Bedside nursing just might not be for me. I have been having a great deal of anxiety. I am looking to get into something outpatient/remote that still deals with patients- any advice?

Hey! I was in the same situation not to long ago. I was a new grad bedside nurse for 3 months, and hated my life to the point where it took a toll on my mental health. Eventually, I had to resign, but I was able to step into a new world of nursing. There are many places who are hiring outpatient nurses. I was lucky to have first started with COVID-19 testing sites, and then from there I went into researching outpatient surgery clinics, regular clinics, wellness clinics, plastic surgery clinics, home health nursing, dialysis nursing, OR nursing, GI nursing, school nursing, and urgent care. I put myself on every job search website (ie. Indeed, Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, etc.) and requested outpatient. There was definitely many more avenues, but I currently work with a wellness clinic. And I can say I’m much happier with where I am. I think the hardest part is validating one self that you are still a RN, even if you aren’t in the hospital. I’m sending you so much luck! And I hope you find the right field for you. Never feel like you are trapped anywhere. The good companies will always have room, time, and patience to teach any nurse. I hope this helps gives you faith. 🙏🏼❤️

Try out being a PICC nurse. I’ve been doing that for 8 years and I love it! Depending on where u live, it’s great money! I made 187k last year and it’s the easiest job on the planet!

Dealing with the same thing. It seems that everything remote requires 2-5 years experience. But where do you get experience if you can’t start anywhere?

Try Utilization Review nurse positions for hospitals or insurance companies. Telephonic Case Management is also an option.

Look into case management. I’m currently doing remote inpatient case management for a medical group. You work in the comfort of your own home, do clinical reviews, discharge planning. Definately less stressful than bedside nursing.

Consider a case management position. I left bedside nursing shortly after I received my RN. I took a job as a Health Care Case Manager for children in foster care. The program worked closely with child protective services and used us a lot for medical neglect investigations and providing court testimony. I absolutely loved that job and retired after 25 years. There's several case management jobs in the private sector as well as government.

I would suggest trying an ambulatory clinic kind of setting. I was where you are after having a baby and about 10 years of nursing. I then first worked the COVID clinics at different pharmacies and that was life changing. Very liberating and rewarding at the same time. You still dealing with patients but from a very different perspective. I loved it!. Then decided to take a travel assignment for the first time and opted to work in an endoscopy/colonoscopy center. That too was good. The typical burden of patient care is lifted off and am certain that will make you a lot less anxious. Wish you all the best!

Go into wound care. You can travel, work inpatient [to your limit] and still make money. I’ve been seeing traveling wound care contracts popping up here and there. Def worth a look!

Look for outpatient clinics. You can still acquire a great deal of knowledge but remote is a whole different ballgame as there is no support at your finger tips. You need to have the experience and knowledge to back that up because you are not seeing the patient in person therefore you can’t assess appropriately. I did bedside for a few yrs and HH together. This allowed me to really dig deep and learn the guidelines and policies to save my license and it gave me confidence to tell others NO. I then went to outpatient clinic and gained more experience. Now as a PCP with my own practice I gained the experience to work remote and know when to say telemedicine is not appropriate get your but into the clinic or no I am not doing that I quit. Find a great position learn soak it up like a sponge you will find something.

You may also want to consider doing private nursing. I have friends who have done that while paying for advanced degrees. Is still very hands on, but isn't as time sensitive as working in a hospital.

Have you considered school nursing? If in a public school, the benefits are usually good and it’s almost a 180 from bedside nursing that still requires a lot of clinical judgement. ☺️

Community health, case management, education, and school nursing have been avenues I’ve taken since leaving the hospital. Good luck!

Hi I'm an RN I've worked some outpatient settings for example I worked for a correctional facility. I did both adult and juvenile. Great job if it fits. I also worked at an Indian health center on a reservation, I worked for the tribal government but the US government also has nurses through the IHS the Indian Health Services. That work outpatient. The IHS Covers both native American Indian tribes and Alaska native health. You could also work for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Just looking at the types of jobs on the federal data base may give you an idea. Good luck with your search.

Try an urgi-center or "Doc-in-the-box" in your locality. Also, check physician's practices, especially large group practices. Do not expect to earn what you would in a hospital, but the pace is slower, while still allowing you to interact with patients. Check out insurance companies for their on-line and zoom nursing services also.

I found a great school nurse position that's very light on physical work, pays well, and still get to use your degree. Depending on the state you can work as an RN under a certified school nurse without any additional degree or certification. Another option to think about.

My advice is if you want nicu go to hospital with a level 3 ! Take any position you can ! Get foot I. Door ! You will love nicu ! Doing it for 35 + years ! Work holidays and weekends but I love what I do !Good Luck !

I felt much the same. I am now a case manager RN in mental health. Before this I was a unit manager at a VA nursing home. Don't give up. They are out there and your life will be fulfilling. I work Monday through Friday and love it.

Home health

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