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

Dental Hygienist · Nov 17, 2007

No, but I'm about to...

I am currently a registered dental hygienist (RDH)

I work Monday thru Thursday about 8-9 hours a day. I make a great wage and have some benefits; no weekends or holidays or evening hours. But it just isn't enough for me. I don't feel fulfilled in my career choice; I feel like I have more to offer to the world and to my patients.

So, I'm finishing up 2 pre-req classes and I'm hoping to be admitted to the nursing program fall 2008; I realize it will probably be a pay-cut and TOUGH work; but I feel like I NEED to do this.

I hope I'm right! :idea:

RNDreamer · Nov 19, 2007

worked in call centers since I was 20 years old. ...finally left last year, thank goodness...I'm kind of glad that I have that experience of customers yelling at me and demanding this and that...That part of nursing will not phase me....I am also glad that I won't be sitting on my butt for hours a day (hopefully)like I did in the call center...sitting and eating, eating and sitting...gaining weight is not fun

colleennurse, ASN, RN · Nov 19, 2007

I left a pretty cush job to become a nurse. I only got about a 50 cent pay increase when I got my 1st nursing job. Sometimes I regret it, especially around the holidays. But now I have a career and not a job that I have to do because of the money and I am proud of having RN after my name, because I never worked for something so hard in my life, esp since I worked FT throughtout nursing school. Also I now do not have to worry about being laid off and having to start all over again. Even if I were laid off for some strange reason, it would be easy to find another job with comprable salary. I worked in the hospital for a little over a year and I hated it. I just recently switched to home health a few months ago and I really like so far. It is a nice mix of computer officy paperwork stuff with nursing and you can focus on one patient at a time instead of running around like a maniac.

jlcole45 · Nov 19, 2007

I worked as a bedside nurse for 16 years was a bit bored and went to school and now have worked in a office job for almost 3 years. I am now a manager and to be honest I'm working 7-6 most days and bring work home most weekends. I make the same money as I would as a nurse, and have a lot more stress (mostly because I am the boss and have to worry about employees (20) and a budget). I am very seriously looking at returning to my nice 3 - 12 hr shifts! At least I'd have more time for my family and my self.

KatieM123 · Nov 20, 2007

I'm applying right now to leave my desk job for nursing. I currently make more than I will as a nurse, I will take a pay cut to become a nurse. Probably by the 2 years it takes to get my degree it will be a rather significant cut. I have been reading every negative thing about nursing I can find on here and except for the stress related to not being able to give the care desired none of the other complaints sound all that different than what I hate about office life. Politics, crappy bosses, and miserable coworkers are everywhere. But right now I spend 10-12 hours a day 5 days a week 49 weeks a year trying to figure out ways to make corporate america more money. I'm rather good at it but find it mundane, repetitive and boring. Yes there is some flexability if I have a mid week appointment, or a last minute event but that flexability is not enough for me. I've been seriously weighing the stress of having to work holidays and missing some functions because I HAVE to work my shift. I DO think that will be a draw back, a very large one. BUT the opportunity to work 3 12s, or nights, or weekends, or per diem if I can afford it for me personally far out weighs the down sides, from the outside looking in.

From the inside looking out of business people I work with are no happier than the people on these forums who dislike their jobs. People I work with are tired, frustrated, sick of putting in 12 hour days 6 days a week for no thanks. That aspect of work is everywhere. The people here who LOVE the industry can get past their frustrations and truly deep down do a good job and overall enjoy their work. I don't think I'm one of those folks. Deep down I don't get a charge out of increasing profits and driving sales and consumption. It's just not me. That charge isn't worth 60 hours a week.

I have worked in a hospital wiping bum as an aid and I loved it. I enjoyed going to work MORE as an aid than I ever have in business. I liked being on my feet, being in place to place, having constant human interaction. That is where I feel the most comfortable and hopefully where I'll end up if I can get into the night/weekend program (can't financially afford to give up the good day gig).

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Nov 20, 2007

Nope . . .I left a hard-labor job at a paper products factory to enter nursing. My hours at the factory were 5am to 5pm for 3 weeks (12 hour dayshifts), then rotating from 5pm to 5am for 3 weeks (graveyards). The pay at the factory was actually comparable to what I am currently earning; also, the factory job had less stress involved since I did not have to deal with the abusive outside world.

My dream job would involve working behind a cubicle for 8 hours per day, and not dealing with people on a regular basis. The routine nature of office work, coupled with the invisibility of working inside a cubicle, seems very appealing to me.

jlcole45 · Nov 21, 2007

Some people do seem to enjoy office work, I'm just not one of them. Now talk about working for the Man - the business world is definitely that. It's just amazing to me how stressful my current manager job (in the business world -we are for profit), compared to nursing. It's a constant pressure to do better, make more money, worry about making budget, blah blah. Nursing has it's negatives but I never experienced this constant feeling of stress before and it's starting to take its toll on me physically and mentally.

KatieM123 · Nov 21, 2007

jlcole45 I hear you! Plus I find something really miserable about stressing over stuff like that which I find so menial in the grand scheme of things. So we missed budget by X amount of $. I realize there is a bigger picture, employees to pay bills etc. I just don't like spending 10 hours a day stressing about making the money. And there's never a thanks it's always on to the next goal.

JenniferH · Nov 21, 2007

Getting ready to! I have a "good" job, good benefits, normal hours, no weekends, but it's not what I want to do with the rest of my life. There's also not much chance for advancement.

I've always been fascinated with gross bodily stuff (lol) so nursing/surgery is perfect for me. I can also double my income straight out of an ADN program over what I'm making now at my cushy office job. (I'm an HR Coordinator)

manna, BSN, RN · Nov 22, 2007

Left a great office environment (M-F 8-5, no holidays or weekends, flexible schedule-could leave early for kids activities, etc, great coworkers) 4 years ago to become a nurse.

Some days I think it's the best decision I ever made. Other days I wonder what the heck I was thinking!

One of my major regrets and stressors is that I have assumed a huge level of responsibility/liability yet I get make only a small amount more in pay/benefits than my previous position. I also have two young children so I miss getting to participate in all their activities, etc. I also miss being home with them on the holidays. I do, however, find nursing immensely more interesting and intellectually stimulating - that alone almost makes it worth it.

When it all comes down to it, it just depends on what you day you ask me! :)

st4wb3rr33sh0rtc4k3 · Nov 23, 2007

I left an office job as well. But, I didn't have a decent salary and got treated badly. I must say I wouldn't of know anything about computers, customer service, and time management without that experience. Futhermore, it taught me how to treat my aids. "Treat others the way you would like to be treated." Guess you could say the way managers treated me taught me not how to treat others.

Although, I would not go back to it. I love being a nurse, that is why I went to school for it!

jlcole45 · Nov 23, 2007

You are right. I have very little satisfaction, reward or thanks from the current job. I am just seeing this as the newness has worn off. This job sounded wonderful but many jobs are like that, I am the manager of a historic garden - but when you have to fire someone for the first time as a manager - no matter where you work - then the blush is off the rose. Plus marketing is always thinking of the next great thing to make more money and then there is always the budget to get an ulcer over .... and I calculated my hour wage from my last pay - I made about $10/hr less per hour then I would as an RN.

A nice ICU or ER job with 3 - 12 hr shifts sounds down right wonderful, right about now. At least when you are off, you are off. For example, right now I have a pile of work waiting for me to do, even on my day off. I honestly, don't think I will do it since A) it is my birthday and B) I have house guests. But as a result, I will have that much more to stress about next week.