Anyone leave nursing for a different profession and come back?

caliotter3 · May 2, 2011

I attempted to get work in other fields that I was qualified in, but when no one would hire me, I came back to nursing. More than one potential employer could not believe there were no nursing employers who would give me a job.

Moogie · May 2, 2011

I was a SAHM for a few years and then pursued my childhood dream of being a freelance writer. I wrote for about ten years until I was in an auto accident that made me reflect on what I was doing with my life. I wanted to do something that felt more relevant and meaningful so I went back to nursing. I did a refresher course and then worked a few different jobs in nursing. I also decided to revisit another dream, teaching nursing, and I will graduate next week with my master's in nursing education.

Momfirstalways · May 2, 2011

I was a nurse for 10 years. I made the foolish mistake of going back to get a teaching degree. Now in debt after five years of teaching kindergarten, I have returned to nursing. I am a labor and delivery nurse. I let my license lapse so I had to retake the Nclex after 20 years. Passed and when I was job hunting I was told I would have to take a refresher course. No way was I doing that since they are geared towards med surg. One hospital gave me a chance and it has been fantastic ever since. Love being back where I belong!

tokebi · May 3, 2011

I was unhappy being an LVN and so pursued a degree in biochemistry thinking that I would be happier working by myself in a lab with bunch of cell cultures (which never complain). After finally obtaining the degree, I realized how much I missed the human touch in nursing.

Now I'm in an RN program and learning to be a nurse all over again, savoring every minute of it. When I went through vocational nursing program years ago, I did it to get a job. Now I'm in nursing school because I truly want to be a Nurse. :)

nurse.sandi · May 3, 2011

Tried but did not get far. It is what I do...nursing.

clodcat · May 3, 2011

I want to do something else. Anything that does not have to do with bedside nursing. There are many options to nursing without having to do nursing and certainly not teaching. It to me would be just as bad. Check out the entrepreneur pages on this blog. Amazing. Have not tried yet, but am so gonna give it a go......

gmilani · May 3, 2011

Hi, new to this site, left nursing almost a year ago, by choice after ten years of bedside care. I went thru a divorce, sold my house and decided to go to billing and coding school. So tired of doing patient care in rehab and home care specifically. Now, trying to get back into the workforce. Im an RN with 10 years experience, attempting to get into coding, no one will hire me. I am at my wits end. I dread the fact that i may have to go back to rehab bedside nursing; it is exactly what i dont want to do. Im tired of working a million hours, holidays and weekends. i invested 5000 dollars going to coding school the last 6 months and now i cant even get a job. I have never in my entire nursing career have ever had such a difficult time finding a job; im 47 years old; im starting to think is it my age? Just want something simple, 9 to 5........i dont even care about the money anymore....any advice?

Nurse80sbaby · May 3, 2011

I have not left nursing but I definitely want to. I'm just burnt out on it I think. I feel like dealing with other peoples problems is sucking the life out of me. Better to just leave and regroup and if it calls me back maybe I will have a better perspective of what about it is making me so miserale. The problem is that I dont know what other jobs out there will give me the income I have now.

bulletproofbarb · May 3, 2011

I left to work in a lab and am now trying to get back into nursing. I am trying to get in GP nursing and not finding it easy. I still have my lab job but I do miss nursing...I did some FNA's with the pathologist and it really hit home then how much I missed it. However, I dont want to go back to a hospital, I want to work in a clinic. I'm still over hospital nursing after 20 years.

I left about 6 months ago and prior to that was doing both nursing and lab for 6 months.

Now I am finding it hard to get a clinic job, it's so disheartening but I am going to plod along...I'm doing the immunisation course and another GP nursing course in the hopes it will give me a better chance..but all the adds I have seen want someone with GP Clinic experience.

I am in Australia.

carolmaccas66, BSN, RN · May 4, 2011

I left to work in a lab and am now trying to get back into nursing. I am trying to get in GP nursing and not finding it easy. I still have my lab job but I do miss nursing...I did some FNA's with the pathologist and it really hit home then how much I missed it. However, I dont want to go back to a hospital, I want to work in a clinic. I'm still over hospital nursing after 20 years.
I left about 6 months ago and prior to that was doing both nursing and lab for 6 months.
Now I am finding it hard to get a clinic job, it's so disheartening but I am going to plod along...I'm doing the immunisation course and another GP nursing course in the hopes it will give me a better chance..but all the adds I have seen want someone with GP Clinic experience.
I am in Australia.

Why don't you go do a Grad Dip in GP nursing? Then you might get experience. The one I tried to get into, they wanted experience BEFORE you go into the course though. You can't win!

bulletproofbarb · May 4, 2011

Why don't you go do a Grad Dip in GP nursing? Then you might get experience. The one I tried to get into, they wanted experience BEFORE you go into the course though. You can't win!

I have looked at that..and like you found have to have xperience in the area. I dont want to invest that kind of time and money into something unless I am working in the area anyway.

I'm just going to keep trying...i sit my immunisation exam in the next couple of weeks and am doing a course for nurses run by GP network who want to get into GP practice..I am hoping this goes in my favour..even a little bit.

I'm just going to keep applying until something comes my way and plod along in the lab...it's no stress, easy money, covers the bills only just but I'd rather do that than go back to bedside nursing.