Where are you happy?

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I've been thinking a lot, I've been a nurse for 2 years. I know it's not very long, but im getting burned out with bedside nursing. I don't understand how others do it any longer. It is tiring to be treated like I do day after day. The only thing holding me there right now is the pay is SO GOOD. I work for a top hospital, i'm not going to say because everybody knows it. I'm just really wanting to do something I actually enjoy and don't despise.

What are other peoples experience of leaving the bedside? Are you glad you did it? What other options are there that have the same pay, or similar?

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I can't say because I am still doing bedside, but from everything I have read, others that have made the switch seem to have never looked back. Other areas in the hospital would pay the same, OR, ICU, ER, PACU. Of course you could make the switch to case management to have even less involvement with patients. Just a few options, I am sure others will chime in with more...

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Specializes in public health.

You can go back to school and become a NP, research nurse, nurse educator, nurse manager, etc.

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Specializes in L&D, OBED, NICU, Lactation.

I left once, came back quickly (I realized I erred in choosing my new job) and now I'm looking to change specialties or leave the bedside and move to management. At the 2 year mark, many people choose to move in some new direction whether it be travel (I did this and had a blast), more education, or a new specialty. Look around, shadow, ask yourself the important questions, and you'll figure out what YOU need to be happy, rather than what other people think might make you happy.

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Specializes in Oncology, Med-Surg, Nursery.

I work in Newborn Nursery and I love it. It is where I am meant to be and I will be here unless I am thrown out, LOL. I did work in Oncology and Med-Surg and wasn't happy either place. You'll know when you find your fit for sure.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

I work with 2 nurses that are nearing 35 years bedside. Not everyone hates it. They both love hands on care even after all these years.I have only been bedside 6 years but I wouldn't ever want to do anything else. Taking care of patients is why I became a nurse.

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I find that nursing or being at the bedside is sucking out every bit of compassion I have left. I'm not going to lie when I say that I really went into nursing because I didn't know what else to do and it was good job security. I love working with children and I thought perhaps pediatrics? I would LOVE LOVE LOVE that, but I just cannot deal with overbearing parents. And I don't blame them...I would be a hawk watching over any nurse who touches my child.

Once I took my 7 month old in to get a shot. They actually were going to have an MA do it. I requested that a nurse do it instead. So, i'm not blaming parents at all. I just wouldn't be able to deal with that or parents like me.

I don't know what i'd like. Something away from bedside that is all I can say for sure. At this point i'd be happier being those people that go around cleaning out porta-pottys than doing what I do.

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Case management. A managerial position. Teaching an LPN or a MA/CNA course of study. Be an nurse educator. Working in a pediatrican's office. Lactation consulting. Sometimes urgent care or phone triage or "minute clinics" still give you clinical contact, but a number of patients over a period of time, instead of the same group daily.

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I've tried many different things. The only thing I seem to like is radiation oncology which is an outpatient setting. It's where I've felt most happy as a nurse.

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Specializes in PACU, pre/postoperative, ortho.
I've been thinking a lot, I've been a nurse for 2 years. I know it's not very long, but im getting burned out with bedside nursing. I don't understand how others do it any longer. It is tiring to be treated like I do day after day. The only thing holding me there right now is the pay is SO GOOD. I work for a top hospital, i'm not going to say because everybody knows it. I'm just really wanting to do something I actually enjoy and don't despise.

What are other peoples experience of leaving the bedside? Are you glad you did it? What other options are there that have the same pay, or similar?

I've also been bedside for about 2 yrs & have been considering when to move on. But, I'm just not quite feeling its time yet. My schedule is finally how I wanted it to be(for the most part) & I worry that making a change may not be for the better. I also like my increased level of confidence & still learn new things. Guess I'm just hoping that when the "right" opportunity presents itself, I'll recognize it!

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I got a job in the ED after I graduated.... I swore up hill and down sale I would never do ward nursing (cardiac, med/surg etc) I've seen what it's done to my mum and I'm an adrenaline junkie...I need the high that the ED provides!

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Once I took my 7 month old in to get a shot. They actually were going to have an MA do it. I requested that a nurse do it instead.

In my experience, things that are done by UAP's are rarely done by nurses. Let me elaborate-

As a PCT in a hospital, I do blood glucose checks twice a shift or even more. At this point I have done countless BG checks. The nurses rarely do them because they are busy doing higher level tasks

In this case, the tech has much more experience doing BG checks than a nurse. The nurse educator at my hospital told me that she regularly see's nurses that have forgotten the protocol for this skill.

Does this extrapolate to giving injections? Probably not in a hospital, but in a Doc's Office? It's certainly possible.

Food for thought from the Devil's Advocate.

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