JAChicago

I am looking for honest feedback about nursing specialties I am considering as a career shift. I am currently in my 11th year as an RN (9th as an ED RN) and I'm looking for something I can do from home to fit better with the ever changing demands of life with 4 kids. I am strongly considering changing to either legal nurse consultant or nurse writer, but I am concerned about the ability to make a decent, consistent paycheck with either of those. I'm not into sales, so the idea of having to market myself for business is stressing me out. Plus, no matter how many good reviews I see, I can't help but feel like all those "Legal Nurse Training/Certification courses" are just a waste of money. Like I said I have 4 kids, I'm in no position to drop thousands of dollars on a "training/certification" just to switch areas of nursing. All the websites I see want you to pay money to get their "best tips to break into the business" material and it just all seems like a scam to me. Maybe that's the cynic in me after close to 10 years in the ER. Does anyone actually have these jobs, without the "encouraged" certifications, and actually making a living off these specialties? Thanks!

Not sure if you are still reading this post, but I am in the same boat as you. I just began my fifth year of teaching (1st grade) and I decided last year I would be switching to nursing. I returned this year because I still need to finish a couple prereqs, but it is seriously KILLING me! I don't think people outside teaching understand when you decide to leave teaching you can't just put in two weeks notice and take off (well you could, but even I couldn't just abandon my students THAT way). You need to finish the year (or in my case the following year as well). I can't tell anyone I work with because I don't want to jeopardize my employment, but mostly I don't want to have to put up with 9 months worth of "Why are you leaving??? Why don't you want to be a teacher anymore???" and then everyone gossiping they think you have sub-par job performance because you're leaving and no longer putting in 12 hours days (but only paid for 6). I actually entered college pre-med, but then let my foolish, 18 year old self talk myself out of something "too hard." Biggest. Mistake. Teaching is stressful and can be emotionally/physically demanding, but I feel it is no where near academically stimulating enough for me anymore. I have first grade conversations all day, and my biggest academic challenge is deciding if I should put my math lesson before or after lunch. I need to use my critical thinking skills, I need to spend time with adults, I need a job where I am there for the job at hand (not inservice meetings debating homework we may or may not give, but nothing really gets decided) I need to not look at our middle schoolers in the hallway and wish I was them so I could have my career choice to "do over" again. I love medicine and find it fascinating. I love helping people. I would rather crank out a 12 hour day 3 days a week then wake up with the dread I have 5 days a week. I'm trying my best to power through this school year. I've already been accepted to an ABSN program for fall 2012, and I'm just finishing my prereqs now. Just wondering if anyone else is in my "struggling thru prereqs and a job I KNOW I'm leaving which makes everyday a struggle" boat. Would love to hear from any of you and your experiences. Thanks :)