ok, so... in light of recent events, there have been a LOT of accounts floating around of horrendous and stressful work experiences for nurses. it is nice to hear you say that sometimes there is time to breathe, time to help coworkers, time to tidy up a room, and that you DO actually feel confident... at least eventually. starting nursing school in the fall. needed that. ❤️
It can be super stressful, but it’s usually not like that absolutely every day. I think people are a little hyped and offended at the moment which tends to Make things seems crazier like you said. It’s definitely not a profession where you have much down time, but you do occasionally get to pee 😂
Thanks for this video! I'm just about to finish up my second semester of nursing school and I have really been feeling the pull toward eventually becoming an NP, although I have felt conflicted. I loved the way you talked about your bedside experience fondly, and it served as a good reminder that even though I may someday leave bedside nursing to become an NP, I will still carry those experiences at the bedside forward. I think there is a lot of satisfaction to be had from doing both and having a broader scope of experience. Thanks for serving as a major source of inspiration and helping to ease many of my worries. I love your videos!
After working med/surg for 5 years I transferred to L&D for 12 years and then I did telephone triage at an ob/gyn office for 3 years. I liked both jobs, but I think I missed L&D more. I enjoyed working with families, especially the babies. Telephone triage was a good learning experience because it’s very autonomous which I think will help me transition to becoming an FNP. If I ever had a chance to work per-diem I would in L&D.
My favorite is always "you didn't update your white boards".. like seriously, can we look at the BIGGER picture..🙄 I agree with all the points you made about the bedside, and I do look forward to transitioning to other practice NP and beyond, but it's so hard for me to fully pull away from the bedside.. The point you made about having your insight heard is what I'm struggling with currently.. SO frustrating especially when the patient has major setbacks ☹
I’m so grateful to have found you and your channel. I’m making a career change into nursing and I feel so inspired and uplifted every time I watch one of your videos. Love this channel and love you!!!!
You kept it so real on this vid! Thank you! I’m currently fighting an internal desire to go back to school in my 40s to become an FNP. You spoke about the actual pros and cons very well. I’ve been a bedside nurse for ~9 yrs. Thanks!!
I love your videos... thanks for the informative content!! I'm a male nurse, currently working on a medical unit as a new grad, after recently finishing an ABSN program. Will likely attempt to transfer to a step-down or ICU after about a year. I find your path very relatable, as I also aspire to become an NP at some point. I appreciate how welcoming you are to male nurses and I'm doing my best to bring some testosterone into this estrogen-dominated field!!
Love your content! Currently an FNP student (1 year left alleluia! ) great video and I completely relate. Thanks for sharing all of your experiences it is so so helpful! 😊
More male nurses = more money, better work conditions and better schedules. Sad but a profession that is 90% female is usually a 'pink ghetto'. I do think as an RN, females need to be kinder to their fellow nurses. I've also seen Mds defer to the male nurses and dismiss the female nurses constantly in acutes. I just think instead of bad mouthing estrogen women need to be objective and respect their co workers regardless of gender. I've also worked with male nurses who are just as catty. Anyway, thanks for your channel!
Male RN and soon-to-be NP here. Sadly this has become the culture. I work with doctors more than nurses these days (thankfully). There is a common unspoken rule that doctors prefer to work and navigate with RN's who are dry and less "fluffy" by character. Those are the nurses you would rather consult with, because they do their job well and don't attach the "cattiness". If doctors hear your "cattiness", they will actively avoid you.
Nurse Liz thank you for your NP videos . it's made me make a decision to become a FNP. i've always wanted to be a WHNP but i knew i would limit myself so much in job selections so i decided to go ahead and get my FNP and specialize in women's health & even possibly get a post grad cert for WHNP . right now the goal is to start FNP school march
Your videos are so valuable. I’ve been really struggling btw the path of NP or MD and you have given me so much clarity. Thank you for being so thorough and informative!
Thank you for your videos! I'm heading into an ABSN program with the intention of becoming an NP, but I love the insight on the differences between them, and you've definitely convinced me to work as a nurse before going for an NP degree!
Thanks for this, Liz! Super-educational (as always!). I'm glad you get to follow your patients through a longer journey now -- where you get to find out "how situations with them turned out. (And call them up if you needs to find out what's going on! :)
I remember in nursing school our professors always said that guys leveled out a unit. But as a nurse who has worked for 5 years in 5 different specialties in two different states I feel like this is a myth based off of gender stereotypes. I’ve met some really chill gals who let the drama roll off like water off a ducks back, and some really caddy guys who like to stir the drama pot. Although I will say it’s hard to make a definitive comparison. Most of the places I’ve worked it’s a 30/70 ratio of men/women.
