I am new to allnurses.com. I have been lurking around for months, and have just recently taken the plunge and registered. In reading the posts from allnurses.com I have learning so much, and have great admiration for you all.
I am a 41 year old lawyer that has been practicing for 17 years. For many reasons, and with great internal conflict (and a severe identiy crisis) I have decided to become a nurse (something I have had wanted at various times throughout my life since I was a child).
I am currently working and taking pre-reqs, which has been very difficult. I plan to leave my job and attend Dominican College - for its BSN program, in May. I am so scared that sometimes I can hardly breath.
I have a few questoins :
Has anyone made a significant career change for nursing and been disappointed?
What about those of you that have made the change and consider it the best decision of you life?
While I don't make a great deal of money, I will make less as a nurse. Has anyone taken a pay cut to pursue a career in nursing - but even with hindsight - consider the decision to have been the right one anyway?
Advice any of you might offer may help with my anxiety.
Nursing is like hanging on a cross: It's true glory; It's true power; It can be real love for another human being, but it's not pretty, and it's not easy. If you truly hate practicing law, fine, but just make sure a career change is what you want to do. There's a whole lot of "different" out there, not necessarily a whole lot of "better." Sometimes life just sucks, or feels like it does, and we make changes thinking we know what the problem is never realizing it's just the same discontentment that everyone feels--especially around age 40.
Good for you, November. I am in a similar situation. I have been a chiropractor for about 10 years, and I just got my RN license. I will start a new graduate orientation next month in the Open Heart ICU. As a chiropractor, I deal with a lot of personal injury cases, and I just don't have the heart for it anymore. It is so unrewarding. I could not stand the thought of practicing chiropractic for another 10 years, so I went back for my RN license. It is a pay cut, but I look forward to a chance to help really sick people.
It is hard to explain to other people why you are making this move. People have preconceived notions that all lawyers (and chiropractors) are rich. It is hard to explain to others why you no longer want to practice in a profession that you sacrificed so much to join. But if you dread going to work every day, it is time to move on. We spend too many hours of our life working to hate what we do.
You will do great!!! Good luck, and keep us updated.
... Just think...when a patients family gets mad at you and threatens to call an attorney, you can say, "But I am one."
When I think about that I envision what could've been merely an emotional outcry turning into a very real complaint being filed in the local courthouse. :)
First of all congrats on your decision. I too (like a lot of RNs) changed career. I was in public affairs/journalism until I became an LPN at age 34, RN at 36, BSN at 45 and (God willing) an MSN before I turn 47! It can be done. I think you will bring a lot of knowledge to nursing. Good luck.
When I think about that I envision what could've been merely an emotional outcry turning into a very real complaint being filed in the local courthouse. :)
Would keep that info to myself.
You're right of course. A families anger may be just a cry for help.
Wow, November, I just had a Zen moment reading your posts. I am a 41 y.o. psych RN practicing for 17 years, and I have been thinking about getting OUT of nursing b/c I want a job where I connect w/ people on a LESS intimate basis. Personally, I am at a point in my career where the intimacy of psychiatric nursing care is EXHAUSTING.
I don't mean to sound discouraging, my career is quite rewarding but it seems the exhaustion is outweighing the rewards at this point.
Wow, November, I just had a Zen moment reading your posts. I am a 41 y.o. psych RN practicing for 17 years, and I have been thinking about getting OUT of nursing b/c I want a job where I connect w/ people on a LESS intimate basis. Personally, I am at a point in my career where the intimacy of psychiatric nursing care is EXHAUSTING.
I don't mean to sound discouraging, my career is quite rewarding but it seems the exhaustion is outweighing the rewards at this point.
Anyway, thanks for letting me vent.
Regards,
Mary
Wow! It seems like we live on paralelle planets. I too felt that my career was rewarding - but have had enough. We seem to be experiencing mirror image burn-out!
Good luck to you - you may want to think about law school - any questions you have, just let me know!
Hey there! Just to let you know, there ARE others like you. I'm also leaving the practice of law (general practice, insurance litigation) to start over in nursing. I find it really comforting to hear that there are others making the same decision, and for the same reasons, so... thanks! ;-) Anyway, nice to meet y'all! My name is Scott, I'm 32, and I start an accelerated 2nd bachelors program at the University of Maryland in 2 weeks, which I couldn't be more thrilled about. An ex girlfriend of mine was a med/surg nurse in the area, and that's what originally got me thinking about the career change a few years back. I DO remember all of her complaints well (staffing, condescending docs, floor politics, scheduling, difficult patients and families, etc...), so HOPEFULLY my expectations about what nursing "really" is are realistic, and I'm not being driven too much by idealism. We'll see.... (I'll keep ya posted! ;-) I just felt I wanted something more positive and fulfilling than law, with more purpose, and more human contact... and the *constant* conflict and haggling in my old life made me feel like a glorified car salesman or something, and a salesman I just am not.... Anyway, yes, there are others like you!
Scott
P.S. - I just discovered this site last week, and have been spending WAY too much time reading all these threads. Fantastic info, so thanks everyone. (My favorite thread: the "What really grosses you out?" discussion! (Chicken feathers?!?! Heheh!) Great anecdotes!)
Lacaza3
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