Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Nursing

Advisor

Janice Long

Abstract

Abstract The loss of the experienced bedside nurse is a current health care problem. New nurses are moving into other areas of nursing or leaving the profession within 6 months of graduation. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, nurses are vital at the bedside. Patients’ and families rely on the nurse to be their support and educational source. In this study, the possible implications of why a registered nurse remains at the bedside throughout their professional career although offered different positions and work environments was examined. The theoretical framework of Patton and McMahon identifies the holistic nature of career development through three systems that include individual, societal, and environmental factors. A qualitative exploratory research design was selected because it allowed for an exploration of the nature of the problem while seeking meaning and understanding. The collected data from the 16 participants was analyzed using Clandinin and Connelly’s narrative inquiry/analysis, which looks at the ways humans experience the world: the three-dimensional space approach was used. The results showed that connectedness with the patient was why the nurses stayed as a clinical bedside nurse. The four other emergent themes were self-care, financial, caring, and vocation. The recommendations were for more support from the bureaucracy and longer preceptorships. Implications include a better understanding of what entices a registered nurse to remain at the bedside. These findings may influence positive social change by promoting an understanding why a nurse stays at the bedside that can be used to develop programs concentrating on the importance of the bedside nurses’ personal interactions and how they are essential for patients, families, and nurses.

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