That’s an awesome ratio. I feel like my sample size is super biased haha. My first unit had 2 guys and 100 women. And my second had 1 guy and 80 women 😂. And they were both definitely chill. Your so right though that it probably depends way more on personality
I think there are a lot of women out there who behave differently in the presence of men vs in strictly female company. Across the board it might not make much difference to have men on the floor, but I can see how it could drastically change the mood of a single floor or unit.
LOL at the estrogens part. Half my unit are male nurses. Yea, I saw the transition from two male nurses out of ten on staff one faithful Spring to 5 males nurses on any given shift one faithful Summer. Everyone is more pleasant for some reason. Less drama and more jokes!! Your video is the reason why I want to pursue AGNP primary care. Lesser stress and more independence at work plus the awesome patient education part that adds the difference making.
Great video thank you I agree bedside is rewarding and at times hair pulling Aaahhh but all in all nursing is a great career especially being a male in nursing and I have heard through others I work with it is a different atmosphere when I am there or the the other male CNA thanks be blessed Jim RN
I agree with everything you said about bedside nursing. I really couldn’t take the negative management. I had a terrible experience and now work as a school nurse. I miss bedside nursing so much but I’m very afraid of having to deal with another terrible manager. My job now is a lot slower paced and I don’t feel as useful as I felt before, but I also don’t have to deal with the negativity of management. I also worked as a nurse supervisor in a primary care clinic but it was more admin based. It was great being the manager but I couldn’t see myself in that role for long. I barely had patient contact and that’s why I originally chose healthcare. I prefer my current role as a school nurse over that. These videos are so helpful when trying to figure out my next moves. I don’t know where I see myself in 5 years lol but it’s nice knowing there are options.
Maya just to share and provide some hope...I have worked at 4 different hospitals and all management has always been great, no complaints. Maybe it's the type of hospital you're choosing? I've worked in all level 4 trauma hospitals. The culture, city? I've worked in lower populated rural cities. And the pay is always higher than your bigger city, bigger hospitals.
Thanks for the info! I’m considering NP school after almost 20 years as an RN who still likes bedside nursing, but I don’t think I can do it forever....
Nurse Liz thanks! I am really enjoying your videos :) I have always wanted to do RU-vid videos but I hate seeing myself on video...maybe it would be therapeutic for me to just do it! Haha
Hello I remember I watched a video that u said what you had used to pass np boards . And I was hoping you could tell me cause the last 5 videos I couldn’t find it lol
I'm just interested in being a NP I've been in healthcare for 3 years and the abuse the RNs receive is ridiculous and everyone has back and feet problems!
My understanding is that the high level of bureaucracy in family practice i.e charting, paperwork and not being able to spend time with patients are just a few of the reasons that it has a sky high burnout rate (6th highest of any specialty). Would you say you’ve experienced burnout as a result of the aforementioned as an NP?
I;ve been very lucky in my job that I've been able to negotiate a work environment that values my time at home, so I've had less burnout since I dont take things home typically. However, there is definitely a HGUE amount of charting and paperwork that definitely do decrease my job satisfaction overall
RN here and soon-to-be NP. Listen up lads. Best thing a male nurse can do is upskill to the point you don't have to deal with the estrogen drama. That is why men are usually in the higher-up roles. If you don't you will drown in the unnecessary drama and become a husk of a man.
Im sorry if this is a lazy question, but how long did you work bedside before pursuing your FNP ? Would you recommend going straight through or should you work bedside for a while before you complete your NP?
Three years before starting and then I worked full time for the first two years of the program then part time the last year. I am a HUGE believe in the benefit of working and getting some experience before you go back.
As a bedside nurse , when you were new. Do you treat patient all by yourself or you have help ? I’m starting nursing school next year but I’m scared, I feel like I will forget everything to do when In front of patients .
Lina Mfwamba I work on a progressive care unit (I graduated in May 2018). I had orientation for 3.5 months on day shift and a month of orientation on night shift. I was paired with an experienced nurse on the unit for that length of time. The type of unit will probably determine the length of your orientation. Your orientation should help ease your worries. As nurses, we’re learning all the time. So don’t feel like you always have to have all the answers - just know your resources and where to go for help! Good luck ☺️
Thank you , I was thinking that at first day of work . They just throw patients at you like it’s on you now 😂. Thank you for easing my mind . Thank you Melissa, I thought it was Nurse Liz but thanks for your answer as well. More power to you
Not to mention all the clinical experience you get in nursing school! As you gain knowledge, you are able to do more hands on treatment and the difficulty and time spent with patients increases incrementally. You won't be thrown to the wolves, so to speak, but there is definitely a learning curve!
