Is the soft nurse life just a trend?

The social media trend that has people wanting that work from home life

Author

Lauren Curtis
October 02, 2024

Hey Health Techies!

Have you seen the soft nurse life videos on TikTok and Instagram? You know, the ones that show how cushy work from home life is for nurses that have found remote positions?

Heck, I’ve also been one to talk about the greater flexibility that working from home brings, especially as I have kids at an age where there is an endless amount of after-school chaffeuring.

But does the glorification of “soft nursing” set some up for disappointment?

But first! In an effort to best serve you and this community, I would love it if you would take just 2 minutes of your time to fill out this quick survey so I can get a little insight into you and your interests. A very big thank you to those who have already taken the time to complete it!

First of all I find it very interesting that no other clinical specialty seems to be having this type of moment on social media. But I have said it once and I’ll say it again: regardless of specialty, if you are interested in a remote role, they are out there for you.

So with that in mind, I wanted to point out some things that you should consider before going fully remote.

👨🏽‍⚕️ You might actually miss seeing your patients in person.

  • This may seem obvious, but there really is something different about seeing your patients face to face — being able to easily see differences in their appearance, their gait, and their movements — that is just more difficult on a video call.

  • While seeing patients can be draining and exhausting, it can also be enjoyable and fulfilling. Transitioning to remote work can often remove this, especially if working in a non-clinical role.

🌪️ You might miss the chaos.

  • This might seem unbelievable now because the chaos likely feels like it is part of the problem. But healthcare professionals often don’t know any different. We trained for so long in chaotic environments, that it feels normal.

  • You may find that you’re a little lost without the chaos. The good part about a fast-paced work environment is that you have less time to overthink what should come next. In a slower environment, it can be easy to get in your head about prioritization, how much time you should allot to a task, and how to measure success for the day.

👿 You might feel a bit of imposter syndrome.

  • You likely trained for a long time to work in a very specific type of role, doing very specific things. Changing that can be difficult and take some getting used to.

  • If you take a nonclinical role, you may not be sure exactly what the expectations are. You may struggle to pick up certain new skills and question why you left the comfort of your clinical role.

  • Spoiler alert though, I don’t think imposter syndrome ever goes away if you’re constantly learning and growing.

So what is the point of saying all of this? Well, I know that many of you in this community are looking to find remote roles outside of the hustle and bustle of the clinic.

And I don’t think this is desire is just a trend. Take the recent Amazon return to office mandate as an example. Employees are not happy and want the ability to continue working remotely. They’re ready to continue this sweet set up they’ve got for the long haul.

But just know that, like any big change, leaving the bedside can have its ups and downs (yes, even if you get to wear your robe to your morning meeting lol). Have I ever regretted it? No. But I sure do miss my regulars at the pharmacy sometimes.

Regardless of the remote life learning curve, I’m just happy that healthcare professionals finally have access to better working environment options than have ever been available before.

📰 Weekly Wrap-up

👀 Don’t miss these open roles

Until next time,

Lauren