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Lakala
Student
Compton, California
2
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What are the pros and cons of working as a bedside nurse and being an Rn in general?
Tell me everything!
3 answers
James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian & Software Developer since 1972 => Nutrition Education => Health & Longevity.
4312
Answers
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Updated
James Constantine’s Answer
Hello Lakala,
Pros and Cons of Working as a Bedside Nurse and Being an RN
Working as a Bedside Nurse:
Pros:
Direct Patient Care: Bedside nurses have the opportunity to directly interact with patients, providing hands-on care and emotional support.
Diverse Experience: Working at the bedside exposes nurses to a wide range of medical conditions, treatments, and patient populations, allowing for continuous learning and skill development.
Team Collaboration: Bedside nurses often work closely with other healthcare professionals like doctors, therapists, and social workers, fostering a collaborative work environment.
Job Satisfaction: Making a positive impact on patients’ lives can be highly rewarding and fulfilling for bedside nurses.
Cons:
Physically Demanding: The job of a bedside nurse can be physically demanding, requiring long hours of standing, lifting patients, and performing repetitive tasks.
Emotional Stress: Dealing with patients’ suffering, emergencies, and sometimes difficult family situations can lead to emotional stress and burnout.
Shift Work: Many bedside nursing roles require working irregular hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays, which can disrupt work-life balance.
Exposure to Infections: Bedside nurses are at higher risk of exposure to infectious diseases due to close contact with sick patients.
Being an RN in General:
Pros:
Career Opportunities: Registered Nurses (RNs) have diverse career paths available in various healthcare settings such as hospitals, clinics, schools, research facilities, and more.
Job Stability: Nursing is a profession in high demand globally, offering job security and opportunities for advancement.
Competitive Salary: RNs typically earn competitive salaries with the potential for increased pay through specialization or advanced degrees.
Professional Growth: RNs can pursue further education or certifications to specialize in areas like critical care, pediatrics, oncology, or leadership roles.
Cons:
High Stress Levels: Nursing can be a high-stress profession due to the nature of dealing with life-and-death situations, heavy workloads, and challenging patient cases.
Licensing Requirements: Maintaining licensure as an RN requires ongoing education and adherence to strict regulations set by state nursing boards.
Physical Demands: Nursing often involves long shifts on your feet, lifting patients or equipment, which can lead to physical strain over time.
In conclusion, working as a bedside nurse offers direct patient interaction and diverse experiences but comes with physical demands and emotional stress. Being an RN in general provides career opportunities and job stability but entails high stress levels and licensing requirements.
Top 3 Authoritative Sources Used in Answering this Question:
American Nurses Association (ANA): The ANA is a professional organization that sets standards for nursing practice in the United States and provides valuable resources for nurses at all levels.
National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN): The NCSBN oversees the regulation of nursing practice through state boards of nursing across the U.S., ensuring public protection through licensing requirements.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): The BLS offers comprehensive data on employment trends, salary information, and job outlook for registered nurses in the United States based on rigorous research methodologies.
These sources were consulted to provide accurate information on the pros and cons of working as a bedside nurse and being an RN in general based on industry standards and reliable data analysis.
God Bless You,
JC.
Pros and Cons of Working as a Bedside Nurse and Being an RN
Working as a Bedside Nurse:
Pros:
Direct Patient Care: Bedside nurses have the opportunity to directly interact with patients, providing hands-on care and emotional support.
Diverse Experience: Working at the bedside exposes nurses to a wide range of medical conditions, treatments, and patient populations, allowing for continuous learning and skill development.
Team Collaboration: Bedside nurses often work closely with other healthcare professionals like doctors, therapists, and social workers, fostering a collaborative work environment.
Job Satisfaction: Making a positive impact on patients’ lives can be highly rewarding and fulfilling for bedside nurses.
Cons:
Physically Demanding: The job of a bedside nurse can be physically demanding, requiring long hours of standing, lifting patients, and performing repetitive tasks.
Emotional Stress: Dealing with patients’ suffering, emergencies, and sometimes difficult family situations can lead to emotional stress and burnout.
Shift Work: Many bedside nursing roles require working irregular hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays, which can disrupt work-life balance.
Exposure to Infections: Bedside nurses are at higher risk of exposure to infectious diseases due to close contact with sick patients.
Being an RN in General:
Pros:
Career Opportunities: Registered Nurses (RNs) have diverse career paths available in various healthcare settings such as hospitals, clinics, schools, research facilities, and more.
Job Stability: Nursing is a profession in high demand globally, offering job security and opportunities for advancement.
Competitive Salary: RNs typically earn competitive salaries with the potential for increased pay through specialization or advanced degrees.
Professional Growth: RNs can pursue further education or certifications to specialize in areas like critical care, pediatrics, oncology, or leadership roles.
Cons:
High Stress Levels: Nursing can be a high-stress profession due to the nature of dealing with life-and-death situations, heavy workloads, and challenging patient cases.
Licensing Requirements: Maintaining licensure as an RN requires ongoing education and adherence to strict regulations set by state nursing boards.
Physical Demands: Nursing often involves long shifts on your feet, lifting patients or equipment, which can lead to physical strain over time.
