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

Nurses General Nursing

Published

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.

Law school

3 Votes

Clients can be a lot more demanding than patients...

4 Votes
Specializes in oncology, MS/tele/stepdown.

Infection control?

Also, I don't know if this is a thing everywhere, but we have a couple blood bank nurses in our health system who evaluate our blood product usage, investigate transfusion reactions, work on transfusion policy changes, etc. I always thought that job was interesting.

2 Votes
Specializes in Care Coordination, MDS, med-surg, Peds.
On 5/6/2020 at 3:55 PM, SineQuaNon said:

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.

Hummmm I did MDS for 8 years. Was required to be on call and work med carts, charge nurse etc., several times per month. Which involved direct patient care. Also MDS is lots of paperwork and chart review, also it is necessary to interview residents, staff, and possibly perform some ADL care to ensure you are documenting correctly.

Compared to direct nursing it is less direct patient involvement. Lots of collaboration with staff in many areas of the facility and with family members throughout the month.

1 Votes
Specializes in adult ICU.

Research; informatics. Law school or MBA if you have an interest in those respective fields. Any interest in accounting? MAcc degree program is only a year and a half and requires just a few prerequisite accounting classes for those with Bachelor's in other fields. Working with the public is challenging unless, well, unless one is suited for working with the public. Please don't beat yourself up over finishing your degree and gaining valuable work experience and self-awareness. Good luck finding your niche!

1 Votes
Specializes in CARN.
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.

I would consider Environmental , Informatics, Research or education.

Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.

This thread reminds me of one from a few years ago when the last-semester nursing student (or new grad) created a thread requesting that anyone who could, point her in the direction of a nursing job where she wouldn't have to deal with ?.

3 Votes

Sorry, but I am judging you a bit, despite your request not to do so...first, is this your idea of a joke? It doesn't quite sound authentic, but if it is...get out of nursing, even if you do research, you no doubt will have to talk with patients or see them briefly and follow up with them at some point. Get out. And I hope I never have you as a nurse before you make a career change!

Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.
39 minutes ago, LynnRN53 said:

even if you do research, you no doubt will have to talk with patients or see them briefly and follow up with them at some point.

Not as a CRA. See above.

On 5/3/2020 at 8:56 AM, DavidFR said:

Not always. I have co-ordinated clinical trials in my days as a clinical nurse specialist in the UK and the CRA was literally the "policeman" who verified data, validated the CRFs etc. and never had contact with our patients. I now work in France in a phase 1 clinical trials unit and our CRA's have very little if any patient contact. I don't know where you are and I realise this could be different in other geographical locations.

I didn't know that, thanks! You are in France now? Your life sounds interesting!

Specializes in NICU.

When you find it let me know.I do think research might suit you but the money is often tied in grants,or some type of temporary funding.

On 5/4/2020 at 1:49 AM, LPNpaired said:

Plenty comparatively paying jobs out there that arent nursing.

Dont think so.

I currently work for an insurance company doing utilization review....literally NO PATIENT CONTACT. However some of the people who work at the facilities I have to contact for information can be a little lacking in the brains department.

+ Add a Comment