Switching from Engineering to Nursing? Worth it?

I was a high tech management consulting executive (Accenture, PWC, Oracle, etc) before becoming an NP.  Started nursing school at age 53.  Best career decision ever made.

However, only you know if nursing is a good career for you.  I suggest you try to find a way to shadow some RNs, talk to them, etc., to get a feel for if this is a good fit.  

Something I did was take a course through the Red Cross (many community colleges also offer this) to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).  Some places call this a "tech."  When you take the course, you will have to complete clinical time in a nursing home, providing hands-on pt care.  This is a good way to see if you are OK with this.

This is also a good credential b/c many nursing students work part-time as a CNA while in school.

Also, make sure you carefully research nursing pay in your area.  If you are willing to relocate, CA pays the most and has the best overall working conditions.  

Good luck

2nd career nurse here. First degree was in Computer Science. I don't think I ever loved my job, but it paid the bills. Until a company bankruptcy and mass layoffs. I had seen it coming and had started taking prerequisites for nursing school. Graduated at 48 and have never regretted it. 

Ado Annie said:

2nd career nurse here. First degree was in Computer Science. I don't think I ever loved my job, but it paid the bills. Until a company bankruptcy and mass layoffs. I had seen it coming and had started taking prerequisites for nursing school. Graduated at 48 and have never regretted it. 

You raise a good point.  High tech was so volatile - constant layoffs, no matter how well a company was doing.  As an NP, I don't have to deal with that.  Given the high demand for healthcare, it is rare for providers to be laid off, and if they are, it is generally easy to get another position.

Just make sure you understand the physicality of nursing.   If you are used to working in an office and suddenly on your feet for 12 hours it can be a shock to the system.  I retired from the military in 2022 where I was Army RN for 20 years. Now I just work part time and I know as I get older for sure I don't think I could handle full time nursing.  I do 16-24 hours a week ICU and even that can be a lot.  Also when new you will more than likely be on nights. One good thing I guess you could go back to your current career if you don't like nursing. 

I was an engineer for many years before making the switch.

I didn't switch due to passion nor any other high-minded reasons... mine was purely pragmatic... looking for a stable job with a decent return-on-investment.

Nursing has been that for me. In contrast to my engineering career, not one single time have I had to consider whether I might be employed next year. Neither have I seen a colleague get laid off. While engineers around the country were getting furloughed or terminated during the darkest times of COVID, I was working continuously and earned more than I ever have. Further, I get paid for every bit of time that I work... no more of this uncompensated overtime.

If you're thinking about it due to passion or mission, be careful... this is a high-burnout kinda gig.

that's a big decision, and it's great that you're giving it serious thought. Switching from software engineering to nursing is definitely a shift, and it's totally normal to go back and forth on it—especially when you've got a good job in tech.

If you're feeling drawn to healthcare and can't stop thinking about it, that's something worth paying attention to. Nursing is a completely different field with its own set of challenges and rewards. It can be incredibly fulfilling, especially if you're passionate about helping people and making a direct impact on their lives. But yeah, it's also a different kind of stress compared to software engineering—there's the physical and emotional demands of the job, plus the fact that you're dealing with people's health and lives every day.

The good news is that if you do decide to switch, nursing is a field with solid job security and a lot of opportunities. And with your background in engineering, you might bring a unique perspective to the healthcare field, especially as technology continues to play a bigger role in medicine.

One thing to consider is maybe shadowing a nurse or volunteering in a healthcare setting to get a feel for what it's really like. It might help you decide if it's truly what you want.

At the end of the day, it comes down to what's going to make you feel fulfilled. If nursing is something you're passionate about and you can see yourself being happy doing it long-term, it might be worth exploring the switch. Just remember to weigh the practicalities—like the time and money needed to go back to school, and how the lifestyle and stress levels will differ.

Whatever you choose, it's important to do what feels right for you. Good luck with your decision!

I would not have what it takes to go into engineering and I think it's amazing that you did that, just wanted to get that out of the way first. Second, I think you should talk to a nurse in real life. Ask them about their day and the tasks they do. I think you should talk to an older nurse and a younger nurse. Nursing is very physical, turning, repositioning, transferring, showering, toileting. You have to be OK with seeing and smelling body fluids and not running away. You have to be OK with seeing people and their families at their worst almost every day.  I am not saying every nursing job is like that, I worked in mental health for a bit and there is not as much of that there. Also there are other jobs like education. Regardless I think you should also considert hat in most cases you will have to work shift work and weekends. So if you are OK with structuring your work like that then yes. But your heart has to be in it - it's not for everyone and that's OK. 

Hello,

I know I am a little late to the thread, but  what do you think you will end up doing? 