In conclusion, working as a bedside nurse offers direct patient interaction and diverse experiences but comes with physical demands and emotional stress. Being an RN in general provides career opportunities and job stability but entails high stress levels and licensing requirements.
Top 3 Authoritative Sources Used in Answering this Question:
American Nurses Association (ANA): The ANA is a professional organization that sets standards for nursing practice in the United States and provides valuable resources for nurses at all levels.
National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN): The NCSBN oversees the regulation of nursing practice through state boards of nursing across the U.S., ensuring public protection through licensing requirements.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): The BLS offers comprehensive data on employment trends, salary information, and job outlook for registered nurses in the United States based on rigorous research methodologies.
These sources were consulted to provide accurate information on the pros and cons of working as a bedside nurse and being an RN in general based on industry standards and reliable data analysis.
God Bless You,
JC.
Thanks for your encouragement!
Lakala
Martin Schoen
APRN
169
Answers
Ocala, Florida
Updated
Martin’s Answer
I'll do my best to explain your query in a concise manner, as it encompasses a broad spectrum of information that could fill volumes. Remember, in all scenarios, you'll be in charge of observing and recording the patient's vital signs.
Bedside nursing, whether in a hospital, nursing care facility, or even a patient's home, is exactly what it sounds like. Typically, individuals spend most of their time in bed, whether it's a hospital bed or a modified version. This usually implies that the person has limited mobility and may be prone to falling, whether in or out of bed. The care provided to such individuals can be either complete or partial. Full care involves everything from feeding, dressing, bedding, bowel and urinary care, repositioning, and everything in between. Essentially, all aspects of the patient's care will be centered around the bed, and your nursing duties will largely be restricted to this area. You'll be accountable for providing round-the-clock assistance or full care to the individual.
Non-bedside nursing encompasses a wide array of responsibilities. In a healthcare facility, this can include tasks such as bandaging, administering medication, transporting patients from one place to another, and, of course, documentation. The patient may require some help getting out of bed, but once they're up, they can move around with the aid of a chair, walker, etc. Administering medication will again be part of your duties. If you're a surgical nurse, your responsibilities will be centered around the operating room, either as a scrub nurse or circulating nurse. In an emergency room, all of the above may apply.
If you're employed in an office setting, your duties may be similar but with some variations. You'll still be monitoring vital signs and assisting the healthcare provider as required. If you're working for an insurance company, your role could involve auditing records, assessing whether a patient's needs meet the criteria for requested care, or verifying that care was provided.
Additionally, you may be tasked with instructing students or educating the public about community health, among other things. As I mentioned at the outset, there are comprehensive books on a "Day in the Life of Nursing."
Bedside nursing, whether in a hospital, nursing care facility, or even a patient's home, is exactly what it sounds like. Typically, individuals spend most of their time in bed, whether it's a hospital bed or a modified version. This usually implies that the person has limited mobility and may be prone to falling, whether in or out of bed. The care provided to such individuals can be either complete or partial. Full care involves everything from feeding, dressing, bedding, bowel and urinary care, repositioning, and everything in between. Essentially, all aspects of the patient's care will be centered around the bed, and your nursing duties will largely be restricted to this area. You'll be accountable for providing round-the-clock assistance or full care to the individual.
Non-bedside nursing encompasses a wide array of responsibilities. In a healthcare facility, this can include tasks such as bandaging, administering medication, transporting patients from one place to another, and, of course, documentation. The patient may require some help getting out of bed, but once they're up, they can move around with the aid of a chair, walker, etc. Administering medication will again be part of your duties. If you're a surgical nurse, your responsibilities will be centered around the operating room, either as a scrub nurse or circulating nurse. In an emergency room, all of the above may apply.
If you're employed in an office setting, your duties may be similar but with some variations. You'll still be monitoring vital signs and assisting the healthcare provider as required. If you're working for an insurance company, your role could involve auditing records, assessing whether a patient's needs meet the criteria for requested care, or verifying that care was provided.
Additionally, you may be tasked with instructing students or educating the public about community health, among other things. As I mentioned at the outset, there are comprehensive books on a "Day in the Life of Nursing."
I appreciate your support, Martin
Lakala
Godfrey Magawe
Clinical officer nephrology
88
Answers
Nairobi, Nairobi County, Kenya
Updated
Godfrey’s Answer
Nursing is a good career for those with passion for it.
Bedside nursing give one very close one on one attachment to the patients which gives in-depth bedside patient care in terms of social attachment which can aid in psychological therapy to some extent.
However the cons of bedside nursing is that it can be monotonous to the RN due to dealing with the same patients and doing the same thing daily.
In General ward RN..they deal with many patients with different medical conditions that opens their thinking and how they view medicine,it also empowers one to have a culture of continuous reading so as to get to know better the new conditions they came across on a daily basis
Bedside nursing give one very close one on one attachment to the patients which gives in-depth bedside patient care in terms of social attachment which can aid in psychological therapy to some extent.
However the cons of bedside nursing is that it can be monotonous to the RN due to dealing with the same patients and doing the same thing daily.
In General ward RN..they deal with many patients with different medical conditions that opens their thinking and how they view medicine,it also empowers one to have a culture of continuous reading so as to get to know better the new conditions they came across on a daily basis
Thank you, Godfrey for the advice.
Lakala
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