if you hate nursing, what would you rather do instead?

Nurses General Nursing

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just what the title asks. if you don't want to continue working in the nursing/healthcare field at all, what's your plan? what do you want to do instead? and if you hate nursing and have another idea but aren't actively pursuing it right now, why not?

(none of these questions are meant in a judgmental way at all. merely curious :-)

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Be a sole proprietor...actually, I've been able to do that in this business. :)

If I amass the money that I am able to, use multiple streams of income to be able to travel the world and semi-retire in Hawaii. :yes:

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.
Again, there are a lot of options in nursing. One does not have to work full-time; a person could work PRN and have more flexibility in terms of scheduling. A person could volunteer to work abroad in poorer countries (I've seen nurses who do work full-time at my hospital do this) for a bit, or work as a travel nurse.

From my personal experience, I know plenty of nurses who do work full-time AND have plenty of time (after four free days), to start their own side businesses, pick up a second job, etc. Imagine what one could do working part-time or PRN (if he or she can afford it of course). I know a nursing couples who will work crazy hours for a short time and spend weeks mountain climbing, etc.

I don't think nurses truly realize just how blessed they are to have four days free per week. Having to work five days a week, however, leaves little to no room for much else.

There are some nurses who get schedules/lifestyles such as you describe, but it seems there are quite a few here on allnurses who are claiming they have to "take what they can get" in terms of schedule in order to get a job. Many are lamenting being denied their vacation time (myself included).

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I'm a new nurse and already dread going to work sometimes and I work per diem. Lol

I've always wanted to be a nurse since I was little, but NOW I look at news casters and say I wish I could do that.

I also used to want to be a detective or work in forensics when I was younger.

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I would go back to working in telecommunications, my side track occupation. I don't recall any career disappointment associated with main-frame computer systems. If it were possible, I would transition into informatics, but that is highly unlikely. This old person ran out of discretionary income for education a long time ago!

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House cleaners in my locale charge $20/hr and the few I know claim they are having to turn away clients. I am making $24/hr. I have also thought about substitute teaching, respite care and being a foster parent.

If I had marketable house cleaning skills, I could see myself doing this.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
Your expectations of the "free time" of most nurses are too high. Sorry to say it but you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Sure, if you work part-time or PRN (working 1 or 2 12-hour shifts a week), this may be possible - but full time? Nah. Not for a new grad at least.

What happens when you (as a new grad) are hired on night shift 1900-0730 and you're not scheduled three in a row? Is that middle day going to be spent pursuing your interests or small business at 2300 through the rest of the night? Or say you are scheduled 3 days in a row, so you have a nice break in between. Any nurse will tell you they aren't springing to action on that 4th day.

I don't mean to be nasty, just reintroducing reality to a nursing fantasy that isn't too dissimilar from my own not long ago. "Expectation is the root of all heartache."

It is hardly a "fantasy" when I have personally encountered and know plenty of nurses who DO live as I say. I'm not pulling stuff out of my orifice. I KNOW nurses with second jobs, boutiques, and nurses who find plenty of time to travel thanks to PRN/flex jobs where hours are plentiful. I know nurses who have traveled the world and use their nursing skills abroad in developing countries. I know PLENTY of nurses who love their twelve-hour shifts because of the four days off in-between.

And those nurses happen to be ones who have been in nursing for quite some time. They all say that the new grad period is rough, but after a year or so, scheduling becomes more flexible, and you can switch to days.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
There are some nurses who get schedules/lifestyles such as you describe, but it seems there are quite a few here on allnurses who are claiming they have to "take what they can get" in terms of schedule in order to get a job. Many are lamenting being denied their vacation time (myself included).

Is it during prime-time?

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Be an independently wealthy philanthropist..,,

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Specializes in ICU/PACU.

I've grown to hate nursing. It's a dead end job with not a lot of growth potential. I am considering going back to school but having trouble deciding what to do. It's tough to get out of this profession when it's the only skills I have. Being a bedside nurse.

If I had to do it over I wouldn't go into nursing. I would have taken time off to figure myself out and what I wanted to do.

My dream job? Not working. Being a stay at home wife. Sometimes I daydream about owning my own business like a flower shop or boutique but in this economy I don't know that it's possible.

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Specializes in LTC.

I always wanted to be a palentologist/archeologist. I LOVE digging up fossils and the like, and the ways of life of ancient societies fascinate me to no end. When I was a little girl, I would go down to a little creek in the woods with a spade and a bucket and hunt fossils all day. I would spend hours there, in my own contented little world. I sure miss that.

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Specializes in Post Anesthesia.

I've posted on this question before- I hope not in this thread- it makes me look too senile to post the same thing over and over.

I've been looking into "millionaire philanthropist" or "millionaire playboy" but I can't seem to find where to get my certification as a millonaire. I was hoping for an on-the-job training position for one of these careers but Monster.com dosen't seem to have many listings.

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I've posted on this question before- I hope not in this thread- it makes me look too senile to post the same thing over and over.

I've been looking into "millionaire philanthropist" or "millionaire playboy" but I can't seem to find where to get my certification as a millonaire. I was hoping for an on-the-job training position for one of these careers but Monster.com dosen't seem to have many listings.

Let's me know when you find who offers this certificate- defiantly interested....

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