I am currently a biomedical engineer, very likely to change to nursing as I just got accepted into my dream school. I also like my job enough, but don't think it is very fulfilling sitting in front of a computer all day. I thought about changing career to a healthcare field for the last couple years. After talking with a family friend who has been a nurse for decades, I decided to apply to nursing school. It is so reassuring to read about other's experiences in the thread.

Since I've been out of school a little too long, I need to take 4 prerequisite classes in the next 6 months and am thinking about going part time if my company will let me. We have a toddler, so financially, I want our family to be stable. Any previous experiences on what you did 6 months ish or suggestions prior to nursing school would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you

hi! 

Thank you everyone for your replies! I really appreciate it. I have not made a move to go back to school. Not that I don't think about it. I think about it a lot ! I just am not sure. I can't afford to go back to school full time and doing nursing school part time doesn't sound very doable at least to me. I'm also scared because it's so different from what I do now. I'm in a good placw in my current career so I guess I am getting a bit comfortable. And as everyone said the nature of the job is so different, I might not be able to adapt. So still thinling about it but no steps taken.

@Kitty_BabyBoy_MomI did take some prereqs though! Be careful with anatomy and physiology- it's not difficult just a lot of volume. Try to study ever 2-3 days. I did good so I'm sure u will too ?  Good luck if you decide to go for it! 

I am currently a software engineer in the midst of trying to switch to nursing/midwifery (pending school acceptances...)! So I can't speak to the transition or make comparisons yet, but a lot of the reason is that I'm sick of fake deadlines and dedicating my time to things that ultimately don't matter and may not be beneficial to society (depending on where you work as a SWE, you might even be actively causing detriment to society). I also like more physical jobs and hate the sedentary nature of software engineering. Would love to chat more but I don't know how to send direct messages on here!

Hi,

Feel free to just ask questions on here, in the thread.  You will get more answers and interest vs. PMing an individual.

Nursing isn't for everyone, as the others have stated, it's A LOT of work and time on your feet, as well as stress (there are lower stress options though).   I only did nursing as a back up career to EMS, knowing my body could be one injury away from not being able to do it anymore, or getting too old to do the 24 hour shifts etc.  I am very thankful I had it as a back up as the private ambulance company I worked for got bought out by another company, it became quite toxic and awful, as well as poorly run to the point that I knew they were going to loose the six town 911 contract I worked in (they have now lost it permanently as of next month, and will be laying off EMTs and paramedics or relocating them to other bases).  I jumped ship two years ago, because I didn't want finding a nursing job to be an emergency (and the perfect job in my preferred specialty opened up) and have to settle for something I did not like (which encompasses most nursing jobs, LOL).  Anywho, the point is that there are plenty of nursing areas to choose from, I do vascular access nursing which involves hardly any of the normal duties that most nurses perform (bed baths, clean ups, med passes.. not for me!).  I learned earlier in my nursing career that typical nursing jobs are not for me, I am just not the hand holding type (unless it's handholding while we place your PICC or USG IV)!    

I would say, do some self reflection and make sure you are the type of person that is OK with all of the duties that come with nursing, a lot of them are not so pleasant, and you cannot escape them until after nursing school and doing your time.   Also, unfortunately, most hospitals do not seem to utilize midwives in the US, so you will be doing more home deliveries in the US than hospital, which has significant liability, very significant, OB in general is a very high liability area!  I would do research on that prior to starting your path towards midwifery!  As others have suggested, shadow a nurse if you are able to, and see if you may like it.  If you cannot shadow spend some money on a EMT certification and work as an ER tech, or CNA license if floor nursing is more your cup of tea (unfortunately most L and D floors do not use CNAs except for secretarial and stocking type duties, most of them are hands off in L and D).    Another limitation, and something that has limited my options (I would LOVE to get into NICU/PICU) is that I don't tolerate night shift as a nurse, and as a new grad you may be stuck on nights for a year or two depending on the unit.  It SUCKS bad having to stay awake ALL NIGHT running, and having to spend the day of your shift TRYING to sleep so you can stay up all night and then spending the next day trying to sleep all day to make up for being up all night!    Make sure you are someone that can still manage and be happy with that life style, especially since most babies are born at night. 

Up to you if you go to school, you at least have another career to fall back on, but would be expending a lot of money and time for nothing if you end up not likely it.  

TBH I look at EMS openings daily because I would do anything to find a municipal paramedic job (mostly fire based EMS here, and I really don't want to be a FF) and get back in the box, as that's more my type of work, but for now I am just grateful to have a nursing job that pays the bills and is tolerable, and close to home with a good work/life balance!   

Best of luck with your decision!

Annie