I'm thinking about a career change and need advice. CPA to RN (Male)

[CPAtoRN?]

Hello everyone.

I have been thinking about a career change the last few months and this site has been a wealth of information.

About me:

28 year-old Male

BA Economics, University of Michigan

Master of Accounting, University of Southern California

CPA License

Work for a Big 4 accounting firm as an external auditor

Let me start off by saying that I don't like my current job. I just don't find it interesting or fulfilling in any way. This has led me to explore many different career options moving forward.

I would have a much higher income ceiling if I stuck on the path I'm on, but I know I would be unhappy with my day-to-day life.

The benefits of nursing that appeal to me:

1) Helping People (some sense of satisfaction or purpose)

2) Work-Life Balance

3) Decent Money

1) In my current job, I know I don't make a real difference. It is impossible. How can analyzing the accounting and financial statements of companies ever give anyone any personal satisfaction? I have zero passion or appreciation for it. The only thing that motivates people in my industry, that I can tell at least, is making money. Zzzzzzzz. Wake me up when something interesting happens...which will be never. As a nurse, I feel like I would at least be making a small difference in someones life some of the time.

2) It is hilarious to me that firms in my industry promote their "Work-Life Balance" initiatives. There is no balance. It's all work. Most of the year we are working at least 50 hours, and often many more. Even if I'm not at work, there is always something to finish up or plan for. There is just a lot of stress because there is always more to do that can be done. In nursing, it seems like many "full-time" positions are 3-12hour shifts. That seems like the most amazing thing in the world to me. I know it is tough work on your feet and can be stressful, but 4 days off a week would more than make up for it IMO. It would leave me plenty of time to have a life outside of work. I'm kind of pondering the whole...am I working to live or living to work...philosophy. I'd rather work to live.

3) The pay is pretty decent. It is certainly enough to have a decent way of life. I grew up pretty well-off so I have no burning desire to live the good life. That doesn't motivate me. There are certainly a lot of options for advancement and grad degrees...I would certainly take advantage of one of those avenues. I don't need to be rich.

I would enter one of the accelerated BSN programs for students that already have bachelors degrees. This would require me to take approximately 6 prereq classes to get in the BSN program, maybe a couple more depending on the program. I am thinking I would move back to Michigan (where I grew up) from Los Angeles and take advantage of one of the programs there (maybe U of M). I am kind of over LA and want to get back to my mid-west roots.

I could not pursue the prereqs to gain admittance to an accelerated BSN program while working at my current job. The hours are too long and unpredictable, including weekends once in a while. There is no way I could make it to class regularly unless it was always at 10PM...and even then sometimes I wouldn't be able to make it. I can't tell my employer...oh yeah, on Mondays and Wednesdays I have to be at class at 6PM. It's not an option.

I would have to get a new job that has predictable hours where I could take night classes to get the BSN prereqs. I am thinking of trying to find an accounting job in Michigan to make this happen and then I would be able to pay in-state tuition to my BSN program.

As you can see, I'd have to be pretty certain that Nursing is what I want to do before I put the wheels in motion of looking for a more reasonable accounting job in Michigan.

There are some things that concern me about nursing:

1. A stigma of men in the profession, both in my personal and professional life

2. Cleaning up poop (please excuse the bluntness) and giving sponge baths

I am pretty sure I can mentally deal with the Greg, RN (Meet the Parents) type of comments or opinions. I hope it wouldn't matter to women, but if it does, then I wouldn't want to marry her anyway...right?

I'm also sure I can get over the more undesirable parts of the profession, such as cleaning poop. That is something RNs are responsible for right? Or do LPNs or Nursing Assistants do more of that?

Any who, I am open to any and all advice. I am especially interested to know if nurses are generally happy with their careers. I can tell you that most people at my firm openly complain about it and we have extremely high turnover. Your view of the work/life balance would be interesting as this is a very appealing aspect of nursing to me.

I'd love to hear about someone's personal experience making a similar type of change.

Most of my friends think it's a bad idea. I'd love to hear what you think.

[kyboyrn]

Hello. I am a 28 year old male who has been an RN for almost 4 years. I work in the emergency room (where I started, and where I'll stay) of a pretty busy regional hospital. I work with several male nurses, and not one of them is homosexual. I'm straight, every guy in my department is straight, and I think that every male nurse I know is straight. Being the only guy around has it's perks, LOL!

As far as the stigma, it's still there to some degree. So many patients assume I am their doctor. That's especially true for the older population, and of course the little kids. I've actually had a couple little kids say, "he's not a nurse. He's a boy!" Once I tell the patients that I'm their nurse, I've never had any problem. Not easy to explain it to a kid though, sometimes it's best just to let them believe what they believe, lol.

As far as cleaning patients, dealing with "poop," etc. it's a reality of the job. I think that people make it out to be MUCH worse than it really is. Also, it's not as frequent as you think. I go many more shifts not having to deal with "code browns" than I do having to be on poopy patrol.

I enjoy taking care of my patients. What I don't like about the job is the paperwork. It seems like you document the same thing 15 times, write the date 15 times, and before long you really start signing your name with an RN at the end of it at the grocery store when you sign your checks!

