Pros and Cons of a Non-Bedside Job

Well, I've been away from the bedside since June. This transition has been strange, and certainly filled with highs and lows:

Pros:

• Comparatively, this new job is not very stressful.
• I know whether or not I'll be working, even months in advance. You want to have dinner 5 Tuesdays from now? I get off at 5 p.m. every night, so it's no problem.
• At times, I still feel like I'm helping people. It's just that I'm now helping doctors, NPs, and other staff, rather than directly helping patients.

Cons:

• Still, missing out on the stress of patient care means I'm also missing taking care of patients. I'm a good RN, and I do miss patient care at times.
• I'm not crazy about working 5 days a week. Yes, the days are shorter, but I feel like I'm working all the damn time. I think it's the consistency I want, not the 5 days a week. If I could find some job where I could work 3-12s, where it was, say Monday, Tuesday, Thursday every week, that would be ideal. Hey, a girl can dream.

So, that's what's on my mind right now. Still learning the ropes of the new place and trying to really listen to myself about what I want out of my job/life balance. 

Having a patient be really rude to me right as my 12-hour shift was beginning was actually helpful to me today, because it helped me to remember to keep an emotional distance from my patients and therefore helped me to survive the day. Bedside nursing can be rough stuff.