Did any of you leave nursing for another profession?

Nurses General Nursing

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I see where alot of people left different industries to become a nurse. I was wondering if any of you left the nursing profession to go into another area?

I left nursing and work as a health/medical writer. It took me a while to get completely out of nursing--as I made more money with my writing, I cut down my hours of nursing. I have to say, I was estatic on my last day of nursing....I had just gotten hired by an Internet company, and was working part time at a call center doing telephone triage. Nothing gave me so much pleasure as handing in my resignation to the call center and telling them "I'm outta here, for good! No more of your s***t for me."

That was three years ago, and I have never looked back.

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I left nursing for a while and became a police officer in my country. I trained for 6 months and study basics of public safety. It is nice to know other field and I actually enjoyed the training..the markmanship..rapelling..commando training..cool. After graduation though I was assigned in Anti Illegal drugs task force rehabilitation center and become a nurse again..they say that for several times in your life you change your field and now I am a psyche nurse in Albany. It is true you learn a great deal of flexibility in Nursing school that you could actually fit in wherever you want to be. :roll

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After 20 years as a RN I'm getting out of nursing. I start law school in the fall with the goal of working in an area of law that is in no way related to nursing or health care.

I am leaving the law to become a nurse! We may be experiencing tandum burnout. While I have had enough - I can honestly say that I don't reqret my legal career one bit - and I'm glad to have the law degree. I wish you luck and happiness in your new career.

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I'm about to leave nursing for another profession. I will be finishing up my teaching credential in elementary education in just a few months. Teaching appears to have its own set of problems, and in my neck of the woods the market is really down. However, when I thought about what I'd really enjoy outside of nursing, teaching was IT. I love working with the kids, re-thinking how to approach the lessons, and just plain learning new things for myself.

After 6 years on the floors I have no doubts about leaving acute care, though part of me is still romancing the idea of working in public health. I have my BSN & PHN cert., so it is an option. Some people have suggested I try teaching nursing students (I used to love precepting new grads), but I feel so jaded about hospitals right now & don't think I would enjoy it very much.

Last night I worked on the floor, and it was one of those horrible nights where you want to drop your stethoscope and run back out the door as soon as you get your assignment. Some of the patients I am caring for these days are in multisystem failure, have such high medical and nursing needs, and psycho/social needs that they look like they need a 1:1 RN. It's ridiculous on the med/surg floors these days. The number of things to keep track of requires a TEAM, not one nurse. I am paid a decent wage as an RN, but no amount of pay is worth the high stress and physical toll on my body. I'm more than ready to move on to something else. I think floor nurses are worked to the bone, and deserve a huge round of applause for the amazing work they do (myself included of course). :)

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Specializes in med/surg, oncology.

You said you would like to find a way to combine teaching and nursing, so why not get your degree and then become an instructor for nursing students. You could have your cake and eat it too. I am thinking of doing that after I have a few years of experience as a floor nurse. I too spent time as a nursing assistant(8years.) I worked in nursing homes and private duty cases. About 2 years ago I went from a nursing assistant to a residential assistant in a group home. I worked with clients who had mental retardation and developmental disabilites. I LOVED IT!!! I had already begun nursing school, and did not want to quit, so I remained on staff at the group home as a substitute but now have a job in a teaching hospital in a nearby city. Life is good!! I do want to teach others about the joys of being a competent and compassionate care giver for others. Hopefully in a few years I can do it. Anyway, enough about me, good for you for taking time out for yourself! I hope that choosing nursing will be the most rewarding career choice you feel you have made. I wish you the best of luck, and keep us posted on your progress. There are a lot of supportive posters over in the graduate nurse forum. Stop in and drop a line!

Hi,

Not a Nurse yet but, did take a break from health care for a few years.

I worked as a Nurse assistant for about 6 years in Nursing homes, home health, hospitals and a children's residential facility. I sort of had 'hospice burn out.'

I worked a lot of hours in those 6 years. No wonder I sort of frazzled. It was my own issues though that I needed to work on, not the health care.

The work filled me up even though it was so hard. I think I just worked too much though. Would do a full week's work at one hospital by doing two doubles and a single shift over the weekend then work a full week's shift at another hosptial throughout the week with also picking up midnight shifts for home health.

Duoy. Anyhow, I left it for a few years with no intent of going back. When I went to school to earn my degree I changed my major from teaching, to environmental health and sciences and then realized, Nursing was really it.

When I finally earn my degree I hope to continue on to find a way to combine my interest for teaching and sciences and community health and nursing. Nursing is the way to go!

I'm also glad that I took the little burnout break because I've grown, and needed to.

Such a late bloomer, eh! :) Hope to have the BSN at age 40. Not uncommon either!

Jen

p.s. I think if you need to leave or take a break that you should, if you come back, you'll be stronger and if you don't come back then you've found something better for you! good

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have ya'll ever thought about going into engineering, pharmacy or medical field?

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