[busylady61]

I think I am going to try to line up a part-time job like that next summer during my vacation break. I will have two months off and it will be my last break before I start LPN school in August 2007. I agree that would be a good way to get a glimpse of what nursing is really like.

I am glad you didn't regret your move out of teaching. I have a feeling I won't regret it either. I can't imagine working three days on and four days off all year. Wow.

In any case, I won't let my teaching certificate lapse. It's good through 2011 anyway. If I ever wanted to go back into teaching in my district, I could have a job at a good school in a heart beat. They are desperate for teachers here....

[Hellllllo Nurse]

Nursing is very hard physically and mentally. Shift work is difficult, working all or most holidays and weekends is hard. I know if I had it to do over again, I would not it. There is a big reason for the so-called nursing shortage- nurses are being driven away from the bedside by working conditions.

[Hellllllo Nurse]

Originally Posted by KatRN,BSN

This is an interesting thread for me because I am a nurse that has considered going back to school to become a teacher. Of course, I've considered going back for just about anything, LOL! I did always want to be a teacher when I was younger though. I am very close friends with a few teachers and I know that the profession isn't perfect. Your schedule does surprise me a bit though. What grade are you teaching? Are you a fairly new teacher? I ask because you mentioned spending a great deal of time writing lesson plans. I was under the impression that after you are teaching for a few years, it gets a bit easier because lesson plans are already in place and you may just have to alter them a bit.

Maybe teaching is a bit different in your area of the country, but the teachers that I know work very good hours, 7AM-4PM. And definately no weekends or holidays, which you may not realize how important it is until you are spending holidays with your buddies at work instead of at home with your family. They do talk about having to spend time outside of class grading papers, but it doesn't seem too bad though. Both of the teachers I know are able to hold second jobs outside of their regular teaching jobs, one as a fitness instructor and the other as a private tutor. I am not trying to minimize the difficulties you are having with your job, but I just want to point out that the grass is always greener on the other side.

Please do not be lured into nursing by the promise of better pay. I am a new nurse and I do not believe that the pay is adequate compensation for the amount of work and responsibilty that I have. Pay attention to the threads on this site to gain a better understanding of the issues that nurses are facing. It's not pretty out there. Make sure that you shadow a few nurses in different practice areas for a full 12-hour shift before you decide. Also, I would go straight for the RN. You already have a bachelor's degree, so this would make more sense and you would have more options available to you.

Excellent advice!

[busylady61]

Originally Posted by Hellllllo Nurse

Nursing is very hard physically and mentally. Shift work is difficult, working all or most holidays and weekends is hard. I know if I had it to do over again, I would not it. There is a big reason for the so-called nursing shortage- nurses are being driven away from the bedside by working conditions.

Well, I can accept that I will have to work on holidays especially in the beginning.

But I really do not want to work weekends for any kind of prolonged period. Isn't it possible to find nursing jobs (even if it means going outside of the hospital setting) that don't require working weekends? I thought that hospitals had vacancies on all of the shifts.

[jjjoy]

Originally Posted by KatRN,BSN

What grade are you teaching? Are you a fairly new teacher? I ask because you mentioned spending a great deal of time writing lesson plans. I was under the impression that after you are teaching for a few years, it gets a bit easier because lesson plans are already in place and you may just have to alter them a bit.

Maybe teaching is a bit different in your area of the country, but the teachers that I know work very good hours, 7AM-4PM. They do talk about having to spend time outside of class grading papers, but it doesn't seem too bad though. Both of the teachers I know are able to hold second jobs outside of their regular teaching jobs, one as a fitness instructor and the other as a private tutor.

You make some good points KatRN. However, I know many people in teaching and many do still spend time working well past the end of the school day and paid working hours. Many school districts are changing materials and teaching methods every few years, so teachers can't just use the same lesson plans year after year. There are also often mandatory meetings and committee membership. Education has also jumped on the uber-documentation bandwagon. It's got its pros and cons but it also, leaves teachers, like nurses, wondering when they get to the job they thought they were hired to do and not get bogged down by endless paperwork.

You say you know teachers who manage to hold second jobs. I know many nurses who manage to hold two jobs. I don't know how. I couldn't do it. Some people have amazing stamina. Others, nurses and teachers, alike do the bare minimum and provide lower quality service.

Teachers often look longingly at jobs that you "leave at work" whereas nurses may look longingly at jobs that don't require holiday and shift work. We've all got our preferences and strengths. And jobs have their pros and cons. This is a useful and interesting thread to compare and contrast different types of work (in general).

[maggijo]

I know this an old thread, but I thought I'd give it a shot. As a teacher debating whether to go back to teaching or into nursing school (SAHM now), I want to point out 2 things about teaching.

First of all, it's a common misconception that teachers sit on the beach or at the pool all summer. GOOD, conscientious teachers work on and off all summer on lesson plans and new ideas. True, you don't have to go into work, but you're constantly working on improving your teaching. The same is true for holidays. My first year of teaching, I worked from 7am to 6pm (required coaching duties), then went home and graded until 10pm. To top it all off, I made $22,000 8 years ago! Secondly, private schools don't necessarily pay more than public. The opposite is true in my city.

The bottom line is, don't go into either profession because of the money or time off alone. Take a good look at your passions and what will motivate you to get out of bed each morning and go from there.
I'm curious as to what the original poster ended up doing. I will IM her. Any more teacher-to-nurse or nurse-to-teacher people out there? I need to decide between the two in the next two weeks and I'm torn.