What career did you have before nursing? - Page 3

I was a floral designer for 15 years and owned my own business for seven of those years while being a full time mom. I started nursing school at 39 and became an RN at 43. While in school I worked as a nanny for a little over a year and as a personal assistant to cognitively challenged individuals for a year and half.

Mom first always!!!

Nursing is my first career, unless you count all the crappy jobs I did to put myself through school- waitress, hotel maid were the main two. I was a traditional student, got my BSN in nursing right out of high school. Seems like I'm in the minority here!

Chiropractor, Obama Care is the death to private practice!

I worked at the skylift gift shop at Stone Mountain Park summer after 10th grade, then Spencer gifts at the mall, rounded out my retail career at Target (called Richway back then) folding baby clothes!

Started nursing school in Jan 1971 (finished high school early in Dec so I could go to nursing school).

Started working 3-11 at a community hospital as a student nurse (which meant we were team leaders) in Jan 72 and worked full time while in school.

Graduated with my AS in Aug 1973 at the ripe old age of 19 and have been a nurse since then! I knew I wanted to be a nurse since I was 3 years old so I couldn't see wasting anymore time

I started out in the USCG on the search and rescue team out of high school in 1986. In 1995 I graduated Cosmetology school. I had a successful career as a hairstylist for 16 years and loved it! I owned a successful salon and day spa for 6 years but that got tiring. I sold the business and went to work for a very upscale day spa for 5 years as the lead hairstylist for weddings. I had a baby in 2007 and my time spent with the nurses in the OB unit brought back my thoughts of finally going to nursing school. I had always wanted too, but never really had the means of going until now.
I am in my third year of a BSN program and I do hair at home as well as drive a school bus to help me get through school. I'm lucky I have a supportive husband. I will graduate at 45 and I love every minute of school.

I had jobs, but no other careers.

A LOT of steady babysitting jobs... first one at age 8 for next door neighbor's 2y/o and 4m/o...another neighbor kid who was 10 was there, and my mom was over there about every 15 minutes... Starting at about age 12, I'd easily spend 40+ hours/week in the summers babysitting. $1.00/hr was GOOD pay- especially when I had no expenses, and a McDonald's hamburger was about 50 cents.

Dollhouse and gift store Great owner

Hallmark store (every stupid 'holiday' -i.e. Neighbor's Vet's Gynecologist's Day required rearranging a lot of crap).

Clogs & clothing stores (same owner as the Hallmark place- so not great- had to pack them both up one Sunday from the mall and move them out... he'd gone belly up; fortunately the paycheck was cashed at his bank).

Nature Counselor at a summer camp (2 1/2 summers)- dealt with snakes, a weird ferret that chased whiffle balls, stray animals that the kids wouldn't leave alone where they belonged, etc.

Cafeteria worker at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champain campus)...salad bar was awful d/t slobs taking stuff from it; breakfast cereal container "refilled" was THE job It's amazing how college kids still liked the free toys ... popularity in the dorm skyrocketed with pockets full of dopey toys

CNA BEST thing I could have done to help with time management in nursing school, and being a newbie. Did staff relief and private duty.

I'm loving all these mid-life career changers I have been working in IT for 11 years and will be pushing 40 when I (god willing) get finished with NS! But I just have no love for IT and my heart is being pulled to nursing, so I'm excited! Thanks for everyone sharing!

Engineering. 15 years. Started at 40, finished at 44.

One class at a time until you get into a program will take 5+ years start to finish depending on how many prereqs you have to take.

I actually graduated with my BA in Forensic Psychology and minor in psychology. So right after I graduated I worked for the ATF(Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) in their administrative department. Basically all I did was HR work; Employee benefits, pay, retirement etc(nothing cool like an agent). All through high school and my first go at college I had a job working in HR so that experience with my BA in forensic psych landed me the job. It was pretty low on the totem pole but I wanted the experience and it was my foot in the door while I was working on my masters in Criminal Justice. I ultimately wanted to climb the corporate ladder in the ATF and be an intelligence research. I had the administrative job there for about a year and I really liked it a lot. But I had to take an extended medical leave(I took a couple in college) and decided I wanted to be a nurse. Since I already had a degree I had a lot of the prerequisites out of the way so I knew it wouldn't take as long to get my nursing degree(BSN) since I didn't have to start from scratch...and if I ever change my mind and decide to quit being a nurse I can always do something with the degree I already have(an education is NEVER a waste)...though my mom wasn't too happy paying for all those college bills