I want to leave nursing....now what do I do?!

Nurses Career Support

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I have been a nurse for 6 years and in that time I've tried medical, oncology, labor and delivery, outpatient pediatrics, home care, QA.....the list goes on. I have come to the conclusion that I should have listened to all those doubts I had while I was in nursing school, but I figured, "Hey, I'm already this far and things will get better when I graduate and begin work." Nope. Nursing is definitely not the profession for me. I don't have any other skills or talents to offer though. How do I make my nursing resume appealing to non-nursing jobs and what kinds of jobs can I do? My BSN degree is useless outside of the nursing world! Anyone out there have any ideas for me?

Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.
"The community center near us pays swim instructors $17-20/hour-- not much less than a lot of nursing jobs." Oh God, Oh God, Oh God. Utterly depressing.

This is unbelievable - really? When you think about all the training and courses we have to pay for ourselves...

I had to pay for all my clinicals - didn't get one bit of help from the government or any other agency. It absolutely broke my bank, then where I was living there were no jobs near home, & wouldn't get taken for rural work (not enough experience - ahh, that phrase again that recruiters love to say!) So I borrowed money to move where there was work (government/no agencies wouldn't help at all), the pay is not bad (get taxed a lot though if I work too much), then my agency told me today that the hospitals are tightening their budgets around tax time, and I have had no shifts lately.

I too find it depressing. What is a girl to do? I may as well go work in the supermarket down the road, as they get decent money on shiftwork.

Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.
you can take off in the middle of the day without people acting like you're part of the Taliban.

hahaha. :)

I may as well go work in the supermarket down the road, as they get decent money on shiftwork.

I was actually thinking about this today. Definitely time to think outside the box when it comes to jobs. I feel so guilty about leaving nursing, though. All that "it's my calling" and "have to make a difference in the world" stuff. LOL

1 Votes

I am at the point where I will even work for minimum wage if it means I can be satisfied with my job and not feel that feeling of impending doom when I think about work. Again the problem is they want someone with related experience and they don't see nursing as related experience. Even though, as nurses, we pretty much do anything and everything :/

Specializes in Geriatric.

I will add my two cents, coming from the legal field and going into the health care field.

Barbara Sher - Read any of her books--they are great for someone contemplating a career change. See her books: I could do anything if only I knew what it was; It's only too late if you don't start now; Refuse to choose. These were very helpful for me.

Also, at community colleges, you can take a careers and lifestyles class where you will get to take the Myers-Briggs, research options, and find out what environment you really like.

Another idea is to work with lawyers as a nurse consultant. Injury lawyers need nurses to review the medical records to know what the injuries are, whether something was done incorrectly, or what the appropriate care should be. Visit www.justice.org for the national association of trial lawyers.

Another idea is [if you don't mind going back to school] is to get a masters in gerontology and work as a geriatric care manager, nursing home administrator, or other things related to the growing elderly population.

Work as a special needs childcare provider (that is if you like kids)

Specializes in med/sug/onc/geri.

I am right there with you! I hate my job. Not just this particular job, I just got a new job, and it's not too bad, considering. :lol2: I mean, I hate nursing. I want desperately to do something else. But I can't figure out what! I can't afford to go back to college full time for 4 years to get a degree in something. I have a million children!!! :rolleyes: I have to work at least part time while I'm going back to school to do..... something.

I wish I could land one of those cushy insurance jobs everyone talks about like they're a dime a dozen, but I can't. Tried. It's not that I absolutely despise bedside nursing, but...I need something lower stress. I need something with better hours. I have a family. I'm just exhausted. I can't do this anymore. I know I don't want to do management. BTDT, it sucks. If I could get on as a case manager, that might not be too bad. Again, those jobs are SO hard to find! Everything I think of that I would want to do, people hang on to those positions with a death grip. I wonder what kind of extra schooling I could take that would put me in a better position to get an insurance or case management type job?

Specializes in surgical/medical.

hi i know exactly how you feel, i also am constantly thinking what else i could do, i wish i had followed a different career path, but what can i do i have a morgage and childcare commitments, it the long hours and everything that goes with it, i think of every excuse in the world not to go to work but:crying2: still go....

wish there was something out there to do:confused:

Specializes in Pediatrics, Home health.

If you don't mind staying in the health care field you might try looking into some physicians groups. I know they hire nurses to do their paperwork and admin duties, there's no patient contact or use of your nursing skills, your pretty much their office administrator, a lot of groups like hiring people with a nursing background. just something to consider.

1 Votes
Specializes in 10.

Hello, i know for a fact that you can use yourn BSN in other areas besides nursing, my supervisor has her BSN and is a team leader over 7 houses for developmetally challenged individuals

because there are so many nurses nowadays, a lot have sought jobs that are way off the nursing field. Here in my country, mostly nurses are in the call centers, and i must say, they are Happy doing a different job. it has also been and will be forever be that nurses are flexible and patient. we may find a different job that will give us a very low pay but it always be like that, everything will start as scratch and if you'll do good with it, then go for it. :redpinkhe

Funny!

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