Lawyer to Nurse

[layne228]

I am considering a career change from law to nursing. I am a practicing attorney and am very unhappy in my current career. I am actually one of the lucky ones who did very well in law school and, as a result, have a very "good" law job, with an excellent salary. However, I dread coming to work every day and count the minutes until I get to go home, only to do it over and over again.

The law is an isolating profession. Many days I interact with no one all day except my secretary. Everything is done online over e-mail. I also want my time away from my family to be worth something - to make a positive impact on someone else.

Has anyone else made this career change? Am I crazy?

[Grindaholic]

Attorney-turned-nurse wins DAISY Nursing Award

Cardinal Glennon Transitional Care Unit nurse Joe Diekemper smiles with the DAISY Award statue.

2/2/2011

Attorney-turned-nurse wins DAISY Nursing Award

Like many people, registered nurse Joe Diekemper is in a different vocation than the one in which he started. Until just over two years ago, Diekemper was an attorney. He made the switch because law practice just wasn't his calling.

"I found that I was more interested in visceral, hands-on caregiving than arguing over other people's money," Diekemper explains of his transition to the overnight shift on Cardinal Glennon's Transitional Care Unit. "I've loved being a nurse."

Diekemper was recognized Wednesday with the Daisy Award, a monthly presentation that honors nurses who go well beyond the expected in providing care and service to their patients.

"Joe was very comforting and patient while our son was in so much pain," said one of the parent nominations read as Diekemper's award was announced. "He made our son feel like he was his only patient and his first priority."

That perception of personal attention is something for which Diekemper strives with every patient.

"My goal in being a nurse at Cardinal Glennon is to provide meaningful care to my patients and their families," he explains. "It's very rewarding to learn that with the help of my fellow nurses we can sometimes be successful."

[Grindaholic]

Attorney-turned-nurse wins DAISY Nursing Award

http://www.cardinalglennon.com/News/Pages/DAISY-Winner-November-2010.aspx

Cardinal Glennon Transitional Care Unit nurse Joe Diekemper smiles with the DAISY Award statue.

2/2/2011

Attorney-turned-nurse wins DAISY Nursing Award

Like many people, registered nurse Joe Diekemper is in a different vocation than the one in which he started. Until just over two years ago, Diekemper was an attorney. He made the switch because law practice just wasn't his calling.

"I found that I was more interested in visceral, hands-on caregiving than arguing over other people's money," Diekemper explains of his transition to the overnight shift on Cardinal Glennon's Transitional Care Unit. "I've loved being a nurse."

Diekemper was recognized Wednesday with the Daisy Award, a monthly presentation that honors nurses who go well beyond the expected in providing care and service to their patients.

"Joe was very comforting and patient while our son was in so much pain," said one of the parent nominations read as Diekemper's award was announced. "He made our son feel like he was his only patient and his first priority."

That perception of personal attention is something for which Diekemper strives with every patient.

"My goal in being a nurse at Cardinal Glennon is to provide meaningful care to my patients and their families," he explains. "It's very rewarding to learn that with the help of my fellow nurses we can sometimes be successful."

[Julszy]

I am considering a career change from law to nursing. I am a practicing attorney and am very unhappy in my current career. I am actually one of the lucky ones who did very well in law school and, as a result, have a very "good" law job, with an excellent salary. However, I dread coming to work every day and count the minutes until I get to go home, only to do it over and over again.

The law is an isolating profession. Many days I interact with no one all day except my secretary. Everything is done online over e-mail. I also want my time away from my family to be worth something - to make a positive impact on someone else.

Has anyone else made this career change? Am I crazy?

I am an attorney in solo practice in Upstate New York. I just got accepted in to two nursing programs and I start in the Fall! I am so excited. I too have been unhappy practicing law and have practiced in a firm setting as well as on my own. At first, I thought that running my own practice was what I wanted to make law worthwhile but I have not found that. There is so much about practicing law that is no legal at all and as a litigator I find my role as an attorney is most often damage control and when things don't go the way the client wants, it is the attorney who gets blamed. All too often, my hands are tied in helping those I wish to help and that is indeed disenchanting.

I have found I need to be in a position where I feel I am helping, where my presence matters and where I respect the profession. From what I have researched and seen, nursing is just that. I am going into this with much excitement and awareness of the stress and labor invloved. But in the end, this is what I want to do. So, I say, go for it!

[PacoUSA, BSN, RN]

I'm another lawyer-to-nurse here! Well, I am in the prereq stage of the game (pretty much done), in the process of starting my applications soon to start my RN degree program somewhere next year ...

I truncated my previous post above from July 2010 due to space. Just wanted to update: I have since started an accelerated BSN program and now slated to graduate in about 45 days!! I also have my very first interview this coming Tuesday for a position in the nurse residency program at the university hospital affiliated with my school. Very excited to stroll down memory lane and see how much progress I have made.

If you're a lawyer and thinking of nursing, don't feel like you're downgrading. I don't regret any decision I ever made to change my career. Looking forward to becoming an RN!

[umbdude, MSN, APRN]

I truncated my previous post above from July 2010 due to space. Just wanted to update: I have since started an accelerated BSN program and now slated to graduate in about 45 days!! I also have my very first interview this coming Tuesday for a position in the nurse residency program at the university hospital affiliated with my school. Very excited to stroll down memory lane and see how much progress I have made.

If you're a lawyer and thinking of nursing, don't feel like you're downgrading. I don't regret any decision I ever made to change my career. Looking forward to becoming an RN!

Congrats on your progress! I've just started taking pre-reqs and will do that full time in late Summer/Fall so I can get them out of the way. Not a lawyer but it's inspiring to see another career changer making strong progress to realizing his/her dream!

