Successful Non-Nursing Job

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I've come to the realization that nursing is just not for me. I've tried 3 different times within the year and I've pretty much made up my mind. At this point I owe many student loans and scholarships specifically for my nursing degree, I have other bills, can't afford to go back to school for anything else, and get the "no call back" from non-nursing jobs I have applied for (3 different jobs have point blank told me that I am "over qualified" and will leave their job soon to go back to nursing for more money! They all seem to be hung up on the money thing and my Bachelor's degree).

I was wondering if anyone could possible give me some pointers. Has anyone on this board completely left nursing (I mean not a director of nursing, not a nursing case manager, NOTHING in nursing) or do anyone of you know someone who has? Specifically WHAT jobs are you doing and what jobs did you apply for? This is the second time that I have tried to get out of nursing. The first time was a big gigantic flop, I went back to it, hated it still and quit again very soon. I feel totally closed in. It seems like people in other professions can leave their professions and move on to other things more easily than those trying to leave nursing.

Can anyone help with job suggestions? Thank you very much.

I hope that both of you will be able to find work outside of nursing. Try calling a few collages in your area and see if they can suggest any place to get career counseling that doesn't lead to more education, unless you want that, also ask if they know of any place where you can get help with writing a resume that reflects things other than nursing and where you could pick up any job interview skills. Search for these things on google,maybe they'd have something if you ut in key words to reflect type of work you are looking for and/or willing to take. Hope this helps, best of everything to both of you.

Hi Pnurseuwm,

In what areas of nursing do you have experience? I've also been going through a difficult period of wanting to get out of nursing but not quite sure how. It is especially difficult because I have less than one year of acute care experience. I wanted to try to stick it out for at least a year, but I've recently come to the conclusion that it is just not worth being miserable. So, I started looking for jobs outside of the hospital, both nursing and non-nursing. I'm excited because I have found several possibilities and I'd thought I'd share.

I live in a large metro area in the midwest. I am also located near a large university. I had an interview earlier today with a home health care company. I applied for a non-clinical position that they call "Nurse Liason". In this position, I would be responsible for promoting the services of the company and educating providers and patients about the services. I would make sure that the patients meet admission criteria. While I was at the interview, they also offered me another position for community educator that consists of conducting presentations and health-screenings for elderly patients in senior living centers. Since I am located near a large university and medical center, I have also applied for several clinical trial coordinator positions. This type of position typically requires a BS degree, but not necessarily nursing. I understand that nursing is a huge plus though. I found these positions by going to the university's website and looking under 'careers'. I'd just thought I'd mention that, because such positions are not usually posted on the typical job boards.

I hope that this gives you a few more ideas. Hang in there! I'm confident that we will both find something that we enjoy doing. Just keep in mind that all of these positions will probably pay much less than bedside nursing. The money doesn't matter to me at all anymore.

Specializes in Med/Tele.
Hi Pnurseuwm,

In what areas of nursing do you have experience? I've also been going through a difficult period of wanting to get out of nursing but not quite sure how. It is especially difficult because I have less than one year of acute care experience. I wanted to try to stick it out for at least a year, but I've recently come to the conclusion that it is just not worth being miserable. So, I started looking for jobs outside of the hospital, both nursing and non-nursing. I'm excited because I have found several possibilities and I'd thought I'd share.

I live in a large metro area in the midwest. I am also located near a large university. I had an interview earlier today with a home health care company. I applied for a non-clinical position that they call "Nurse Liason". In this position, I would be responsible for promoting the services of the company and educating providers and patients about the services. I would make sure that the patients meet admission criteria. While I was at the interview, they also offered me another position for community educator that consists of conducting presentations and health-screenings for elderly patients in senior living centers. Since I am located near a large university and medical center, I have also applied for several clinical trial coordinator positions. This type of position typically requires a BS degree, but not necessarily nursing. I understand that nursing is a huge plus though. I found these positions by going to the university's website and looking under 'careers'. I'd just thought I'd mention that, because such positions are not usually posted on the typical job boards.

I hope that this gives you a few more ideas. Hang in there! I'm confident that we will both find something that we enjoy doing. Just keep in mind that all of these positions will probably pay much less than bedside nursing. The money doesn't matter to me at all anymore.

Good luck......I know what you mean about being miserable. I was crying today thinking about going back to work on Friday, I will have been off for 2 weeks, I took some badly needed vacation time and I feel amazing! I have started eating healthy, working out, enjoying life........I thought I was doomed to be miserable and depressed, I have gained wt and back pains, cant sleep, grumpy, dont wannna do anything, ugh! Ha! I feel so so good. I want to quit when I go back but my year will be up in June so I am gonna try to keep up my healthy habits until then and go PRN and hoepfully find something else. But now that I feel energized and vibrant again, I am ready to finish the year up and move past this! There is hope!!!:lol2:

Specializes in LTC/SNF, Psychiatric, Pharmaceutical.

