Switching careers to nursing. who has done it?

[Noodles]

I am thinking of going back to school to become an RN. My wife is an RN and like most nurses she does work hard, has her bad days, but also has some very rewarding days to go along with a decent salary and a stable job. I'm currently working as a computer programmer and have done so for about 10 years now but I feel like I'm treading water in my career and have for a few years lost some of my motiviation to keep going on my current career path. I see my wife's career and I see a lot to like in it. Like any career there are some disadvantages but she seems to enjoy it and finds it rewarding and having a decent salary and a stable job is never a bad thing. I'm wondering if others on here have made a mid-life career switch to nursing and how it has worked out.

[dlhall]

What is the perctanage of black male nurses in the field? Here in texas I hardly see any black male nurses? Does any know if there is a strong recruitment to recruit minorities for nursing school?

[Corvette Guy]

My first career was an aircraft electrician [uSMC & Civilian], then started college [at age 32] with goal of becoming a nurse. First, chose Surgical Technology [scrub Tech] career field d/t the ADN waiting list was too long. Yet, while taking Surg Tech prereq courses also took ADN & BSN prereqs. One year after completing ST program I received a call from ADN program wanting know if I was still interested. So, I worked fulltime [64hrs/pay period] as a CST while going to ADN program. Four years later enrolled into online RN-BSN program, and two years later able to claim title as a BSN. BTW, I was a single-parent w/2 sons while in ST & ADN programs.

I've always been on the side of the under dog, thus enjoy helping out others. Plus, I find the human body fascinating. I wish I'd gotten into the health care field a long time ago. Yet, IMHO male nurses are more readily accepted in recent times.

• Nursing Experience; Telemetry Floor, Intensive Care Unit [Civilian & USAR Nurse Corps], OR RN [Circulate/ Scrub]
  
• Health Care Degrees; AAS in Surgical Technology 1995, AAS in Nursing [ADN] 1998, Bachelor of Science in Nursing 2004

[Corvette Guy]

What is the percentage of black male nurses in the field? Here in texas I hardly see any black male nurses? Does any know if there is a strong recruitment to recruit minorities for nursing school?

Where in Texas are you? I've seen a few black male nurses at Seton Medical Center [Austin] & Brooke Army Medical Center [san Antonio]. Mostly, asians & hispanics [males & females] are the ethnic minority nurses in the hospitals I mentioned.

I have no idea if the nursing schools in Central/So Texas have a focused recruiting theme. As far as I know, they just want qualified applicants.

BTW, good luck with your prereqs & I look forward to having you as a male nursing peer someday.

[dlhall]

Thanks Corvette

I live in Houston,Texas and I hope to you have you as a peer too.

[SteveNNP, MSN, NP]

Wow, hat's off to you guys who switched careers to nursing. I started college as pre-physical therapy, and switched to BSN the 3rd day of classes. I was just thinking the other day about the reasons I decided on nursing. THen in hit me. Where else can I save a baby's life in the delivery room, or have tears well up with pride when my 25-week preemie patient goes home after months fighting for his life on my unit? NO Where else!! The field of nursing is very broad, allowing you to pursue flight/trauma, cardiac, critical care, neonatology, pediatrics, emergency care, almost whatever you want! I currently work in a Level III Neonatal ICU and love it. I miss ER once in a while, and may go back to that as a break, but I'm sure I'll miss my scrawny little preemies!!

[felixfelix]

Glad I read this thread, cuz a lot of the others make nursing sound hellish...I'm 48, just about to start an ADN prog, and wondering if I'm insane...I like the subject matter, but I don't know about the reality of it all.

Not in it for the money, and wonder if when the time comes, I'll even be able to find a job where I can work 4 or 6 hour shifts, 35 hrs. a week max. Maybe that doesn't exist...well, I WILL find my niche

[Corvette Guy]

Glad I read this thread, cuz a lot of the others make nursing sound hellish...I'm 48, just about to start an ADN prog, and wondering if I'm insane...I like the subject matter, but I don't know about the reality of it all.

Not in it for the money, and wonder if when the time comes, I'll even be able to find a job where I can work 4 or 6 hour shifts, 35 hrs. a week max. Maybe that doesn't exist...well, I WILL find my niche

You can easily find a nursing slot for less than 40 hrs/week, i.e. part-time status. However, working 4, or 6 hour shifts will be tricky... to say the least.

BTW, most likely you will not regret your decision in becoming an RN, which is a most gratifying career.

Good Luck!

[felixfelix]

...CG, thanks for the encouragement...and hey, I used to work at a vette only shop, so you gave me a laugh. Damn, the ergos of working under the dash sucked on those rides...and it's funny how many doc's rolled in vette's...and it's also funny that docs and lawyers were the worst customers. Truly a fun car, though. My faves were the '65 and the '84.

[Corvette Guy]

...CG, thanks for the encouragement...and hey, I used to work at a vette only shop, so you gave me a laugh. Damn, the ergos of working under the dash sucked on those rides...and it's funny how many doc's rolled in vette's...and it's also funny that docs and lawyers were the worst customers. Truly a fun car, though. My faves were the '65 and the '84.

PM sent :)

[Thunderwolf, MSN, RN]

PM sent :)

Thank you, Corvette Guy, for out reaching member.

Wolfie

[Bumpus]

Hi,

I worked as a Cisco Systems Engineer and many other roles including management for many years. I have a BA in business and AA in computer science. Got the bug to change when my division was shut down after the operations center was outsourced to India and I was layed off. I wanted to change careers for a long time but just could not justify giving up the great money. I graduate as a RN in May and so far don't regret making the career job change --- except my pay is about 1/5 what I was making. I am, however, now happy and my wife is happy too. My company wanted me to come back to work but I refused because my stress level is so much lower now and I love the job. I work very hard at work but it is a different type of stress. As a manager the stress was never ending. While in my old job and just prior to getting layed off I had a heart attack (very serious) and nearly died then arrested two weeks later. About 1/5 of my heart is now dead tissue - Humm - there seams to be a correlation between my old pay and dead tissue........... I believe the work stress was the major cause since my CT scans, etc. indicate an extremely low risk for a heart attack. So much for diagnostic tests. Changing to healthcare has probably saved my life and if I do have another arrest working on Tele/ICU increases my survival rate! Regards. Bumpus.

[tropicbound]

I too was a former IT guy doing project management and training. Became a "Dot com refugee" three times in 2000-2002 so I did some serious soul searching and decided that nursing was it for me. I'm 44 now, finished the prereqs for RN programs but am starting an LVN (in CA - LVN, most other states are LPN I think) in January. I plan on a bridge to an RN/BSN program as soon as I get my LVN license in 18 months.

Of the many reasons for the career change to nursing, I spent 25 years helping businesses get healthier, but never did anything for people. You get older, have more experiences and find that you're not the person you were when you started your previous career. So if you think that nursing is where your heart is, GO FOR IT!!!

As a side note, my class has a record 12 men out of 36 students!