Second Career Nurse Roll Call

Editorial Team / Moderator · May 15, 2016

I was a graphic designer/desktop publishing/publications manager for a DC-area government consulting firm for a decade. I had a liberal arts Associates degree and was debating doing something in IT since I was (and am) a computer person. Then I decided to become an EMT-B, then a paramedic, and then I chucked the corporate gig (and 50% of my annual income) for an ER tech position. The rest is history.

Funny thing â€” I am finding that I will be using my background in my new trauma educator position because I am starting a trauma newsletter/outreach tool at my hospital, and I am redoing our process improvement forms. It's strange how things come around! I am also finding that despite not taking an informatics job that I was also pursuing, I am definitely using my informatics MSN in this new role as well. I love it!

Congrats to you on your successful transition to your second career! And thank you for your service. I was also military, but as an Army nurse â€” I ETSd this last year. (I am still IRR, I cringe when I get stuff from the Army in the mail because I don't really want to be recalled, lol.)

NotYourMamasRN · May 15, 2016

Hi Pixie.RN,

Thank you for the reply. That is a very interesting background! I completely agree with you about finding use for what was done in the first career, in our professional nursing career. I think with different backgrounds, we tend to think outside to box and find interesting solutions for problems.

Thank you for your service too. When I got my first nursing degree, about 85% of my class was Veterans and about 50% had established careers in completely different fields. It is interesting to see so many different paths drawn to nursing!

We need more informatics nurses, I have been a part of several EMR roll outs and I remember the good ones had a wealth of actual informatics nurses not just super users. You guys are the brains of the operation these days.

Thank you again for sharing!

AceOfHearts<3 · May 15, 2016

I have a material science degree with a concentration in medical textiles. I wasn't using the medical aspect of my degree. I worked for the government in the area of intellectual property. I hated my job, couldn't do the whole windowless office desk job. I had always thought of nursing, so I took the leap and quit my job to go back to school. I've been a nurse for less than a year and despite some hard days I absolutely know I made the right choice. I am so much happier now than I ever was in my prior one.

I'm excited to see where this new career takes me. I foresee myself returning to school part-time in the future. Who knows, maybe I'll even find a way to combine my 2 degrees.

NotYourMamasRN · May 15, 2016

Thank you for your reply!

Many second careers nurses that I have spoke with express the same sentiment, that they are happy they made the change to nursing. I bet you are having way more adventures at work now ;-)

It is definitely exciting to have some many directions and paths to take in this field. It makes it exciting and sometimes overwhelming to reign in and pick a goal. I hope you make the leap to go back for your Master's.

Good luck!

nightstalkerRN · May 16, 2016

I began my adult life in biochemistry and found I hated being in a lab all the time with little human interaction. I went from that to being a radio station disc jockey! When I had young children I actually waited tables for 7 years and then was a stay at home mom for a few years. I decided I really wanted to go back to something science based which is my first love but with human interaction. At 40 I was not the oldest person in my nursing class, which surprised me. We had students from 17 to 52. I believe my life experience makes me a better nurse than I would have been when I was younger. I made the right decision for me and I love my job.

emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B · May 16, 2016

Telcom management for many years, buyout, had prehospital experience for years (hobby if you will), decided to change up careers as i no longer wanted to be in corporate.

TheNurseStudentMom · May 16, 2016

I'm in the insurance industry. I will start RN school in the fall. I'm 44.

Nature_walker, ASN, BSN, RN · May 16, 2016

I was a teacher to students who did not speak English. I taught both kids and adults for years. When common core came in, I walked out. I graduate nursing school next week and have a job lined up in a psych department!

HarleyGrandma, RN, EMT-B · May 17, 2016

I started out to become a nurse 32 years ago, got sidetracked. I fell in love, got married, got knocked up (3x), got in debt :roflmao:

Babysitter and bartender when the kids were young, then a corporate meeting planner. All those jobs required thinking on my feet, juggling priorities, redirecting angry clients - good training for nursing!

Once I got my last kid out on her own I went back to college. I just got accepted into the community college RN program for this fall. I remember watching MASH as a kid and I thought Hotlips Hoolahan was the coolest thing ever, I think I've wanted to be a nurse ever since then.

kaiwahine · May 17, 2016

5th grade teacher!!

Ellinursing · May 17, 2016

I was a dental assistent. My official degree was AAS in dental assisting. Originally, I went back to school for dental hygiene and after I got through most of the generals, that we're basically the same, I switched to nursing. I decided to switch for the variety of differnt careers I could do in nursing. I do not regret it at all. I live next to and work for a huge medical facility that allows me to do any nursing specialty that I want. I am starting in a new area on Wednesday and am very excited for the change. I'm not worried because if I don't like it I can finish my year comitment and change it up or I stay in the area for the rest of my nursing career. The skies the limit!