Give up nursing career?

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Would you give up your nursing career for something you've thought you cannot do but now has a chance to start?

So, I haven't practiced nursing in more than 10 years. In 2019, I decided I wanted to go back on the floor. I did a refresher course and I was so pumped to be a nurse again. I was about to start my clinical but well "2020" happened. Hospitals in my area stopped taking refresher students because of covid. My career is on hold again. So, I started to think "what else can I do". Aha moment. I want to be an entrepreneur. I've always wanted to have my own business. So here I am, I OWN A BUSINESS. I am my own boss. But starting a business requires time. Especially in the beginning. Then, Hospitals start to open. I have so many modules and trainings to do before clinical placement. At the same time, I am also working on my brand and requires so much time too. Should I give up nursing and be a full time entrepreneur? I know having a nursing job means a stable income. Being an entrepreneur has risks involve. But the best thing is that I get to stay at home with my kids and family while doing my business.. I'm still torn though. What would you do? Any advice please?

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Specializes in school nurse.

I would finish the refresher and get a part-time nursing job. It's great to have a back-up if your business hits a rough patch. Yeah, the beginning (doing both) will be difficult, but if you reconcile yourself to that (and get your family on board) it should be doable.

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A lot depends on your need for income.

If you become and entrepreneur, are you prepared to put in hours and hours of work and earn nothing for a long time?  Do you need your business to earn lunch money or rent money? My mom was an entrepreneur. She did work from home, and worked longer hours than she would have at a "regular" job. Clients come with deadlines, and early on you take whatever you can get, and accept that self-employment means financially good times and bad times. Mom was in immigrant without American credentials and built a very successful business doing upholstery in her garage workshop.

A nurse will earn the same if business is slow or fast. It comes with raises and benefits. If your financial situation has changed, and that is why you are looking at going back to nursing, nursing is a surer bet.

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Thankfully, I won't need deadlines. It's an online business and I'm building it to be a passive one. My first product is in production right now and nurses are my target costumers along with other Healthcare professionals. I'm so excited about this. Since it's almost done, then comes the grind in launching it. I was also doing a side hustle business (and this one takes a LOT of time). I stopped that one for now but, it makes pretty decent money. 

I'm doing this not just for money but I kinda want to build something that I can call mine. Something that I can be proud of. I love nursing but it's hard to start. My refresher course was 2 years ago and I still couldn't find a placement. Sometimes, I think that maybe this is not for me. 

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
7 hours ago, IamaNurse001 said:

Would you give up your nursing career for something you've thought you cannot do but now has a chance to start?

I was going to give up nursing back in '03 because I was disgusted with the whole business.

I had a relatively lucrative freelance art business. I was selling my art from a studio and at shows, doing street cartooning, painting murals for a community theatre, had a comic series running in the local rag, and doing other commissioned work.

The Fates led me to Wrongway Regional Medical Center where they offered me a really healthy salary.

And that was that. I gave up my public art thing because I could make more money working at Wrongway than I could at my previous nursing jobs and artwork combined.

I retired from nursing last Spring and am now totally immersed in my art. I've got some money-making ideas, but am financially comfortable. 

Having one's own business is a lot of work. I doff my proverbial hat to you, IamaNurse and am glad for your good fortune!

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.

I can't imagine that this topic is really one that can be decided by a bunch of strangers, but from the tone of your post, you sound more invested in the business than going back to bedside nursing. There's certainly nothing wrong with that, and if you have the financial stability to afford you the time to work on your business, it sounds from your post like that is what will make you happy. However, if you do choose to finish the refresher, there are many areas that will afford you flexibility in your job while supplying you with money, which everyone needs to an extent. Good luck with your new ventures!

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
44 minutes ago, JBMmom said:

 However, if you do choose to finish the refresher, there are many areas that will afford you flexibility in your job while supplying you with money, which everyone needs to an extent. 

Working for someone else, who pays medical insurance and takes care of all the logistics which goes into running a business, is much easier than  taking care of the whole ball of wax!

Been There Done That had a primo position when she worked at home for what I believe was an insurance company.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, Home Health, Corrections, School Nurse.

It's very important to be exited about what you do, and It's obvious you are excited about being an entrepreneur.  When you read enough of these posts, there is a decided lack of enthusiasm from a lot of nurses about bedside nursing, a lot of complaints about burnout, etc.  I know it feels very counter intuitive to turn your back on a nursing degree that I'm sure was difficult and costly, but these days,  many,  many people I know complete a degree in one thing and then go forward with a different degree or change course completely.  Do you have any enthusiasm left for nursing?  Or would going back be complete drudgery?   If there is a level of enthusiasm, then it would certainly be in your interest to have that possibility of stability.   But, you've managed without being a nurse for 10 years, so.....follow your heart!

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Thank you for this! That's exactly what I am feeling right now. I feel guilty for not using my degree. My sister worked hard to pay for my nursing school and here I am not using it. My husband was an engineer in the army then he medically retired. And now he is in a pharmaceutical company. Very different. He gets what I'm feeling. And he's supportive of whatever decision I'll make.

Maybe I'll finish my refresher then decide. Nurses and other Healthcare professionals are my target costumers for my brand. And maybe for my next post, I would do research on what nurses would use to make their life easier on the floor or at home.

Thank you everyone! I like to reply on every post but I can't find the button to do it.

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May I ask where you completed your refresher course?

 

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