Need Advice!

[AlbaHanson]

I am 25 years old and graduated college 3 years ago with a degree in Human Resources Management. I currently have a great job as a Human Resources Generalist and make 70K annually. Except, I have one small issue, I hate it and I want to be a nurse.

I have had a very strong desire to be a nurse for about 5 years now, and the desire is just becoming stronger. I have registered for a couple of pre-reqs and each time I have dropped them.

My husband is a paramedic and I have 30k in student loans from my bachelors. So, financially, things would be tight during the time I am in school. I would plan on keeping my current job until I am done with all of my pre-reqs.

Any advice? Have any of you left well paying careers to become a nurse (I know nurses are compensated well too)? And are you happy with the outcome? Also, how did you support yourself during your time in school?

One last question! Would a bachelors in Business & Human Resources Management be helpful in a nursing career?

Thank you!

[sadiemae1123]

If your primary reason for wanting to be a nurse is to "make a difference" there are many ways to do that beyond becoming nurse. Look around your community for volunteering opportunities. You could do the hands on work or help with fundraising, applying for grants, or making/keeping a budget. It could even turn into a paying job. There are many non-profit organizations that would benefit from someone with a business/management degree.

[AlbaHanson]

Thanks for your response. I am a volunteer captain in my current organization, so I actually already get paid to do that! I am very interested in anything medically related and would like to work in that field.

[sadiemae1123]

If you're really determined to be a nurse, I suggest you look around your area to see what the job market is like for new grads, the pay scale, and what level of education you would need to work in the area you want.

Keep in mind you may not get your dream job right away. And, if the market is saturated in your area you may have to move or settle for a job you really don't want. Many people don't have jobs that fulfill their passions in life. Work is just a paycheck and activities outside of that fill the void.

If you do want to be a nurse I would recommend paying off any current debt first and saving enough to pay for school out of pocket. There are a lot of threads on here about paying off debt, making a budget, etc. Unless you live in a very high cost area, this shouldn't be too difficult. Since you already have a bachelors degree you'll probably only qualify for high interest private loans which can be a nightmare to pay off.

You and your husband need to sit down together and decide on a budget. Will he be willing to pick up extra shifts, to cut back on eating out, forgo having the latest technology, put off buying a house, having kids, move for a job opportunity or school, etc. in order to fulfill your dream? Could you get a job working as a nursing assistant on the weekends for extra money, gain healthcare experience, and network for future jobs?

I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, but making a drastic career change when you're still paying on your first one isn't a move to be taken lightly and can out a severe strain on your budget and your marriage. You both have to be on board for the long haul on this or it won't work. You'll both need to realize you probably won't get to fulfill other dreams you had for your marriage on the original timetable, like buying a house, having kids, going on expensive vacations, etc.

Best of luck with whatever you decide.