I am an extremely burned-out LTC nurse of 7 years' experience. LTC has gone from bad to worse to hellish in that time period, and I want the hell out. I'm so burned out that I would like to get out of nursing altogether, but then what do I do? I'm going to school to try to pursue a BA in English, but how am I supposed to survive in that period of time? I have tried transitioning to home-health or hospice but have had no luck. I've also tried to take entry-level jobs in other fields - I'll be taking a big pay cut, I live in one of the lowest-wage areas of the US, but I'll do almost anything for some peace of mind - but again, no luck. No doubt most employers don't know why someone would want to leave nursing (gee, I wonder??!), or nursing's specialized skills just don't translate well into the real world - after all, in a bank, who's gonna need a Foley catheter put in?

LTC is horrible. I started as a CNA and went to nursing school because I believed the hype about how I'd be financially secure and all that. I cannot stomach it anymore. The hours are horrible, my stress level is through the roof. I'm expected to do boatloads of paperwork (we're a SNF facility) and yet I'm expected to do heavy wound care AND supervise a bunch of immature high-school girl CNAs, who are killing themselves too. Our staff has imploded; they can't get anyone to work here. Is it any mystery why when there's minimal health insurance and no long-term benefits/incentives like 401k? We get no sick leave because we're perceived as a bunch of malingerers (management at every nursing home I worked in has said this). My BP is up, but since I cannot afford to see a cardiologist or take metoprolol or lisinopril, there's nothing else I can do about it either.

I'm sorry if this comes off as a vent (it is, to a degree), but I just feel imprisoned in nursing. I feel like going to nursing school was a fatal mistake, and has ruined my life. I'm highly depressed, but no antidepressant works for me, and I realize part of my depression is anger-related; I feel like I screwed myself over and am paying the price for it. I left another facility three years ago under negative circumstances, and though this facility has had complete management turnovers several times since then, that is no doubt contributing to my mess, even though I am considered one of the best at this facility. I never wanted to spend the rest of my life in nursing; if I had it to do over again, I'd have stayed a CNA/tech and finished my bachelors' back then. I'm married and have to contribute income; I made enough money last year to disqualify me for a lot of financial aid. I'm so depressed; I hate LTC nursing, but it is all I can get, so even though I go to work absolutely sick with dread, I must still go. I feel like a prostitute trying to get out of "The Life." What am I supposed to do, work at McDonald's or as a Wal-Mart door greeter? I'm 29 years old.

Has anyone made a successful transition out of The Life? I'd love to hear from someone who has made it out alive.

Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Hey ladies,

I am an RN with and ADN degree and had 11 years experience as an Ob/Gyn office nurse. Never did acute care as a nurse (was a unit clerk for years prior to RN and burnt out on illness by the time I graduated).

I applied for job I saw in the paper. I did not have the qualifications. No BSN, no phlebotomy skills. My past references and my interview skills were enough to sell them on hiring me. I have been working as a Clinical Research Coordinator at a University for 3 years. I contract out the phlebotomy as needed. We don't do studies that require acute care skills, and if we did then I could contract that piece out and still coordinate the study.

My point is that you should not let the fact that you do not have the requested qualifications stop you from applying for things that interest you.

Go for it - you have nothing to lose!

Specializes in ICU.

This is an interesting thread for me since I too am desperately wanting to get out of nursing. I'm very interested in the business field. The only jobs I see either require a bachelors in business, or require no degree at all. While I do have my bachelor degree I haven't had any business type classes. I'm not sure if they would consider me for something like that. Any advice on what to put on a cover letter applying for a completely non-nursing job? I'm afraid they will think "why on Earth is a nurse applying for this job?" and not even consider me. :o

Hi,

I'm brand new to the board (and healthcare) so I hope it's okay for a "newbie" to post. :wink2: I'm also the opposite - I'm looking to start a career in nursing but it's an eye-opener to hear from people who find the profession is not for them. It's important to read the good and the bad so that I don't go into it with some romanticized notion of the field.

I had a background in customer service and administrative work and decided that wasn't rewarding to me and started college for Early Childhood Education. I quickly realized that if you don't feel it in your heart to be a teacher, you won't be happy (I'm sure the same holds true for Nursing (or any profession really) - you have to feel it's what you want to do or you probably won't enjoy it). So after a semester of Education classes and practicums, I knew I'd better get out before I wasted any more time. I won't go into the long boring story of it all, but I have a Bachelor of General Studies and I feel that was a complete waste of time and a huge mistake.

For anyone wanting to leave nursing but finding it hard to find a job, I have the same problem by having a General Studies (or Liberal Arts as it's called now) degree because many people say "okay, so what can you do with THAT?!" Pretty much the same thing I was doing before I spent four years in school, that's what. I'm going to start out by going to LPN school and see how it goes from there since it would take three years to get my BSN because of the pre-reqs.