Still, as a nurse, you do get to help people at their greatest time of need. There is good job security in that you can often easily find a job. Nursing is recession proof. People are never going to stop getting sick. It pays okay. You'll never be rich, but you'll always be able to make a living. Oh, and of course, you get to work around many, many pretty ladies:yeah:

[SFRN]

Yep and I would argue that if you have trouble or are not willing to clean up a pt. that maybe nursing is not the right career. I work in an ICU and to this day I still like to ensure my pt. is clean and dry and the bed looks good.

We are responsible for everything including poop.

[AggieNurse2B]

LOVE this post...Mainly because I'm the female version of you. I worked tax in Big 6...Big 5...Big 4 for about five years. (Coopers, then PwC post-merger, then I was at Andersen when Enron hit the fan) After the Andersen debacle, I thought my "work-life balance" (which is laughable, by the way) would be better if I moved into industry. Uhhh, nope. About the same.

So I quit my job a couple of years ago, moved with my husband and kids to London for a year for his job, and then came back to Texas. I'm in my last semester of prereqs and will apply to an Accelerated BSN program in January.

I think nursing is the thing for me. I had the exact same feelings you do about working my tail off for nothing. No one cared about tax savings. I wasn't helping anyone.

I. Feel. Your. Pain.

Good luck in your quest for a new career, and feel free to PM me if I can help you.

[Medic09, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

Guy, straight, happily married, kids, previous successful careers.

Like many, I started my love with patient-care as a combat medic doing it all. In our own little ED, on my shift alone (something less than 40 beds, town of 70,000) I can think right away of four guys who are all ex-military. Funny, no one thinks of 'killers' as being nurturers. Real life and real people are complex and interesting. Not stereotypical, that's for sure.

Nursing is great. I agree you should try to shadow some folks, because there is a LOT of mundane, dirty work. Lots of poop. But you will go home every single day knowing that you worked hard for your pay, and you directly personally did some good for somebody.

I don't know if it is for you; but it is certainly worth investigating further.

BTW, there are a few accelerated programs that will move you through a BSN and MSN together. You might as well find out about them. Getting an education clearly isn't too tough for you. In any case, you should find out from a program what the prerequisites are by way of science courses. Those are nearly universal, and you'll need to think about getting them done.

Good luck!

[cherrybreeze, ADN, RN]

CPA to RN certainly is an interesting leap! I like it! :)

I am curious as to why your friends "think it's a bad idea." That statement just by itself doesn't tell me much, as there could be a lot of reasons, none of which are probably very good ones.

Drawbacks? The pay is decent, I am sure less than what you make now, but it's enough to get by. You've already said that this isn't that important to you any more, though, so I think you're ok there.

Working weekends and holidays. I don't LIKE doing it, but again, it's not that bad. I like having days during the week off, too, for getting errands and things done. No one likes working Christmas, but the way I look at it (cheesy as it may sound), the patients don't like being there on Christmas any more than I do, so if I can make it any better for them by my being there, then that's good. We're all in it together.

As far as cleaning up poop goes, honestly, you get used to it. You quickly get to the point that, it doesn't phase you anymore. After 12+ years of doing it, to me it's like doing any other task now. I think about it like, if it were my mom or dad in that position, someone would have to do those basic cares for them, and I would want it both done well and with respect, and it puts it in a whole other light and kind of removes the "gross" factor. When I finish tucking someone in, all clean and with fresh linen, and they're comfortable and happy, there's a real sense of satisfaction in that. That too sounds corny. There's a lot more to being an RN than that, that's just basic nursing care, but the small things like that are the core of it. When you pick up on a small change of condition, get that call in to the doc and make that intervention and see them turn around for the better....that feeling of knowing you just saved them from something much more serious, I can't describe that feeling, either.

I'm getting off on a tangent here...sorry. I think a job shadow would be a great idea. See if you can do it in a few different areas, ER, ICU, on a floor. Good luck to you!

[Jaybird310]

Just curious but what's the pay like for RNs out in LA? Anyway I'm male and ER RN, straight and have a baby on the way. The stigma that you're so worried about I really don't encounter that much to be honest. And major of the other male nurses I know are straight. Actually in all honesty if you're single, I found the stigma that I've found a bit bothersome (really just slightly annoying at times) isn't that people think I'm gay because of my profession, like I said I've rarely encountered that, it's that once the women I worked with found out I was single all of a sudden all of them had a single daughter, sister, cousin, friend etc... they wanted to set me up with. And that 'harassment' continued until I got a girlfriend. I guess simply because I owned my own home, had stable employment, was fairly good looking and not a jerk, and took care of people for a living it made me perfect for every single woman they knew in my age range. And i know some maybe thinking wow dude's complaining about that, but if you've ever had to deal with it it's more annoying than being thought of as gay.

