Switching from nurse to daycare teacher??

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Hi guys, really looking for some advice here I'm just not sure what to do with my career right now. Only been a nurse for a year now, have been working in psych/AOD from adults to pediatrics (5 y/o and up) so far. I apologize in advance this is probably going to be a long one. LOL

Love caring for the population but have worked for some pretty crappy employers that made things crappy to make a long story short. Was feeling like I was starting to hate being a nurse/just overall lost and decided to finally listen to everyone's advice and try working in acute care at a hospital to get down the whole NuRsInG sKiLls thing. I literally quit two months in (yeah, still on orientation I KNOW) because I felt like I was going to end up on a 3 day grippy sock vacation myself if I had to work one more shift. 

Overall I'm just feeling like a failure as a nurse because I hate working as one. I know it's a hard time in healthcare right now for everyone AND I happen to be 6 months pregnant and hormonal as all get out which doesn't help, but I just want to give up on the profession as a whole for my mental well being...

 

That being said, I've done a lot of reading about becoming a CDA and it does sound really enticing. I've always enjoyed caring for Littles and wanted to become a teacher before going to school to be a nurse but let friends and family talk me out of it because of the pay quite frankly. I know childcare isn't all butterfly and rainbows but I do think the job better aligns with what I am good at/enjoy doing. Not only that but I could take my daughter with me to work/ save cost of childcare, have a more stable schedule, and potentially not be depressed everyday anymore! LOL I say my happiness is worth the pay cut but I still would just like to hear some confirmation or maybe some guidance, I dunno... I hear all the time about teachers switching to nursing, but was wondering if there was any nurse out there that pursued teaching??? Thoughts? Opinions?? Please go light on the roasting and thanks for taking the time to read!

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Have you considered becoming a school nurse?

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How much of a pay cut would it be to switch careers? How much money do you need to make?

What if you could make more money working once a week per diem as a nurse on a weekend night shift(assuming good shift and weekend differentials, and no need to pay for childcare) than you could as a daycare teacher in a week?

What kind of work did you do before nursing? If you liked it, returning is a possibility.

 

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3 hours ago, Golden_RN said:

Have you considered becoming a school nurse?

I'm definitely interested in school nursing, but don't have the acute care experience in the books to ever get called for an interview ?

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3 hours ago, RNperdiem said:

How much of a pay cut would it be to switch careers? How much money do you need to make?

What if you could make more money working once a week per diem as a nurse on a weekend night shift(assuming good shift and weekend differentials, and no need to pay for childcare) than you could as a daycare teacher in a week?

What kind of work did you do before nursing? If you liked it, returning is a possibility.

 

I've been making roundabout $30/hour as a nurse so far across the board and I've been in a residential treatment center, outpatient clinic and hospital. The CDA jobs I'm looking at are maxed out around $16/hour which is a pretty significant cut? But my fiance just finished up his HVAC school so we are expecting an increase in his pay which does help my cause

Guess I never really thought of the per diem idea, which gives me something to about! Though I feel like because I'm lacking nursing experience it would be hard to find a magical position like that.

I went to nursing school right out of high school and worked as a CNA all through school, so unfortunately healthcare is something I was pushed into and all I've ever known. ? unless I want to go back to working at Taco Bell LOL

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4 hours ago, NursePoopyPants said:

unless I want to go back to working at Taco Bell LOL

Taco Bell might be paying nearly as much as what you quoted for CDA jobs. Fast food in my area isn't far off from that at all. Also, what would the associated benefits be--such as employer contributions to retirement savings, PTO, health insurance, etc.

We each have our own personal priorities so although it is up to you to weigh those out for yourself I think you should continue to mull this over.  Personally I would need to be paid way more than fast food wages in order to not begin to resent the time spent away from my family. I also suspect that about the time you get into the thick of raising your family you will feel that not only is your time valuable but you will want or possibly need the extra income. Things add up, such as college savings, orthodontics, extra-curriculars/lessons/hobbies/social events, electronics, transportation, etc.

And not the least--planning for your own future is crucial. Save and wisely invest as much as you can, starting as early as possible. Not only for your retirement but for the goal of not living paycheck-to-paycheck or being utterly dependent upon whatever job you have at any given time. Having some reasonable degree of financial leeway is an incredible boon to mental/emotional health.

