What can you do with a nursing degree if you dont want to nurse any more?

[EachandEveryone]

My poor friend is so stressed i hate seeing her like this. She went back to uni as a mature student and I positively encouraged her as i know shes a wonderful nurse. Its only been a year and she hates it, hates the 12 hour shifts and the way the off duties done, hates the back stabbing amongst staff and being treated like a child. Apparently they regularly get pulled into the office to do little tests under the guise of audits. Her manager is amazing but cant control the way the staff talk to each other. She adores her alzeimers patients thats not the problem. She just wants to be away from the wards but doesnt want to travel more than 45 mins tonwork. Shes physically sick the night before and has an appointment at the gp (she is already on meds) Any ideas?

Working for benefits agency doing assessments. Same for insurance companies?

Specialising in something like infection control, blood transfusion? Clinical education?

She’s lived in London for ten years and with a charity. Retrained only been qualified a year. I guess it’s a crossroads for her re starting a family and changing jobs another reason why she’s now reluctant to just leave the nhs is the generous mat leave. She’s worried about having difficulty conceiving and has already said she’s better off in London if that’s going to be the case. Like I say she plans every thing so her hating the wards has really thrown her.

Iv been qualified 20 years and nursing is the most awful iv ever known.

It is intolerable and is sapping me of my personality and quality of life.

I am also trying to leave entirely.

Medical sales. She needs to approach pharmaceutical companies. Or clinical research associate? Kind of audit work on clinical research trials. Useful to have medical knowledge. She should look at the big pharmas like Roche, Johnson, glaxo, Pfizer. And their outsourcing companies, iqvia, covance, q2, ppd, etc

If I was her I’d do agency nursing for a bit, suss our loads of different areas, get a heads up regarding any jobs coming up.

Locum work. Every job is different and the money is better.

She needs to talk to her amazing manager about how she's feeling. There are other contexts to work in, clinics, day hospital and community teams.
There may be opportunities within her trust that she's not aware of. Practice development nurses also have a lot of knowledge and contacts.

Aldi graduate management scheme.
Just so long as she has a 2:1.

Health visiting, care home nurse, outpatients nurse, bank nurse (12 hour shifts but she can pick and choose what shifts to accept)

Non clinical roles in health care bands 5-7

Clinical applications specialist? They teach nurses how to use new equipment, medical devices etc. Lots of travelling though. Band 6-7 pay.

I’m assuming she’s mental health if she has Alzheimer’s patients so district nurse/ practice nurse aren’t options. She could be a community nurse in band 5 or 6 (no extra qualication needed for band 6 btw)

Oh, and I know community nurses who use public transport.

There’s far more to nursing than ward work. Has she even looked for jobs?!

Only qualified a year will limit her in terms of more senior jobs that will require more experience but there’s loads she can do. Has she looked at nursing homes if she likes caring for older people? Community work? Hospice work? Charity nursing? Or even a change of environment within her trust, she needs to speak to her manager. I expect they’d rather redeploy her than lose her.

A CRA in the pharmaceutical sector, as stated up thread is a good option.

School nurse would mean only working term time, a huge plus!

My friend found the wards very tough as well. She got a job in a private clinic in London taking bloods for patients that go for hormone checks or something . Maybe something like that? She's paid a lot more working there part time 9-5 three days a week than full time on the wards .

I would suggest a career in Occupational Health or other HSW role. There are plenty of jobs around and the development potential is very good.

At the moment she just wants to be away from nursing ive never seen her so down.

‘I’m assuming she’s in mental health is she has Alzheimer’s patients’

Not necessarily. Adult nurses work with patients with dementia too.

How about working for an organisation that supports nurses, like the royal college of nursing or a charity where a nursing perspective would be useful (eg Macmillan, cancer research, British heart foundation?)

I agree with a PP. Nursing is truly horrendous at the moment. Not easy at all, especially if you are newly qualified and this is all you’ve really seen of it. At least if you’ve got a few years under your belt, there’s a slight sense of ‘this too shall pass’.

General ward nursing is truly the hardest and least recognised and respected area of the profession. The shifts (and the shift changes) are relentless and the work is hard. Patient safety feels like it is on a knife edge thanks to insane staff:patient ratios. Thank goodness that there are nurses who are prepared to nurse on the wards (and some who even LOVE it). Bless them, every single one.

First aid trainer?
BLS trainer?
Manual handling trainer?

You get the idea...

School matron (already suggested I know), ours works 9-5, she is pretty much her own boss, wears her nurse uniform, eats in the dining hall at lunch. Nice job.

My only word of warning re school matron and HV roles is that though the hours are good, they are very heavy on child safeguarding (yes even private school nurse jobs). The work can be very emotionally draining, that needs considering and researching properly before going in. It isn’t just delivering the 0-5 programme or putting plasters on scraped knees.