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

Nurses General Nursing

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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.

Specializes in Non judgmental advisor.
On 5/4/2020 at 1:32 PM, Boog'sCRRN246 said:

I second the Utilization Management suggestion. I'm regional supervisor over three hospitals in my health system and have not had to deal with a patient/patient's family in almost three years. We do make decisions that affect patients, but we are partnered with our hospital care coordinators who handle the face-to-face encounters. My team literally sits in a cave-like office (or at home for the time being) all day reviewing charts and paging doctors.

Hey great suggestion!

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22 hours ago, benharold1 said:

Nursing compliance-still have to deal with staff and now they hate you

Pharmaceutical representative-need experience and still dealing with people only now you have to suck up to them while wearing heels.

Office nurse-ummmmm...still have patients. I know, shocking.

Research nursing-may have patient interaction also need experience.

Nursing administration-massive interaction with people who hate you and you also have to be a suck up to people you don't like much. Plus how can you do this with minimal experience?

School nursing-still dealing with patients but even worse...parents.

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Nursing can be an emotional job at times I felt really depressed during my student days and as a RN too sometimes I believe it’s the fact that we work in a profession that takes so much out off us physically and mentally. Dealing with sickness and dying is not an easy thing along with all the other aspects of the nursing field but it also has it rewards too eg seeing your patients recuperate and discharged after fighting all odds against them or the thank you and God bless you. I don’t want you to feel bad you are a talented skilled professional and can use your skills to help others in areas of education or teaching or in scientific research I’m sure you can find an area where you can get satisfaction from doing your job and making a good impact on society. We all feel discouraged sometimes in this profession just look around and you’ll find yr place Good luck

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Specializes in ED, med-surg, peri op.

There’s always education, there are nurses that work in hospitals just providing education to RNs and drs.

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Specializes in ED, Family Practice, Home Health.

MDS would hit the bill for sure. You'd be in an office and never have to deal with patients. But if you're halfway done with an NP degree why not switch to Clinical Nurse Specialist? The first year between the two disciplines is the same so switching would be easy. Many, many non-patient, advanced and well-paying options as a CNS.

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Specializes in Oceanfront Living.
On 5/3/2020 at 6:54 AM, KatieMI said:

SNF surveyor (possibly?)

Just so YOU know, a CMS surveyor has many other skills that are applied to ESRD, Hospitals, Pysch Hospitals, Group Homes , LTC , Assisted Living, Pysch under 21, among many others. I was certified by CMS in all of the above areas.

There is of course patient interaction, family, staff, provider, and patient interviews.

A surveyor cannot so their job without patient interaction.

Please stick to what you know.

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Specializes in Non judgmental advisor.
2 hours ago, louanna said:

Nursing can be an emotional job at times I felt really depressed during my student days and as a RN too sometimes I believe it’s the fact that we work in a profession that takes so much out off us physically and mentally. Dealing with sickness and dying is not an easy thing along with all the other aspects of the nursing field but it also has it rewards too eg seeing your patients recuperate and discharged after fighting all odds against them or the thank you and God bless you. I don’t want you to feel bad you are a talented skilled professional and can use your skills to help others in areas of education or teaching or in scientific research I’m sure you can find an area where you can get satisfaction from doing your job and making a good impact on society. We all feel discouraged sometimes in this profession just look around and you’ll find yr place Good luck

What a sweet positive message thank you

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Specializes in med-surg, IMC, school nursing, NICU.
On 5/3/2020 at 3:16 AM, Sour Lemon said:

I frequently have patients who do irritating things, but I just smile and nod and go home and count my money.

This is a helpful way to respond to most situations lololol.

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Specializes in Surgical Specialty Clinic - Ambulatory Care.

Floor manager, informatics, get a masters in business administration and work for a hospital doing administration. No judgement as I often feel many patients are not worth my time, however, if you aren’t dealing with them you will be dealing with ‘annoying’ subordinates and repeating things a lot to them. I’m not sure there is any job, nursing or not, that you would be able to fill due to a lack of tolerance of others....I get it, I barely tolerate people too; but that’s life. Maybe give yourself pep talks like , “Thank goodness he’s just here for imagine. Can’t imagine having to take care of that person ALL Day”,

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Specializes in Operating Room, CNOR.

I second the operating room circulator idea. I have been an OR nurse for 10 years. You do a brief patient interview and the rest of the time the patient is usually asleep. You do have to deal with surgeons, though, and they can be major stinkers at times. But once you learn who you are dealing with and how best to work with them, I personally found it to be better suited to me. I also feel overwhelmed with patient interractions. In the OR, you still do a little bit of that but mostly it's very technical and coordination based. Might be work seeing if you can do a shadow day in the OR, see what you think.

Don't beat yourself up! It's a hard job. You might also look into the root of your annoyance and see if there is some internal work you can do, since it will bring you peace in your life in general no matter what other jobs you end up doing. Out of necessity for my sanity, I did a lot of personal work and therapy to look into why I was so deeply affected by other people, and ways to improve my reactions to them that helps me cope at work. It's something that can be learned and improved over time but it's kind of like a skill and a muscle that some people need to work on more than others. Things like regular meditation are examples of what might help.

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Really enjoying this thread -- hopefully the person writing the message is actually able to get some ideas!

How about CRNA if you plan to pursue more education?

Good luck -- I believe in this field there is something for everyone.

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As an antisocial person I think I’ve gleaned more helpful information form this one read than through months of reading other threads on this forum.

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