Did you leave a nice office job to become a nurse?

To Nursing Career Advice Forum. Good luck.

I left the bedside for a nice office job! It's still a nursing job (consultant), so I still get to talk to patients.

Nope.. left a crappy customer service office job to go to nursing school... then I got a job as a Nursing Assistant.... Don't regret it one bit... 'cept on days when I work with the nurses that I can't stand...

I worked for an insurance company 9-5 Mon-Friday but wasn't making a good salary. Even if the salary was good I wouldn't have a 9-5 office job until I'm physically incapable of working close to the bedside with patients/students. I currently am fortunately to work Mon-Frid 7-3 with every weekend off.

I am a student (pre-nursing program, waiting to get in) and I have a great office job. I am a receptionist at a small company, 8-5 Mon-Fri, 100% paid medical and dental, works with my school hours (within reason), paid sick days and holidays, great people around me, great bonuses. Nothing to complain about my job. I could be here the rest of my life, the company would love it, BUT it is not who I am. Something inside me says that I can make a difference in someone's life. That going though the stress of school, all the sick patients, the blood and guts, and tears, that I will and can make the difference. I could be here the rest of my life...but someone out there needs me.

I'm about to make that jump right now. I wish I
was 100% sure I'm doing the right thing. I know how
lucky I am to have the office job I have now, but I've
always wanted to go into nursing and with my son being older
now (and me as well) I told myself its now or never.
Some of the threads I read on this board make me really
question if this is the right thing to do or not; but I
realize this is also a place for people to vent.

"Ikigai"

I think you just have to look deep down and find out why you want to be a nurse and see if that is more important that your office job. If your just going into nursing for the money, hours, whatever...I'm sure you could find that in an office job somewhere. Good luck to you.

I am leaving a office job to become a nurse. Where I work now was my first job out of college when I graduated in '02. I've worked in 3 depts. and been promoted twice, but I was never satisfied with the job, nor was I sure what I wanted to do with my life. I've always have a love medicine and always knew I wanted to pursue a career in it. After two years of being where I'm at now, it dawned on me that nursing was where I wanted to be. I had too many internships in school iat various hospitals to not realize that's what I wanted to do, but I needed to mature, and I feel now is the time for me to enter nursing. I'm sure once I get accepted into a program (I'll hopefully start in Jan. '08) and I start working, there will be days when I miss the job I have now. But when I think about what I'm leaving and how I'm treated, esp. since where I work is not what I want to do, I think it will all be worth it in the end.

I left my nice office job (bank branch manager, not so nice frequently with nasty rude customers, armed robberies and other stuff) to be a stay at home mom.... my husband left me and my two girls (at age 2 and 4) and so I am now ready to start nursing school (2 year ADN) and am getting licensed as an LNA.

Just today I am interested in this post because my second day of clinical was rough- the nurses and LNAs at the nursing home are kind of nasty, not helpful, and it's making me wonder what I'm in for....

my LNA instructor gives us good advice I think though- and that is when you go home, don't focus on all the negative stuff from your shift but try to focus on the one thing you might have done to help a patient or make their day easier somehow. That's what I'm focusing on, not on how I was treated like crap or ignored all day because I'm a trainee!