Give up patient care - how long did you last?

How long did it take for you to give up (most) patient care responsibilities and move into a more administrative role? How many years did you last in the patient care mix?
3.5 Years.

Wow - precisely the same amount of time as myself...

Ha, that's interesting. I actually would have stayed in it longer, but an opportunity came up in my facility that was my specific area of interest, so I wasn't about to pass it up. I do wish I'd had about 6 years under my belt before leaving patient care, and I've stayed as registry in my old unit, although I haven't actually worked a shift in almost a year.

Almost 5 years...... I have seriously shocked myself, i miss bedside nursing! I am/was an ICU nurse turned NM of an LTACH. If a hear a nurse can't draw blood or start and IV, or if a patient needs to be suctioned I'll do it if I'm not busy. I will most likely be putting in a day at my old job not for the money, but just to keep up the skills and not deal with the BS and just take care of my patients.

34 years down, four to go.

I did 10 years of mostly bedside nursing, though I did cut down to part-time after about 8 years. I still do bedside nursing in the ICU about 3 times a month, but my full time job is staff development/education type stuff.

25 years and still at it.

Let's see........on and off for about 8 years. Been management the rest of the time, and plan to stay with it as I'm 52 and not in the best of health.

20 years, then my body FORCED me to go into administration.

..... 9 and a half months? lol.I then worked LTC as med nurse (3 months) then RN supervisor (6 months) for about nine months, took a break, now I'm working psychiatric. I'm not above doing patient care, I just find the work to be way less stressful on me when out of direct patient care.If I could find a place that actually staffs based on acuity, and doesn't try to save money be skimping on staff, I'd consider going back to a hospital. (We can all dream, correct?)

Been away from full time direct patient care since 2006, do provide care on a PRN basis though. Not in administration though. Have been in health care for 23 years. FT bedside as an RN for 14 years.

Did bedside 3 years and admin for 12 so far