Nursing or Teaching?

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  1. Should I be a nurse or a special education teacher?

    • 3
      Nurse
    • 1
      Special Education Teacher
    • 5
      Not my decision sorry :(!

9 members have participated

I'm 17 years old and i'm in my senior year of high school. I'm having a lot of trouble deciding between pursuing a career in nursing or a special education teacher. I love putting other people before me and I have a passion for helping others. I can see myself enjoying both careers but I can't decide which one I'd enjoy the most :(. Nursing sounds appealing to me because I want a job that will keep me active and won't be the same everyday. I also love the schedule of nurses. I'm worried if I become a special education teacher I'd hate working the same hours 5 days a week. Nursing also sounds like a good fit for me because i'm a very caring person and I love people. But I also love helping people with special needs, I have many friends at school that are in special education and they will always have a special place in my heart. I'm very indecisive and I know it's my decision to make but i'd really appreciate any advice anyone has to offer. Thank You :)!

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

Be a nurse first. You're young enough that if you don't like it you can go back and get your teaching certificate and have a lot of prereqs out of the way.

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In my experience, I have seen a good number of former teachers who are now nurses, but have never seen the reverse.

Money is often mentioned.

Once when we were sitting around the nursing station with a student (Latin teacher going into nursing), night shift was coming in. One of the nurses mentioned that he was floating to a unit we knew paid critical staffing wages. After a bit of talking we realized that the night shift nurse was making overtime plus weekend differential, plus night differential plus critical staffing pay on top of his regular wage.

We calculated that the night nurse made more in one night (albeit in slightly unusual circumstances) than the teacher made in a week.

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having been a special ed teacher and now working on my BSN, difference in salary is huge as well as the option for overtime. As a teacher, your hands are becoming more and more tied and in special education you spend more time doing IEP's and paperwork than you do teaching. The benefit of teaching is that you have all the school vacations off work. So if you are planning on having kids, this can work very well. Many teachers end up working during the summer vacations to supplement their income. There are pluses and minuses to both. but teaching is becoming a more and more thankless job. You are at school still. talk to some of your own teachers and see what they say. Both jobs let you work just about anywhere so there is a lot of flexibility in both. Nursing has a more varied working environment. Become a school nurse and get the best of both worlds, Heh. Work as a camp nurse in the summers if you need something to keep you busy.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

You realize that if you post your question on a site that focuses on teaching/teachers, your answers will most likely favor teaching.

The population you ask will most likely be skewing your anticipated decision-making.

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).

Hi alexisjade! Welcome to AN.com!

In my experience, I have seen a good number of former teachers who are now nurses, but have never seen the reverse.

Hmm! I had a buddy who was an LPN, then RN, worked CCU and OR and then went back for his Special Ed degree. He wanted the straight days, Holidays, Weekends and Summers off.

I guess there's always the exception!

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
You realize that if you post your question on a site that focuses on teaching/teachers, your answers will most likely favor teaching.

The population you ask will most likely be skewing your anticipated decision-making.

Totally agree. Since I usually post on the school nurse forum, I forgot to mention I'm an elementary school nurse and have seen what special ed teachers do. Be a nurse first.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
Hi alexisjade! Welcome to AN.com!

Hmm! I had a buddy who was an LPN, then RN, worked CCU and OR and then went back for his Special Ed degree. He wanted the straight days, Holidays, Weekends and Summers off.

I guess there's always the exception!

That's me! But I got that with school nursing!! Oh yea!

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Haha I do realize that but I came here looking for advice from nurses specifically. I just want to absorb as much information I can about the field but thank you for making sure I knew that :-)

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having been a special ed teacher and now working on my BSN, difference in salary is huge as well as the option for overtime. As a teacher, your hands are becoming more and more tied and in special education you spend more time doing IEP's and paperwork than you do teaching. The benefit of teaching is that you have all the school vacations off work. So if you are planning on having kids, this can work very well. Many teachers end up working during the summer vacations to supplement their income. There are pluses and minuses to both. but teaching is becoming a more and more thankless job. You are at school still. talk to some of your own teachers and see what they say. Both jobs let you work just about anywhere so there is a lot of flexibility in both. Nursing has a more varied working environment. Become a school nurse and get the best of both worlds, Heh. Work as a camp nurse in the summers if you need something to keep you busy.

That's why I'm favoring nursing over special education teacher. I know I wouldn't really enjoy always sitting in meetings I'm just not that kind of person I'd much rather be up and moving and thinking if that makes any sense. Thank you for replying and sharing this information with me it's extremely helpful :)

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Specializes in CCRN.

While teaching and nursing can be very different worlds, you could always try to (eventually) combine the two areas, such as nursing in an area that primarily takes care of those with special needs. Nursing has a lot of options in regards to the type of work you will be doing and the type of schedule you will have.

My advice is to try to shadow someone in each profession. Spend a day with them. See all of the ins and outs of what they really do and then decide which you believe is the right path for you.

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Specializes in psych.

I was a teacher first, then left for nursing. I'm glad I switched. Like a PP mentioned, your hands are tied more and more. The politics of the buildings can make or break your experience. I found I spent more time in meetings, writing up lessons, more meetings, planning and more meetings, than actual teaching. The majority of my day was spent planning out what the next thing on my agenda was. I went into teaching to you know, teach. However, as the years went by, it was more and more other stuff than time with my students. I taught summer school so I was working, planning and more meetings all summer. I am very very glad I switched. I love being a nurse. I send more time caring for my pts that I got to spend with some of my students.

I'm thinking maybe in the future to combine my two careers and be a clinical instructor for nursing school. I think it would blend my teaching background with my nursing one.

I also have to mention the money. All the stuff I did at home to prep for my classes was unpaid. All the supplies I bought each year was out of my pocket. I spent most of my time off preparing for classes and meetings. I was never "off duty". Now, if they want me to stay, I get paid! I love that if I want overtime, it's there and when my shift it over, my time is my own. I don't come home and have to spend hours plugging away on the next's day activities. I am finally able to enjoy my time away from work. It's wonderful!

Both careers are rewarding, you just need to figure out which way you want to go and know that if you want to switch later in life, you can. Best of luck to you!

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