What did you do before nursing?

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I've met more than a few people that have made or are pursuing nursing as a second career. What did you do before? What are the ups and downs in comparison?

I'm not a nurse yet, but since I'm the OP, I'll go first. After being a fast food worker, a pizza cook, and a warehouse worker for Best Buy, I was an intel analyst in the Army, serving everywhere from infantry battalions all the way up to division headquarters. Later, I was a targeting analyst for an established defense firm, and later still for a an upstart company that took the contract from my original bosses. 10 years down the road and seven countries later, I'm knocking out the rest of my pre-reqs before I begin nursing school in January.

I was a Teaching Assistant in Special Education!

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I'm not a nurse yet but I studied History and International studies. Later, I did Early Childhood Diploma Course. I have been a teacher for the past 3years teaching the nursery class. I have been nursing the interest in studying nursing and specializing in pediatric nursing because I love to interact with children.

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Specializes in ED, School Nurse.

In high school, I worked at Burger King and a kitchen supply store chain in Cleveland, Ohio back in the late '80s called Cargo Express. I went to college right out of high school and majored in athletic training/exercise physiology, so my next few jobs were athletic training positions, both as a student and an ATC. I worked in the college setting.

Then my middle child was born at 26 weeks and I stopped working to stay home and take care of her. My plan was to go to nursing school after she started school.

Then I got divorced so my plan-to-be-a-nurse went into action sooner than I originally thought.

I got my CNA certification, and worked as a CNA while I was in nursing school, and graduated from nursing school in 2006 with an ADN.

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I'm still Pre-Nursing, but applying for a direct-entry MSN program this fall. I spent 10 years in the Navy as a Russian and Persian Farsi linguist as well as an airborne intelligence analyst. Since separating from the Navy 3 years ago, I've continued along the same Intel path as a defense contractor, currently serving in the Afghanistan and Iraq missions. It's been an absolutely fascinating job (and a wild ride!), however I knew since I was a teen that nursing was in my future and my ultimate goal. This feels like the perfect time to transition...if they let me in;)

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

I was a graphic designer/desktop publisher, web designer, and editor/proofreader for a government consulting firm for a decade. Became a paramedic when I was 31 and an RN at 36. :)

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Worked at Target in HS. In college I was a advising center receptionist, dog walker/doggie daycare worker, nanny, waitress/bartender and gymnastics coach.

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Specializes in Progressive Care.
I was a bartender and a dance teacher. My first Bachelor's degree is in Dance :)

My BA was in Dance too! I thought I was the only one. :)

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Me Too! I was a concierge at a 5 start hotel. I started off as Front desk and then worked every department to be promoted Guest services manager. I resigned the manager position, because concierge was more flexible, as I began clinical rotations at nursing school. I really did enjoy the perks of that job, meeting many celebrities and receiving all types thank you gifts! I became an LPN in 2008, and am pursuing My BSN now....

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God Bless you. I have also worked in LTC and it is hard. I left for a desk job at a home care agency. I still see patients as needed, but I am doing many things in the office that I enjoy. I do telehealth, INR program, ICD-10 transition and I am a Nurse educator ( and still an LPN!) I hope you can find something that you can enjoy. I know how rough it is when you want to do the right thing and feel that broken. Try homecare! Best wishes

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I empathize with you, just1kelley. I feel a sense of sadness and anger, too, that health care feels a lot more like the corporate world I left, than I anticipated. I suppose the rose-colored glasses are coming off now. Still, I feel nursing should be more than the bottom line. These are people we're caring for, and they deserve the best of us, not just the rushed and hurried moments of passing meds and quick assessments.

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Specializes in Dementia.

I started my first nursing job at 25. Before that I quit my CNA of about 2 years for nursing school. Before my CNA job (and a little bit while I worked the CA job), I was working retail in the mall, which was fun because I'm a shop a holic.

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Specializes in School Nursing, Hospice,Med-Surg.

Got my BA in Spanish. Got married while hubby was still in college so I ended up being an administrative assistant in a home health care agency while he finished.

I fell in love with what those RNs were doing and started nursing school as soon as hubby got his first job. While I went to school I worked in local doc offices as a floater doing office work (front office and filing) then as a Patient Care Tech in the hospital.

Spanish & nursing worked together very well in some locations where we've lived (we move a lot!)

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