For those of you that made the switch from bedside to outpatient nursing what was it like for you? How long did you stay in bedside for? Is your health/mental health better? Where in outpatient nursing are you working in?

I was a “RN residency dropout” 😂 Needless to say, inpatient nursing was hard transition for me, as I was young and struggled with perfectionism, and as we know, inpatient care is NEVER perfect.

I applied for a home health job, which was a stretch because I had pretty much no experience, but I accidentally applied for a hospice job. I interviewed with them, regardless, and ended up taking the job. I worked on hospice for 8 years, up until I graduated with my NP.

Hospice offered “regular” hours, and the flexibility to plan my day as I saw fit. As I became confident as a nurse, hospice allowed for a lot job variability and independent practice. Hospice nurses are leading the symptom management efforts, and making tangible and educated recommendation to the provider care team, often suggesting doses and such. We were required to work about one weekend a month. Hospice is very emotional, and I would say that this could be a source of burnout for some.

All of that to say, I thrived in outpatient. I had more control over my day, and life. I do not regret that transition and miss that season of my life. Not all home health/hospice agencies are the same and some are terribly toxic/unhealthy, so make sure to do your research. Recommend not-for-profit as opposed to profit (I did both).

I went from Cardiac ICU to an orthopedic office after 6 years, because I needed a regular schedule to be able to take care of my special needs kid. Whole other world. Learning the ins and outs of joint replacement wasn't so bad, but office work is a different type of stress. I'll start with the cons: Things you never have to worry about in bedside- getting prior auth for procedures, calling insurance companies when they inevitably decline said procedures, arguing with pharmacies who want to keep your patients from getting the prescription the surgeon wrote because of their own internal policies which do not match state prescribing laws... Then there's the fact that all the patients are yours, all the time. Bedside, you work 12 hours, go home, and the next time you come back, it's a fresh start. Not so with office. Whatever you didn't get done will be there waiting, probably with little patience, when you come back in tomorrow. 2 patients to worry about at a time vs. 200; people don't consider that. For example, in joint replacement, (total hip and total knee), everything that aches on a person from the waist down is always going to be your problem because they are convinced it is because of the joint replacement, even when it's not. Then there's the fact that you work 5 days a week, same hours as most places you need to be able to go to for appointments, so going to the doctor or the dentist or the bank or your kid's parent/teacher conference becomes a jigsaw puzzle of scheduling. Also, you are going to get paid significantly less, and given all the stressors mentioned above, that is just not right. The pros? No nights, no weekends (unless you are in primary care, where there is a big push to meet "prime time needs" so some offices stay open late and have weekend hours) and no holidays. You get "paid holidays", but it's just your PTO. You don't get holiday pay, even if you do have to work on Christmas Eve, for example, because offices are open on Christmas Eve, New Years Eve, etc. If you're a morning person, you have a "normal" schedule. That made it possible for me to be home to guide my son through his evening and bedtime rituals so he could sleep. I was probably more stressed out working ambulatory than at any other time in my life. I spent 8 years in the office. For me, cons outweigh the pros. As soon as my son was old enough and savvy enough to manage his own routines, I went back to bedside.

I was a bedside nurse for 22 years working primarily with orthopedic and other med/surg patients. The rotating shifts, weekends, and holidays really began to wear on me. I switched to cancer research as a protocol nurse and never looked back. After two years I then moved to an independent IRB as an IRB coordinator and then to manager of an IRB office. If you are thinking about a change, my advice is do it. There are so many different positions for RNs. You will keep learning and that can only change your life for the better.

I started in a new grad residency program. I previously knew I didn’t want to do inpatient but I gave it the benefit of the doubt and told myself to stay at least for a year. As soon as the year came around, I didn’t hesitate to start the job hunting again… but for outpatient positions. I now work as a float nurse in primary care for a non-profit health care company. I am part time (I’m obtaining my MSN) so I only work 3x/wk. I was burned out at the hospital because I worked the night shift and on the oncology/MS floor. I was required to work every other weekend. I was so unhappy. Now, I have holidays and weekends off! The stress is waayyyy less. I basically bring in the pt, vital them and carry out any orders the MD gives upon discharge. Piece of cake. I will admit though, I do miss prepping to give blood, TPN, or drawing blood out of ports. Being an RN is my 2nd career, so at my age, I know what I can handle and not… so, know yourself and if you are unhappy then definitely find something else that will make you happy.

After my ADN I worked on a medical surgical remote telemetry unit. Shortly after accepting the job I went back for my BSN. Getting the swing of nursing is challenging. There are so many avenues nurses can pursue. If someone does not thrive or gravitate to an area of nursing I'd assume they have not found an optimal role. There are numerous variables that lead to success, failure, right turns, and left turns. Everyone finds their way in time. The path is never the same for anyone.

I was bedside Med Surg/ ED nurse for 11 years, then transitioned to an outpatient Surgical Clinic. It was less stressful and better for my mental health. I worked in that position for 3 years, then transitioned to the remote setting.