working in health information. While "the bedside isn't for everyone", ideally, anyone has met the licensure requirements and has a good head on their shoulder could at least *function adequately* in an *entry-level* nursing position. I agree that it's a real problem when so many otherwise intelligent, well-balanced, hard-working people find themselves not just *disliking* floor nursing and wanting to move on but feeling *so* overwhelmed and/or unprepared that they want to get out *now* daily.