Former teachers turned nurses?

Infofreak411 · Dec 14, 2015

Anyone? Lol

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Dec 14, 2015

Probably because most kids are little *******s these days with little to no discipline from parents who won't tell them no!

Just my opinion!

Annie

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 14, 2015

My former coworker was a schoolteacher before she became a nurse. She left teaching because her annual salary was the very princely sum of $26,000 (yes, she was earning this within the past 10 years).

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · Dec 14, 2015

I was non-tenured teacher with a Masters. $$$$$$$ They did not renew any contracts to "career status" for any non-tenured teacher with a masters. 5 of us from one school in 2 years.

I already had my BS in Biology so the transition to nursing was pretty easy (I was pre-vet for undergrad). I am SOO glad to be nurse. I love it!!!! I should have done it sooner. If you can handle being a teacher, you can be a nurse.

musicman1976 · Dec 14, 2015

I was a former teacher.. Music to be exact.. Went through an accelerated program for nursing because the job market (at the time) was lousy. I'm Also a choir director at a church which consists of mostly weekends. Love the church gig.. Love music.. Unfortunately my first nursing gig didn't work out to well and we parted ways. Been working as a sub in districts while I try to find a nursing job. Feeling like I'm missing Summer's off (which I did music camps during the summer).. Christmas break etc.. Missing the classroom and actually missing working with kids. Thinking about renewing the teaching license and keeping all options open. Guess we'll see what the future holds!!

RNperdiem, RN · Dec 14, 2015

I have worked with some nursing students who were former teachers. Both guys really enjoyed teaching, they told me, but long-term, the finanical deal in nursing was better. Both were married men with children, and had been teaching for a few years. One slow period at the end of shift we calculated that the night nurse who was working overtime(time and a half) plus weekend night shift differential plus critical staffing bonus was earning as much in one night as the student/former teacher earned in a week. Last I heard, one of my former students is doing well as a CRNA.

Infofreak411 · Dec 16, 2015

I was non-tenured teacher with a Masters. $$$$$$$ They did not renew any contracts to "career status" for any non-tenured teacher with a masters. 5 of us from one school in 2 years.
I already had my BS in Biology so the transition to nursing was pretty easy (I was pre-vet for undergrad). I am SOO glad to be nurse. I love it!!!! I should have done it sooner. If you can handle being a teacher, you can be a nurse.

Very interesting. Yeah it's sad how little you get paid for a masters. Now when you say if you can handle teaching, then you can handle nursing... Do you find teaching to be much more difficult than nursing?

lavenderskies, BSN · Dec 16, 2015

What made you decide to leave the education world to get into nursing?
Was it pay, working conditions, low satisfaction, etc?
What aspects do u like better of either profession and was your teaching degree of any use in nursing?

I went into nursing first. Left nursing disgruntled. Went into teaching, an art teacher to be exact. Am now re-entering nursing.

Teachers make great nurses and visa versa for lot of reasons. Commonalities: multi-tasking, multiple personalities in difficult situations, patient and family teaching, lots of standing, not many breaks, constant learning, staff meetings, etc.

I'm still working on reactivating my license so I'm not sure on RN pay but it looks like nurse pay for relatively new nurses is somewhat similar to teacher pay, at least what I was making at my last teaching position.

I have enjoyed both fields, but nursing is hard on family life if you're required to do weekends and holidays.

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · Dec 16, 2015

Do you find teaching to be much more difficult than nursing?

I think it depends on where you are. I taught in a state in the bottom 5 of the 50 states. They do not value education, therefore, do not value teachers. The good teachers have left in droves. So yes, here, teaching much more difficult, I think.

As another poster mentioned, I work weekends, and one other day, so I work three days a week. Now, I do not bring home hours of papers to grade AFTER working a 10 hour day at school. I loved this kids, but they have made it SO not about the kids anymore.