Just a few things to think about.

Good luck with your decision-making!

 

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Only thing I would recommend is keep your license active. You have more choices that way.

Nursing, even if you have hated the particular jobs you have had, will pay the bills and keep food on the table and a roof over your head. If your husband left, died, lost his job or became unable to work, you would have the ability to survive financially as a single parent. 

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13 hours ago, JKL33 said:

Taco Bell might be paying nearly as much as what you quoted for CDA jobs. Fast food in my area isn't far off from that at all. Also, what would the associated benefits be--such as employer contributions to retirement savings, PTO, health insurance, etc.

We each have our own personal priorities so although it is up to you to weigh those out for yourself I think you should continue to mull this over.  Personally I would need to be paid way more than fast food wages in order to not begin to resent the time spent away from my family. I also suspect that about the time you get into the thick of raising your family you will feel that not only is your time valuable but you will want or possibly need the extra income. Things add up, such as college savings, orthodontics, extra-curriculars/lessons/hobbies/social events, electronics, transportation, etc.

And not the least--planning for your own future is crucial. Save and wisely invest as much as you can, starting as early as possible. Not only for your retirement but for the goal of not living paycheck-to-paycheck or being utterly dependent upon whatever job you have at any given time. Having some reasonable degree of financial leeway is an incredible boon to mental/emotional health.

Just a few things to think about.

Good luck with your decision-making!

 

I know I keep going back and forth on the whole thing ? I have an interview tomorrow for another outpatient mental health job which I did enjoy doing before I just had crappy management. Fingers crossed ? 

1 minute ago, RNperdiem said:

Only thing I would recommend is keep your license active. You have more choices that way.

Nursing, even if you have hated the particular jobs you have had, will pay the bills and keep food on the table and a roof over your head. If your husband left, died, lost his job or became unable to work, you would have the ability to survive financially as a single parent. 

Yeah, yeah I'm applying for more nursing jobs now, mostly clinic type jobs and public health stuff which sounds like a better fit for me. Fingers crossed ? 

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Specializes in Critical Care, Rehab.

I just want to say that I understand, truly. I've been a nurse for 7 years. I am strangely burned out on caring. I just accepted a school nurse job & I hope it brings me more sanity. Have you considered pediatric home care? One kiddo at a time, pace is slower, but you gain a good skill set. Pay is decent. And have you actually applied to any school nurse positions? OR, are you assuming you couldn't get offered an interview because of lack of experience? I'm just curious. Mental health is important. Find a way to take care of yourself fully no matter what job you choose. I also agree that you should maintain your license. Best to you. 

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37 minutes ago, quickkarma said:

I just want to say that I understand, truly. I've been a nurse for 7 years. I am strangely burned out on caring. I just accepted a school nurse job & I hope it brings me more sanity. Have you considered pediatric home care? One kiddo at a time, pace is slower, but you gain a good skill set. Pay is decent. And have you actually applied to any school nurse positions? OR, are you assuming you couldn't get offered an interview because of lack of experience? I'm just curious. Mental health is important. Find a way to take care of yourself fully no matter what job you choose. I also agree that you should maintain your license. Best to you. 

There's no schools around me hiring right now ? but I had applied and interviewed for one school nurse position and they didn't hire me because they said they were looking for two years of acute care experience so I guess it just scared me off LOL! Nonetheless I'm going to keep applying for any and all positions that seem like a better fit and pray that someone gives me a chance!! Kind of hard to get hired on anywhere with my soccer ball belly LOL

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Have you considered 1 on 1 nursing care in the school setting? These cases almost always require vent training, but you can get certified at most Children's Hospitals. Most facilities want to keep their RNs right now. Even if you worked 1 day/week. You can keep your license current and also dabble in child care. There are definitely wealthy people hiring nannies for more than $16/hr!

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     My advice is to follow your heart and make the best career move for you.  I think that in the early stages of a major life upheaval such as this, it's helpful to seek others' opinions.  That said, I also feel that after making up one's mind, you should be at peace with the decision and not allow others to guilt or shame you.  On a personal note, I have several nurse friends who have done just that (left nursing for less stressful, albeit less money, jobs).  I also hope to do it myself one day.  Good luck and take care of yourself first!

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