I want to leave nursing....now what do I do?!

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I have been a nurse for 6 years and in that time I've tried medical, oncology, labor and delivery, outpatient pediatrics, home care, QA.....the list goes on. I have come to the conclusion that I should have listened to all those doubts I had while I was in nursing school, but I figured, "Hey, I'm already this far and things will get better when I graduate and begin work." Nope. Nursing is definitely not the profession for me. I don't have any other skills or talents to offer though. How do I make my nursing resume appealing to non-nursing jobs and what kinds of jobs can I do? My BSN degree is useless outside of the nursing world! Anyone out there have any ideas for me?

Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

np7797

I know exactly where you're coming from. I gave up many things (including a long term relationship) to finish my degree and really, I do not think it was worth it. I haven't been an RN very long, but have done other nursing/hospital work over a 24 year period. And no, you can't use your BSN/BN anywhere outside of bedside nursing (I was never told this when I was studying; everyone said nursing would open up so many doors!). I discovered not long ago, to my horror, that unless you have 1-2 years experience and qualifications in another field, no-one wants to know you. And we also have to pay for all our extra training courses too - no-one helps out with that. I think it's a poor reflection on society when nurses struggle to make ends meet to finish study (with no pay when on clinical), and the government does not support us in any way whatsoever. Society demands the best health care - better trained nurses, doctors, etc. We used to have all our CPR & yearly certifications free at the hospitals - not anymore - we have to pay for it all ourselves.

I actually think nursing can be very limiting to be honest, unless you have a ton of other qualifications.

I worked in a doctor's surgery as a nurse/receptionist/admin coordinator. I also did one job where I was coordinating operating theatres, and you definitely need nursing knowledge for that (that was harder in many ways than bedside nursing). Can you do medical typing? I am looking to do that from home so I can concentrate more on my studies.

But yes you should see a career counsellor for some pointers and get you CV re-vamped - is there an employment office near you where you could see someone? What about also doing a phlebotomy course and working in a pathology business or path lab?

There is nothing worse than doing a job where you are unhappy - you will just become more depressed and won't be able to function after a while.

Good luck.

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Specializes in Sub-Acute, SNF,ICU,AL,Triage, Cardiac.

My very smart young daughter, who has ADHD and had some trouble in focusing at school, blossomed and excelled in a class taught by one of the best elementary school teachers I've ever met. She was BSN trained, but found teaching to be her passion.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

The administrator at the nursing home where I am currently employed is a nurse. All you would have to do is obtain a license in nursing home administration in order to qualify for this type of position.

In addition, nursing case management jobs are available to BSN-educated nurses. Some BSNs can also be found working as pharmaceutical sales representatives since nurses tend to be knowledgeable in pharmacology.

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Nursing is a 2nd career for me (although I have 10 months left til I graduate) & I've thought about this too, if nursing doesn't pan out, I'd either go to law school or get my Masters in Biotech (after I take some more sciences classes) and work in a research lab. Maybe you can look at one of those fields.

My first "career" didn't thrill me to pieces either so please don't feel badly!! You gave it your all!!

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Specializes in Telemetry, Case Management.

Another thought is to go back and get your masters/PhD in nursing and go into nursing/medical research. Or go for some career counseling, and see what Bachelors/Masters degrees you can get without a whole lot more schooling, building on the bachelor's degree you already have.

Also, many others have posted to look into being a rep for Rx, medical equipment companies, etc. Those jobs appear to be much more appealing as well.

I wish you luck on your quest for a new profession!

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Specializes in ER, Critical Care, Paramedicine.

What about getting your MBA? Work as a nurse anywhere just to pay for school, then try your hand at business.. Perhaps its just the bedside that you don't like. Another idea is to try for law school. A lot of ex nurses I know went into law and carved out great lives for themselves.. The secret is to use nursing to get ahead. Just because you realize that bedside nursing isn't for you doesn't make you any less of a nurse, just makes you one who hasn't found your niche yet...

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Have you visited http://www.discovernursing.com/? Under their section called "Profiles in Nursing" they highlight an array of careers in the nursing field that are not necessarily related to bedside nursing.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

There are plenty of things you can do with a BSN! The wonderful thing about having a BSN is that it is a 4 year college degree. Many jobs require a 4 year degree, regardless of the major. That will work in your favor.

My bf's mother was an RN. She use to work in pharmaceutical sales and now is a clinical coordinator. You can also be a TEACHER. You could teach biology and health or be a school nurse (which is a bit more relaxed than hospital nursing). You could work in business or research, be a dietician...there is many things you can do with a BSN. You just have to be creative.

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I guess the million dollar question is.....what do you want to do? Once you know that, you can bridge any education gaps and move forward.

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Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.

I found myself in a similar situation, except that for me it involved the legal profession. For almost 10 years I had jobs in private practice and legal aid as well as stints as a solo practitioner and with the U.S. government (mostly immigration but some jobs explored a few other areas of law as well). None brought me complete satisfaction and it was a year ago when I started to think about nursing (and when I originally started college I was a pre-med major, so I feel I have come full circle now). It's too long a story as to how I ended up in law, but for the sake of time and money I too should have listened to my inner voice and quit law school that first semester when I was drowning in memos, case briefings and the Rule Against Perpetuities. Oh well, I continued on, graduated, passed the Bar and went on to work in hopes things would get better, and they really did not. I was good at most of what I did, but there was always a missing link and life I found was too short to continue feeling that way.

What I did to confirm my intuitive decision was take a computerized career inventory at my nearest One-Stop career center (not sure if they have those where you live, they are often associated with unemployment agencies). It was free to take and you spend an hour answering questions that more or less determine what careers best suit you. Well, not to my surprise: the health care professions came up on top of the heap, followed by social services and business. Law was not dead last but somewhere in the lower half (agricultural occupations was dead last, of course - I grew up in NYC and can practically kill a plant with my eyes ... LOL)! Can you believe it? Where was this thing 20 years ago :(

Well, my point is: try to get one of these done and see in what direction your interests lie. Perhaps there is a career path that will complement your nursing background, many here have suggested fine options. I don't intend on abandoning my legal background altogether. After some years in nursing, I plan to reintroduce my legal experience into nursing and THAT I feel was the missing link.

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One of my daughter's preschool teachers was a BSN as well. The other one was an EMT. LOL Would you like teaching? What about doing CPR and first aid type classes? Or lifeguarding and/or teaching swimming. The community center near us pays swim instructors $17-20/hour-- not much less than a lot of Nursing Jobs. You might not be able to do it full time, though. I don't know how hard it is to get students.

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"The community center near us pays swim instructors $17-20/hour-- not much less than a lot of Nursing Jobs."

Oh God, Oh God, Oh God. Utterly depressing.

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