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Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

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Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

The staffroom

From Nursing to Teaching?

33 replies

Gomoza2018 · 14/10/2019 17:43

Hello all ... has anyone transitioned from Nursing to Teaching or is this a case of jumping out of the frying pan & into the fire? After a year in Nursing I’ve come to the realisation that I don’t enjoy it one bit ... please help - I need a way out .....

OP posts:

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FairyBatman · 14/10/2019 17:44

Funnily enough when I read the title my first thought was frying pan to the fire!

Sparklepunk · 14/10/2019 17:45

So was I!

TheVanguardSix · 14/10/2019 17:46

I was just thinking the absolute same: 'From the frying pan into the fire'!

noblegiraffe · 14/10/2019 17:47

There was a thread recently where ex-nurses where coming on and saying teaching was more stressful than nursing.

Would you be primary or secondary?

BeagleMomma · 14/10/2019 17:47

I did! Paediatric nursing to primary school teaching. I had so many transferable skills I got right into Uni. Never looked back!

It is harder than nursing in my opinion though. At least with nursing there's no work to take home.

Gomoza2018 · 14/10/2019 18:51

I honestly don’t know maybe primary over secondary....trouble is teaching is getting just as much bad press as nursing so I’m in limbo 🤣🤣

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Gomoza2018 · 14/10/2019 18:53

At the same time I just can’t stomach nursing ... I almost quit a few times as a student on placement but because I like to finish what I’ve started I just persevered through the storm ... but my stomach literally gets knots at the thought of going into work .... plus I really suck at practicals ....

OP posts:

quincejamplease · 14/10/2019 18:55

Um, this does not sound like the best idea.

DippyAvocado · 14/10/2019 18:56

Different challenges. Obviously in teaching you aren't responsible for life and death, there are no night shifts, but it is a very heavy workload during term-time and subject to constant scrutiny. What is it you don't like about nursing?

Rubywhoo · 14/10/2019 18:59

I think to do teaching you need to be sure you want to do it. However I also think that applies to nursing too.
I did a different healthcare degree a few years ago OP and honestly, the things I saw on placement will stay with me forever (not envy!!). So I absolutely understand your dilemma.

But I’m not convinced that teaching is necessarily the answer based on what you’ve said. Both are highly stressful and mentally and emotionally draining.

Piggywaspushed · 14/10/2019 20:11

Can I echo dippy's question? What are your issues with nursing? It may be very discrete issues which don't arise in teaching (eg we don't work shifts!)

Bagsalot · 14/10/2019 20:15

Have you thought about diversifying in nursing. Lots of jobs aren't shift work or maybe less clinical. Research nurse or health visitor maybe or school nurse. Depends on what you dislike about nursing. I am a nurse btw.

EstebanTheMagnificent · 14/10/2019 20:17

School nursing? Boarding school matron? Health visitor?

Gomoza2018 · 14/10/2019 21:33

Thanks for all your responses.... what I don’t enjoy about nursing is mostly everything really apart from the time I spend talking to patients.... I don’t enjoy the immense pressure, mounds of paperwork, continuous repetitive training courses, the attitudes of fellow stressed colleagues, it’s a thankless, back breaking job! I changed jobs twice trying to rule out my environment & I have recently got a bank job in a care home but still nothing is geling for me ... I just feel like it’s not for me .... I actually feel envious when I see other people visibly enjoying their roles & I wonder why I can’t be like that .... at the same time there are those colleagues who clearly do not like the profession as well but we all feel stuck .... sorry to moan .... 😩

OP posts:

Gomoza2018 · 14/10/2019 21:37

Also another thing is I feel like I’m all talked out .... tired of having to smile & be jovial even on days when I would rather be quiet .... maybe I’m just burnt out .... I’m just tired ....

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noblegiraffe · 14/10/2019 21:40

I feel like I’m all talked out .... tired of having to smile & be jovial even on days when I would rather be quiet

Oh then teaching is not your saviour. It’s all ‘fantastic Billy, you’ve got your pen out, now let’s see if you can write the title and date’

Gomoza2018 · 14/10/2019 21:46

🤣🤣🤣🤣
You’ve got a point there! Maybe a research job .... honestly desperation makes one think of all sorts of things ...

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UrbanMage · 14/10/2019 21:57

Honestly? You state:

I don’t enjoy the immense pressure, mounds of paperwork, continuous repetitive training courses, the attitudes of fellow stressed colleagues, it’s a thankless, back breaking job

It's the same in teaching. I've been doing it 12 years and I spend more time on paperwork, marking and in meetings than I do teaching the actual teenagers. Not to mention the fact it's not so much that you're giving them "subject/exam info" bit being their councillor, parent, boundary enforcement etc etc.

And as for being talked out... Let's just say I have nights where I can't string a sentence together.

Basil90 · 14/10/2019 22:02

I'm in the same boat as you OP. I so so so want to leave nursing but I'm in a senior position and would likely have to take a pay cut to be able to do anything else. I feel trapped

fedup21 · 14/10/2019 22:08

Of all the thousands of jobs out there, why would you look at joining another one that is as thankless, pressurised, miserable and pressurised as the one you’re in??

What appeals to you about teaching?

Gomoza2018 · 14/10/2019 22:10

I relate with your pain.... sometimes I feel I don’t even have enough left for my own family ....

OP posts:

SleepyKat · 14/10/2019 22:11

After one year in nursing isn’t it a bit soon to say it’s not for you? Look at other areas, there are so many and they vary so much it’s like a different job.

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SleepyKat · 14/10/2019 22:13

You could try and find a nice little 9-5 job in something like infection control, clinical education team, tissue viability nurse......?

Gomoza2018 · 14/10/2019 22:14

To be honest I feel it’s even more stressful in a senior nursing position ... juggling the rota, the people politics & having to be exemplary 24/7 is hard .... but I think with your experience it might be easier to move into other areas? How long can we survive this? I’m really at my wits end & my fear is the longer I stay the more trapped I will feel .... do you have any ideas at the moment?

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katycb · 14/10/2019 22:14

The things you don't like about nursing are largely why loads of teachers are thinking about leaving teaching! Funnily enough I keep thinking of going from teaching to nursing but I reckon that it would be a frying pan fire scenario!

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