Looking for a new career direction

[DeborahK]

I've been a nurse-midwife for many years, and am ready for an entirely new career direction within nursing, outside a hospital setting. Any suggestions for great, unusual Nursing Jobs? My past experience has also included HIV nursing here and in Africa, research, home health, and early intervention (kids 0-3). The part of nursing that I like most is patient education and empowerment, as well as working with families. I'm a strong writer and I like continually learning new things. Have you had a great nursing job that I should consider?

[nfahren05]

Although it's certainly not unusual, have you considered case management? Case managers work in a variety of settings and clinical areas. If you're not entirely though with obstetrics, but just need a break from the hospital, your experience would be tremendously helpful working "in the field" with homebound antepartum patients.

[DeborahK]

May I ask why you are tired of nurse midwifery? That is my dream job!!

I loved it for many years, but just eventually got tired of it. I'm not alone--the average professional lifespan for midwives is 10 years. It's hard work, physically and emotionally (and politically, in many settings). That's not to encourage you from going for it. For many years I couldn't imagine doing anything else!

[DeborahK]

Have you considered consulting. It sounds as though you have sufficient experience and intellectual capacity to be quite successful.

What kind of consulting do you have in mind? I am not interested in starting my own business--are there consultant "pools," where someone else does the marketing and identifies the need and then matches up consultants where needed?

[DeborahK]

We are all susceptible to job burnout, since we put so much time and thought into our work. Although we are told not to take home the problems that come up daily, it's unusual to find someone who can do that consistently.

Bravo to any nurse who recognizes when it's time to change to something else, after considerable self and jobsite assessment. I've worked with many nurses who stayed in positions beyond the value they contributed, juat because it was easier to keep on keeping on; and the prospect of leaving was frightening, and leaving familiar settings and tasks was thought to be daunting.

Challenge is what keeps us valuable workers, able to improve outcomes and keep skills current. Midwifery involves long, arduous and occasional dire situations that affect the lives of 2 patients at once. Malpractise insurance costs and other practical concerns can have dulling effects on even the most enthusiastic person.

I loved teaching prenatal classes, and held other hospital staff positions while doing that, evenings. However After 35 years of saying basically the same things to thousands of students, and becoming out of sync with younger, and seemingly less health motivated students, took its toll. I found work that involved greater satisfaction for me, fewer long hours, and more travel. Promoting the preservation of stem cells from umbilical cord blood (potentially providing 100% matches for mother and baby, 50% for siblings) became my passion, due to its prospect of having life preserving effects for untold numbers of people.

I expect that revised (to render them undamaged from disease) stem cell use will be the "new medicine", conquering heretofore uncurable diseases. There is much more education to be done, and it involves planning for future wellness by young expectant parents. Now that's exciting!

That sounds interesting! Can you tell me more about your work with umbilical stem cell preservation? Who employs you? What does the job entail? Do you travel from hospital to hospital giving in-service presentations, or what exactly? Are there public umbilical cord blood banks yet, or only self-pay banks?