Thanks!

[CassB]

I'm new to this thread and read through quite a few posts about the transition from lawyer to nurse and vice versa. I currently am an RN who has been accepted to law school. I also will find out soon whether or not I have been accepted into a Psych NP DNP program. I am very torn as to which way to go if I am accepted to both schools. Becoming a lawyer is something I have always wanted to do. I would be going to the only law school in my state, which offers great career services to new grads. The majority of new grads from this school have employment upon graduation. The cost of both schools would be very comparable. Going the Psych NP route more than likely gives me more job opportunities. I do enjoy mental health, however, I do not know if I am completely happy in the nursing field.

Now to all of you lawyers pursuing nursing careers because you think it's all roses, do not be fooled lol. Being a nurse is great, but there are many things people do not realize about this profession. Patients can be rude, ungrateful, and downright hurtful. The nurse often gets the brunt of the decisions made by the doctor. Working three 12 hour shifts is nice, but working weekends and holidays come along with that. I currently work in an outpatient mental health clinic M-F from 8-5. I miss only working three days a week, but I love every weekend and holiday off to spend with my family.

As with any job, being a nurse and lawyer is no different. There are many things about each profession that certain people will enjoy while others will not. One similarity is that each profession allows one to do many things. There are many areas of law as well as nursing.

[HealthyRN]

I'm new to this thread and read through quite a few posts about the transition from lawyer to nurse and vice versa. I currently am an RN who has been accepted to law school. I also will find out soon whether or not I have been accepted into a Psych NP DNP program. I am very torn as to which way to go if I am accepted to both schools. Becoming a lawyer is something I have always wanted to do. I would be going to the only law school in my state, which offers great career services to new grads. The majority of new grads from this school have employment upon graduation. The cost of both schools would be very comparable. Going the Psych NP route more than likely gives me more job opportunities. I do enjoy mental health, however, I do not know if I am completely happy in the nursing field.

Now to all of you lawyers pursuing nursing careers because you think it's all roses, do not be fooled lol. Being a nurse is great, but there are many things people do not realize about this profession. Patients can be rude, ungrateful, and downright hurtful. The nurse often gets the brunt of the decisions made by the doctor. Working three 12 hour shifts is nice, but working weekends and holidays come along with that. I currently work in an outpatient mental health clinic M-F from 8-5. I miss only working three days a week, but I love every weekend and holiday off to spend with my family.

As with any job, being a nurse and lawyer is no different. There are many things about each profession that certain people will enjoy while others will not. One similarity is that each profession allows one to do many things. There are many areas of law as well as nursing.

Hi Cass- Are you any closer to making the decision between law school and the NP program? I am in a similar situation, although I'm also considering med school. I already have a master's in health care and nursing administration, so the NP credential would be a post-master's for me- significantly cheaper and faster. I've considered law school and I would specifically like to focus on health law if I do go that route. I've had so many discourage me from it though, because of the lack of employment opportunities in law right now. I would love to chat with you more about your decision.

[FormerLawyer]

I'm currently in this position as well. I was a lawyer, working for a relative, and I did not get paid as I was supposed to, I was working for less than minimum wage with the breakdown of hours vs. dollars. I left the job and recently got a new one as a legal advocate for a women's shelter. This would allow me to return to school for an ADN and actually pay my own way. I'm still trying to figure out what to do.

[PacoUSA, BSN, RN]

I truncated my previous post above from July 2010 due to space. Just wanted to update: I have since started an accelerated BSN program and now slated to graduate in about 45 days!! I also have my very first interview this coming Tuesday for a position in the nurse residency program at the university hospital affiliated with my school. Very excited to stroll down memory lane and see how much progress I have made.

If you're a lawyer and thinking of nursing, don't feel like you're downgrading. I don't regret any decision I ever made to change my career. Looking forward to becoming an RN!

Another update from my April 1 post (my how time flies!) ... I have since graduated and did in fact get the job I interviewed for in my prior post, I started in July. Took NCLEX in Aug and passed on 1st try. Went through a 3-month orientation and am now on my own. Am very happy with my career.

I don't regret a minute having left law for nursing, it was the best decision of my life :)

[DoeRN]

That's great you followed your heart. I'm doing the opposite. I'm going to law school. I've always wanted to become one but went to nursing school instead.

[PacoUSA, BSN, RN]

That's great you followed your heart. I'm doing the opposite. I'm going to law school. I've always wanted to become one but went to nursing school instead.

That's great! Like you said, follow your heart and you can't go wrong! :)

[missineichen]

It is such an encouragement to see that I'm not the only lawyer planning on becoming a nurse! I graduated from a top law school & am at a big law firm. All my friends/family think I'm deranged to give it up and start from scratch when I've only been practicing for 6 months. Somehow 6 months is all I need to know that I can't do this for the rest of my life. I struggle to pull myself out of bed every morning and I've hated law from the second I set foot at law school, but I stuck with it cuz I didn't want to be a quitter and didn't know what else to do with my life. Halfway through law school I developed a keen interest in nursing. I can't explain it, it just feels like my calling. I just have a strange sixth sense that this is right for me. Sometimes you just get that gut feeling.

My big concern is that I'm not sure how I'll cope with the science/math. Those aren't my strong suits, I've always been a humanities student. But if I did reasonably well at a top tier law school, I don't think I'd do too badly at nursing school, right? That's my big trepidation... giving up something I'm reasonably good at (and earn good money from) to do something I may well by bad at... sighsss decisions decisions.. I'm so scared that I won't be a capable nursing student. I haven't touched math/science since grade 10 :S