I'd suggest going to a temp agency and have them help you with your resume and they'll send you out on jobs to which you might find one that feels like a good fit. I got an administrative job through a temp agency and got hired permanently. I stayed until I decided to go to school.

You might also consider the legal aspect of nursing. Some law firms hire nurses for legal advice. I'm not sure of what's entailed but I've seen the want ads.

It's scary to try anything new that's for sure. There are places you can take your resume for professional help and lots of good websites too that offer advice on how to word things.

You may also want to take some MS Office classes like Word, Excel, Access, and Powerpoint or Quickbooks. Just about every administrative job requires experience in many, if not all, of those applications. Not being proficient in Excel and Access has held me back from quite a few positions. If I really wanted to go back to administrative work I'd invest the money ($50 to $100 per class) into them. Many schools offer them through their Continuing Education office.

Specializes in geriatric, hospice, med/surg.

Just wanted to let the op and those following this thread that I have successfully exited the nursing arena to follow a path fairly new to society's more priviledged four-legged critter care....I am a dog day care attendant on a part-time basis....not making enough money yet but plan to piecemeal this with side business of private inhome pet sitting....that is definitely where I can make up the financial deficit in my current hourly wage at the dog day care center...talk about a no stress, fun job! It is like not even working! It's more like hanging out with friends, making sure they are safe and everyone has enough water to drink, doesn't eat rocks or poop, and allows me to play like a child again, something I'd grown to dismiss as a lost and forgotten thing as I grew older.

I will always cherish the years as a nurse and the knowledge and experiences are forever etched in my brain and soul, but this new found position creates a born again feeling I cannot put into words.

As for the interview, there was no job application, just sent a heartfelt email in response to the ad they put in the paper....basically told the owner of the day care that if she didn't hire me, I'd commit suicide! (Just kidding, as I told her, but I honestly didn't know what else I'd enjoy more at the time, had it with nursing, tired of the same old games in nursing arena (money being the bottom line everywhere plus politics)...and she said she was concerned about the financial aspect of the situation for me. Knowing salaries of nurses....I told her to let me worry about that...that sure, I needed the money from nursing but that the burn out was far outweighing bills at the moment! Unhappiness doesn't have a price tag just as money cannot buy happiness, if that makes any sense at all! LOL I am refinancing my mortgage to pay off creditors, and restructuring my financial life at the present time to stay out of the nursing arena, hopefully for the remainder of my working life.

Just do what speaks to your heart. I love animals. I've always had pets. God put the classified advertisement for the part time job working with dogs where I could more easily see it one weekend while I was looking for another nursing job very reluctantly I might add! Nothing materialized as far as a nursing position that I wanted and the way the newspaper was folded, I just happened to look down and it was glaringly staring me in the face! I thought, this is God! I MUST get that job, no matter what the cost to me in the pocketbook!

That was in December of 06. It is now April of 07.

Oh, and also....I can always look forward to getting hugs, kisses, and soulful happy eyed faces every day at work, no talking back, no family members in my face, no docs to have to deal with....! LOL

great story nurseangel. If only God were to shine on me too. I've become burnt out on job searching, missed two opportunites to see my career counseling and currently sleeping 12-15 hours a night, I'm just running out of energy. Maybe I'll feel better once I clean the house and go to Starbucks for a while ;)

Well, just thought I would provide an update. Going on month 3 of unemployment since quitting last nursing job and I've only had ONE interview. Whenever I try to communicate to hiring managers/ recruiters I try to talk about everything else BUT my nursing background and try to label myself as a "health care worker." As soon as they find I am a nurse they say, "What? Your a NURSE?" and they then get a real irritated tone in their voice. Medical records, bank teller, receptionist, medical equipment... you name it I've tried to apply to it.

I keep telling myself that some people stay unemployed for 5-7 months. Financially, I just can't do that. I honestly NEED a job by the end of this month. I'm either underqualified or "overqualified" (i.e. "she's a NURSE why would she apply to THIS job?") for jobs. Should I keep looking or give up?

Your last post describes precisely what I went through. I finally gave up, threw in the towel, and went back to applying for Nursing Jobs. And those have never been that easy to get. Good luck in getting anything. The newspaper here did a big piece recently about a highly qualified woman who got laid off from her excellent job and is now among those who has to compete for a bed at the homeless shelter. It is hard for lots of people to get jobs for various reasons. The general public expresses the opinion that if you have a nursing background you're set for life. Not necessarily so. Again, good luck to you.

Specializes in Junior Year of BSN.

I thought you could work for HMO or Pharmaceuticals if you didn't want to be a bedside nurse. Have you tried those areas?

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