Hi everyone! If anyone here was a teacher ( I taught 2nd grade) and switched to nursing, I am dying to know the differences between the two careers that you have noticed. Obviously they are completely different professions but I want to know that I am going towards the right path by gathering more information.
I am a compassionate and nurturing person by nature and feel I could utilize this part of myself more in a nursing role. As a teacher I felt I had to be very mean, stern and a disciplinarian to get the students to work and know the boundaries. I am also a one on one type of person, although I like "performing" for the students in my classes I often times get tired of being "on" every second of the day. If I could teach patients or their families I would be more comfortable in that role. I am no stranger to stress and having incrediable high expectations of myself and my work. Also, I felt VERY isolated as a teacher...meaning I would go to work, spend the entire day with the kids and then come home and grade/lesson plan for several more hours. I would kill to have a few mins. to chat with another adult at work without the impending doom that I have to pick my kids up from specials and get all the materials ready to teach. Also, it would be a dream if my time off was actually mine...what a concept!
So if you taught before and now are a nurse please tell you your expereince and how it is better or worse! I would appreciate it.
I graduated with a BS in liberal studies hoping to be an elementary teacher back in 2007. I even went for my master in special ed but didnt finish it. For some reason, I realized I didnt want to teach but still wanna work with kids. Now I work as a CNA in pediatrics dept and will start my RN program next month. I know, such as waste of time and money but I felt that my heart was not in teaching anymore! I like patient care so far! :)
To find other people in similar situations gives me strength to pursue this new career and let's me know that I'm not alone. Jofapcastillo thats great that you're working in the pediatrics dept.
Hi! I know this was posted a while ago but I wanted to comment. I think you are brave for switching careers. You recognize what you don't like and are willing to make a change. I am a teacher myself. I teach Junior High ESL in New York City. I have been doing it for a few years. I was actually a Medical Assistant before becoming a teacher and I had wanted to be a nurse. I didn't have the confidence to do it then. I come from a family of teachers who really pushed for teaching. Now I am older and can make decisions for myself. It looks like I will be starting a second degree BSN program either this FALL or next. I completely understand the negative aspects of teaching that you mentioned. The moral pressure is a little different when you take your work home. (if you are a caring person) If you care, you can plan and work until midnight everynight and really drive yourself crazy. I teach in the city and let's just say you have to be very comfortable with failure every day. I've had a blind student not receiving services and just sitting there all day doing nothing. I have 39-40 kids in a class who are on all different English levels so many just do not get the attention they need. I teach in the hallway, eat lunch in the hallway, no room, no supplies, no curriculum, and city teenagers are TOUGH! Despite all that, the years I have been teaching have made me a stronger person. Teaching has changed me for the better and I believe I will transfer many of those skills to nursing. I also have learned to function in a very broken, chaotic and sometimes unethical system. (the NYC DOE) But I will leave on a good note. I have great memories of the lives Ive touched the past few years. I actually do tell my coworkers about my decision and they are VERY supportive lol. Many teachers themselves are career changers. Every experience you have in life is worth something. Perhaps if I had done nursing first, I wouldn't have been tough enough. Now I think I am. As for the schedule, I used to wait tables in college so I worked every holiday, thanksgiving, christmas, till 3-4 am. So I am not worried about a change in schedule. Good luck to you and I hope to follow in your steps soon.
I can definitely sympathize with the feeling isolated part! I love my kiddos, but when I start saying to my friends "1-2-3 eyes on me" when we're out at a social event and expecting them to reply "1-2 eyes on you" there's a problem haha -- I'm an elementary teacher looking into accelerated nursing programs in my area, so I'm curious too about anyone who has made the leap from teaching to nursing.
I'm in the same boat. I'm at the end of my 4th year teaching. I'm waiting to see if I will be accepted into a pre nursing program. In the meantime I am still teaching. I will most likely have to keep working until I have my pre requisites finished. It's hard, because my heart is not in teaching and I can't tell any of my work friends.
I was a teacher and felt exactly the same as you! I was a music teacher for 2 years and quit last year. I started prereqs the Summer after my first year of teaching. During my second year I took one class on Saturdays. While I was in college, I didn’t want to be a teacher and planned to take science classes to possibly go to med school, but I couldn’t fit them into my schedule or get approval for them as a music major. I didn’t want to struggle getting a job after graduation and be a stereotypical starving artist so I became a teacher. Now I want to follow my interest in healthcare. I like that there’s so many different areas in nursing and opportunities to advance.
Not sure if you are still reading this post, but I am in the same boat as you. I just began my fifth year of teaching (1st grade) and I decided last year I would be switching to nursing. I returned this year because I still need to finish a couple prereqs, but it is seriously KILLING me! I don't think people outside teaching understand when you decide to leave teaching you can't just put in two weeks notice and take off (well you could, but even I couldn't just abandon my students THAT way). You need to finish the year (or in my case the following year as well). I can't tell anyone I work with because I don't want to jeopardize my employment, but mostly I don't want to have to put up with 9 months worth of "Why are you leaving?? Why don't you want to be a teacher anymore??" and then everyone gossiping they think you have sub-par job performance because you're leaving and no longer putting in 12 hours days (but only paid for 6). I actually entered college pre-med, but then let my foolish, 18 year old self talk myself out of something "too hard." Biggest. Mistake. Teaching is stressful and can be emotionally/physically demanding, but I feel it is no where near academically stimulating enough for me anymore. I have first grade conversations all day, and my biggest academic challenge is deciding if I should put my math lesson before or after lunch. I need to use my critical thinking skills, I need to spend time with adults, I need a job where I am there for the job at hand (not inservice meetings debating homework we may or may not give, but nothing really gets decided) I need to not look at our middle schoolers in the hallway and wish I was them so I could have my career choice to "do over" again. I love medicine and find it fascinating. I love helping people. I would rather crank out a 12 hour day 3 days a week then wake up with the dread I have 5 days a week. I'm trying my best to power through this school year. I've already been accepted to an ABSN program for fall 2012, and I'm just finishing my prereqs now. Just wondering if anyone else is in my "struggling thru prereqs and a job I KNOW I'm leaving which makes everyday a struggle" boat. Would love to hear from any of you and your experiences. Thanks 🙂
I completely understand whoever it was that was talking about how they are still in teaching because of pre requisite requirements and how
I completely understand whoever it was that was talking about how they are still in teaching because of pre requisite requirements and how hard it is because you can't talk about it due to jeopardizing your employment, but how much of a struggle it is knowing you are leaving. I'm in almost the same situation. I am in the process of getting accepted into the LPN program near me and I am so done with teaching. I just want to start a new chapter.
jofapcastillo
217 Posts
I graduated with a BS in liberal studies hoping to be an elementary teacher back in 2007. I even went for my master in special ed but didnt finish it. For some reason, I realized I didnt want to teach but still wanna work with kids. Now I work as a CNA in pediatrics dept and will start my RN program next month. I know, such as waste of time and money but I felt that my heart was not in teaching anymore! I like patient care so far! :)