From Teacher to Nurse.

[LadyBathory]

Hello Everyone!

I'm a Special. Education teacher with a vast background working with individuals with disabilities. I have also worked in a Day Hab facility and an IRA. I'm 37 years old and I'm looking for a career change to nursing. Today I put in my first application to a local nursing college and I'm super nervous! I will need to take the nurse entrance kaplan exam. I know it is something I can do and feel passionately about. I'm interested in becoming a labor and delivery nurse, neonatal nurse, or possibly working as an anaesthesia nurse. I'm keeping an open mind on what speciality until I do my clinical and see for myself what fits.

My questions are this:

Are there any teachers on this forum that successfully transitioned from the education field to nursing? If so, how did you find it? Do you find yourself wishing you'd stayed in education or do you prefer nursing? Have you gone on to teach Nursing? Some have suggested I become a school nurse but I am trying to steer away from school districts. I'd like to ideally work in a hospital.

I have a feeling people will wonder why I am going from a profession where I have a Masters degree and have invested so much time on teacher licensure to a completely new profession that will involve having to take out more in student loans. The truth is, I can't wait to start learning something new and building a new career path!

Any advice you might have is certainly welcome!

Thank you!

An (almost) student nurse.

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

Moved to the Nursing Career forum

[RatherBHiking, BSN, RN]

Sorry no one has answered you. I am not a former teacher but I do work in a school directly with teachers so I kind of have an idea of what you're talking about. I've heard of many teachers that become nurses and vice versa. One isn't easier than the other, just different kinds of stressors.

You will still have the whole customer service that you have now with parents except it's with patients and their families. You will deal with unappreciative people and people who treat you poorly including many doctors who think nurses are their servants or too stupid to know anything although this attitude is changing some with the younger generation.

Nursing is more of an acute stress because you're dealing with people's lives. Teaching is more of a long-term every day stress. You don't get a 40 min planning period plus a half hour lunch and then time before and at the end of the day without patients. You're on your feet for 12 hours straight working crazy hours including holidays and nights sometimes. It's physically much more demanding. However you don't work 5 days in a row. I really hate working five days in a row.

If you get your RN degree and decide after a few years you're burnt out you could easily become a nursing instructor because you already have a masters in education!

You'll have plenty of people try to dissuade you but I say go for it if you have a good support system. Life is too short to be stuck somewhere biding your time until you retire. You'll probably regret it if you don't try. There are many different possibilities in nursing and endless opportunities to learn new things.

[Teacher2Nurse21]

Hey there! I’m an elementary teacher, and I’ve just been accepted into nursing school. I’ve taught eight years, and I have a master’s degree as well. People have also asked why I am leaving teaching, especially since I have a masters degree. I just answer honestly that I want to continue in a service profession, but I feel a call towards nursing. I say go for it, and good luck with your transition! ?

[AnnieNP, MSN, NP]

I know several nurses who were previously teachers. Blue Moon's response is spot on. Not one of the nurses I know regret their decision to go into nursing. Good luck to you.