[nurseby07]

I've worked in every almost every field. I went from hospital to home health, yes I work 5 days a week. My days start out at home, in pyjamas with coffee as the kids leave for school. I ramble about my town and see patients, ramble home around 2 pm. I love my job. It's Sunday here and I said to my husband today "I actually kind of look forward to tomorrow". I feel like my pay is better than "decent" too. I get paid to see families in their homes, talk, meet their pets, get the big picture and try to help heal.

I get paid to take my computer to Starbucks and chart, make phone calls and plan a patient's plan of care. I have the best job in the world.

[smille]

Hello, Just wondering how the career change to nursing came along? I have been doing some searching myself into the medical field from Accounting and would appreciate any insight. I have been a tax accountant for 1 year after college and am about to venture into my cpa exam, but have been putting it off since I really don't enjoy my job and can't rationalize spending more time on an exam instead of something I might enjoy more.

thanks.

[lmtiglao]

I also went to USC and received my undergraduate accounting degree with the leventhal school of accounting. I was not too fond about graduating at USC. I never really got a job with the big 4, mid tier firms, and small firms. The only thing that I got through the program was an internship with Novogradac and Company, and I didnt get the full tiime offer due to the downsize along with the economic crisis. I am currently taking my CPA and I havent been successful at it. I am dying inside slowly that I can get an opportunity to work for an accounting firm. I am individual that works hard and puts the time, and more importantly I am a team player. My GPA at USC was 2.90 overall, but the program is ranked 4 in undergrad, and I am left behind. I see friends of mine who went to State college got a job with the big 4 and their gpa was 3.30. Bottom line, I wish I could say what you feel truly with accounting, like how your live and breathe through it for more than 5 years. The only experience i have in accounting like i said is with Novogradac as a staff accountant and I work 68 hours a week for my full 3 month internship. I hated it, but I enjoyed the paycheck. I didnt mind the hours, and how it consumed me away from happiness because i was just happy that i have a job and possibly a career. But obviously that didnt pan out bc i was never given an offer.

I am currently 24 years old, studying for the CPA, and working with Wells Fargo as a loan service specialist ( I pretty much process all day, no brain power, nor gratification, more importantly i get paid 40k a year with someone with a degree in accounting with USC). I dread my job with wells fargo and i am praying so hard that i can work in an accounting setting and experience what you experience. I am back home in the bay area living with my parents so i can save money and pay my student loans. At the same time applying for an accounting job. But being back home, working in a pointless job, and studying for the CPA makes me realize that I might be better off switching majors. Specifically, becoming a registered nurse.

RN has a lot of positives over becoming a CPA. RN: GREAT PAY, working 3 days a week (12 hours a day or 36 hours a week), living life, most importantly the gratification of helping others, and making a difference just by seeing a patient smile. I know sometimes you will run towards patient with attitude, but it is dealable bc you know that they are old and thats how they are. Bottom line, being an RN has just been on my mind for quite sometime (10 months in counting). I am just scared to take the big leap bc of the impaction on nursing PROGRAMS. Is it easier for someone with a degree specifically in accounting and a degree with USC to get in to the accelerated program?

I am a male as well, and I dont think it matters if you are a male nurse. BC nurses makes more money than what an entry level auditor will make. My male friend makes a good amount of money as a male nurse and he is enjoying life! I do want to KIT with you and ask you questions with your career path.

I really appreciate the fact that there is someone like me out there.

Thanks man.

[Bill E. Rubin]

To the OP, welcome!

I left a 20+ year career as a software engineer and I can totally relate to much of what you say. We had a CPA in my accelerated program (another male nurse). As others have said, poop happens, but you will get used to it, and it's a relatively minor aspect of the job. It's hard work, but it is meaningful work. No regrets here. Even on a bad shift, I always know why I'm there. I think the accelerated program is a great idea. It's a lot of work (as a graduate of my program once said, it's like "taking a drink of water from a fire hydrant"). But you get through it quickly, and it's cool going to class with people with a variety of different careers and backgrounds and previous careers and you will be able to relate to some of them.

You will probably feel at times like you must have been crazy to even think of choosing nursing as a career. Some people will ask you why you left your lucrative career in accounting to become a nurse. While sometimes thes questions come from "lay" people who don't know the challenges/rewards of being a nurse, sometimes the questions will come from other nurses. Others will applaud you for your choice. The feedback I have gotten has been overwhelmingly positive. You sound like you've got your #$%^ together in terms of thinking out what matters to you. I wish you the best of luck! Keep us posted about your adventure.

[cpa123]

Wow. I thought I was the only person out there willing to give up a career in accounting to do something else. I have a small CPA firm and find it to be very unfulfilling. There isn't ever a moment that I'm not thinking of what needs to be done next. I could sit in my office and work 24 hours a day and never be finished. Also, the money isn't that great when you have to work 60 hours a week to earn it.

I'm looking in to nursing also.

Can anyone tell me what the differences are between paramedics and nurses? I know generally the differences but would like more details. Training? Pay?

Also, for you former accountants what's the education like compared to an accounting degree. Easier / harder???

How hard is it to get in to the accelerated nursing programs? Did having a degree in accounting help?

What's the paperwork vs patient care hours breakdown? 70% care / 30% paperwork????