Where to go as a nurse if you dont want to work with patients at ALL?

InTheLongRun · May 5, 2020

On 5/3/2020 at 6:17 AM, RNperdiem said:
Outside of nursing informatics, I suspect you consider a full career change if you are constantly annoyed. Work is going to be work. If it isn't patients annoying you, someone else will take their place.

As with Case Management and other suggestions, experience is needed. About all a NI nurse can do is serve as a business analyst/requirements/trainer role. They aren't technical enough to do anything else. And without experience to understand workflow, med administration, alerts, orders, not much use. right?

The bottom line is there are lots of things you can branch out to as an EXPERIENCED nurse, but not so much if you've just graduated.

Assuming the OP is legit and serious, my suggestion would be to chalk up the investment so far as a sunk cost and change majors. This is , after all, your one and only life.

allnurses Guide · May 5, 2020

On ‎5‎/‎3‎/‎2020 at 2:18 AM, A Hit With The Ladies said:
What about nurse informatics? A lot of the RNs I've seen at various clinics just do paperwork.

At the risk of sounding like a Negative Nelly, this specialty will definitely NOT solve the problem. Though you don't interact with patients, there is a huge (majority) component of staff education involved in informatics. If human behaviors, such as inattention, rudeness, tardiness, condescension, entitlement, not following directions and the like, are already making the OP nuts, they won't disappear simply because it is coming from peers instead of patients.

OP, I empathize, but I think it would be worthwhile to see a counselor as well, to find out why you are irritable to this level. Best of luck!

allnurses Guide · May 5, 2020

18 hours ago, inthecosmos said:
You have received many suggestions. Have you spoken with a career coach to maybe ignite your passion? I know this sounds a bit bogus, but as someone who also dislikes direct patient care (as a bedside RN) for similar reasons, I found my passion for rural and underserved populations. I have recently completed my MSN as an FNP and when I found my passion, it changed my perspective and feelings on nursing entirely.
I do have a few more suggestions, which would require continuing your education and perhaps maintaining a bedside position until your degree was completed.
Policy advocate (this requires some interest in a population and knowledge on politics, etc...)
Academic nurse writer (may require a terminal degree depending on your level of expertise)
Legal nurse consultant.
Nurse educator (depending on your setting. Hospital educators do not often have patient contact.)
Best of luck!

If the OP is struggling with rude, inattentive and annoying human behaviors, trust me, being a nurse educator would definitely not be a solution.

benharold1, BSN · May 5, 2020

Nursing compliance

Pharmaceutical representative

Office nurse

Research nursing

Nursing administration

School nursing

FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN · May 5, 2020

Nurse manager. Inspector of nursing homes for the state. You could go into policy. Instead of nurse practitioner, try pursuing something that would get you away from patient care. Good luck!

guest1147324 · May 5, 2020

Check out your state agencies - Health and Human Services, etc. hire nurses for records review.

Nunya, BSN · May 6, 2020

Informatics requires a lot of problem solving and hand holding. You send out emails telling people things are going to change. You post signs telling people things are going to change. You make announcements at shift change that things are going to change .... and then when things change people flag you down to ask why they weren't told that things were going to change. Kind of like your patients who won't get off the phone.

Edited Monday by CritterLover

LOL CritterLover. One of the most amusing posts I've read!

Nunya, BSN · May 6, 2020

10 hours ago, benharold1 said:
Nursing compliance
Pharmaceutical representative
Office nurse
Research nursing
Nursing administration
School nursing

Not really sure school nursing is for her. Go to the fb page "School Nursing" and go back to posts made before C19 and you'll see there's a lot of bs they put up with...from kids, parents, teachers and admins. It's not just Band-Aids and icepacks anymore, though there is plenty of that still.

**CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN** · May 6, 2020

Do you think it would be easier for you if you talked to them on the phone? I do some phone triage as part of my job. The patients are still the patients but somehow it feels different on the phone. You might be less irritated with them if you didn’t see them? I don’t know, I’m just throwing ideas out there.

**CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN** · May 6, 2020

21 hours ago, bitter_betsy said:
I am so stinking new at this - I have NO idea what I am talking about - however in some states nurses (with proper education) can become coroners (and usually it is an elected position). I admit I don't have a clue how one would go about getting to this position, but it seems to me that a nurse would be beneficial in medical investigations and people that have expired don't ask questions. Maybe police departments? I really don't know - I just thought I'd throw it out there and maybe someone who knew what they were talking about could add to it or you could run with it and figure it out. Good Luck. I do understand how you feel.

I am, just like another poster mentioned, overly tired tonight. Your post was the one that struck my funny bone. And I think it’s an interesting idea and one that the OP should at least Google! But the fact that she asked “How can I avoid working with patients” and your answer was “How about DEAD patients?”— I don’t know, it just gave me a chuckle.

Guest1142305 · May 6, 2020

So many suggestions, with no one pointing out the obvious problem. The patients are just people. Your problem is internal. Perception is everything. Work through your issue with a qualified therapist quietly away from your job. The enmity you feel towards patients is an outward fruit of an inward passive aggression due to unresolved emotions regarding patient care and/or some unmet expectation that these patients are typifying.

That’s just my 2 cents. I’m no one to judge. I deeply dislike interacting with other men for the same reason; unresolved trauma. The question is whether or not you can overcome the source of your frustration and begin to see them as just regular people in need of patience and help again.

Nurselexii · May 6, 2020

On 5/3/2020 at 1:49 AM, Therefornow said:
Please dont judge me as I am already judging myself hard enough for paying all this money for a degree I hate. I KNEW nursing wasn't for me 1st semester of nursing school. I am not a people person and found myself annoyed with the patients very quickly. My parents and friends told me this wasnt a field for me and my personality, but I for some reason stuck with it. I was 17 and figured "I'm in too deep now may as well finish because nursing credits won't transfer anywhere". So I graduated and got 3 years of ED experience. Hated every minute of it. The patients were often abusive and unappreciative. I felt like a maid who passed out pills between GSWs.
I took advice from this forum and tried outpatient. I enjoyed that environment and schedule more but hated one thing: The patients. In my outpatient role I literally put IVs in all day and gave IV contrast. I had the patients for 15 mins max, but had to ask them several questions to determine the reason for the study/safety of IV contrast. I found myself ANNOYED asking them the questions!! Having to repeat myself because they're on their phone, asking them to "take their shirt and bra off and put the gown on with the opening in the back" and returning to find them with the gown over their shirt, bra, and coat. ANNOYED at patients talking down on me.
I'm so defeated and depressed. I paid all this money and worked so hard for this degree. I just cant stand the patients. My coworkers seem to like me and I'm a good nurse. I'm just not happy. I've tried multiple hospitals and a different setting, but the underlying annoyance is the patients it seems. Are there any nursing fields I may be better suited to?
I have my bachelors degree in nursing. I was halfway through NP school before I realized becoming and NP won't solve my problem.

Hi! Try clinical documentation specialist its also called CDI, CDS, no patient care or interaction involved,

It has remote options, its usually a salaried job, you report to the CFO, it is a production based job so you have to meet your numbers (which I can explain if interested) all the time I like it because its interesting, stress free and allows for an epic work life balance