Life changing decision-help

[not2bblue]

Hello all, I'm looking for advice (or maybe validation) about a career change.

I have been teaching nursing at a career college for the last 6 years. Before that I worked at LTC (hated it) and postpartum (loved it but super hard to find an opening). I moved when the economy tanked and couldn't find a job other than the teaching job I currently have. I like it ok and it pays really well. It is pretty easy physically, but demanding emotionally and intellectually. There is no room for advancement without going on to get an MSN or beyond.

I have about 25 years before I can retire; I can't be sure this job will be around that long or even in a few years. We used to admit 30-40 students per CLASS and they are now down to that many per year. I am really concerned and thinking about the future. I applied and applied for close to 100 positions and repeatedly was turned down- either by the little check mark of not selected by my application (isn't technology great? You get rejected by a machine now) or having an interview and being told they went in a different direction. Being out of the field to a non-clinical position means no one wants to hire me; new grads have a much better chance, and I am one of the ones training them!!!

Recently, a friend gave her manager a recommendation for me. I applied and interviewed. I hear from her that they are going to call me with an offer. They are filling a peri-op class so I believe they will call everyone next week. This is a great opportunity to learn to work in the OR but I am not 100% certain what to do. I know that I will most likely be taking a significant pay cut. Like 15K a year less and will have to work more hours, take call, not be able to have a flexible schedule like I do now. Also, I have been sedentary for many years now with my current job and gained a lot of weight. On that side I want to get fit and lose weight so this is a huge motivation for me to do that! But the money aspect is scary and if I am not the best fit for the OR (we all know nurses who got a great job and didn't make it) then I am out of luck. My current job will not re-hire me. Not because of me, they have had great teachers loved by administration leave and want to come back and the attitude is "they shouldn't have left, they should have known the grass isn't greener on the other side". Granted, most of them left for other schools and I want to get more nursing experience, not to help a rival school. My reasoning is you can't teach what you don't know. I'm mostly teaching from the experiences I read online or in the textbook and I'm very lost in the clinical setting, relying on the floor nurses who don't always want to help. I'm terrified to make the wrong choice. My family is divided with half at stay because of the money and half at go because this is probably the only opportunity I will get, the longer I stay the further out of options I am. This one came because of who I know and I don't have many nursing friends. I do think the OR is cool, my only concern is can I handle it after being out of a physically demanding job for so long? (I would ask the same no matter what the department- although I know I cannot handle a med-surg floor with 6 or more patients!)

Sorry this post is so long, I just need to get it all out so I get good advice. I am leaning heavily to leaving. You learn to live in your financial means, but I'm worried about the physical aspects and what it will be like to be called in the middle of the night or work all day and all night because of a trauma case.

Opinion?