Any thoughts on what I can retrain in?

[Saucysusieisinbed]

I am 41 at a complete crisis over my career. I am a mental health nurse, qualified 20 years great career. Starting as a staff nurse on acute wards, working in lots of areas, CAHMS, ED, rehab, addiction. Cumulative in the role I have been in 11 years ward manager on acute ward. Have absolutely loved it. Now at the point where I feel de-motivated, barely want to go in. Financial insecurity keeps me there.

I want to feel passionate again and I just don’t think it’s in mental health nursing.

I have though about going to train as an RGN, this would open up more options to work abroad. I love being a nurse and as my knowledge is so limited in this area would be really interesting.

Another discipline? I don’t feel swayed in any particular direction.

I’m not particularly academic, but good with people.

Any other RMN’s got out?

I still have 26 years to work so I could really do anything? But what.....

What in 20 years be needed!

Hopeful bump!!

Pathetic bump

Family support for charity. Probably wouldn’t even need to retrain.

Thank you is that what you do?

Law? I’m investigating this tentatively... I was a teacher before I quit and am looking for something to feel passionate about again.

A counselling therapist?

Nope- I Manage charities. The current and previous two both had teams of family support workers. Will post link to one a colleague of mine is recruiting for to give you an idea of what I mean (salary is pro rata- about 25k full time)

www.communityni.org/job/family-support-team-leader-7

I have a law degree- a career in it personally wasn’t for me. Poor pay and conditions unless you are going into high stress type roles.

Floss that does look like something I would be interested in and could do. Wrong area though!

I just feel so burnt out of a career I loved. The thought of another 27 years makes me want to cry!

I assumed it would be wrong area, but loads of local family charities have these kind of roles- and big nationals like Barnardos/ Save the Children. Housing support could be another option.

I'm RMN, specialised in working with the elderly. Within that job and because I like arts and crafts, I moved to a position at a daycare clinic for EMI within the NHS and worked there 3 days a week.
It gave me time to do a horticultural course at college and become a garden designer. Very lucrative cos I maintained the gardens I designed and knew arborists,etc.I could call on for tree work,etc.
SO, I'd suggest you too follow any interests you have and get a second string to your bow.
Hope this helps

Wow aviator that sound amazing.

My interests are spurs and gaming with no apparent career from either of those!

From another mental health nurse - what about training in a particular spoken therapy and working through a psychology d3partment rather than A nursing department? I am a Family Therapist now and I feel passionately about it. It is really interesting.

Or get out of management and back into clinical practice - could you look towards being a nurse consultant? This is my job plan.

OK then, so to concentrate on your 3rd para, it may well be that RGN is the way to go if it would, in fact, open up opportunities to work abroad?

I do really feel I missed out with rgn and want to feel that passion that I know is inside somewhere!

@Saucysusieisinbed

I am Ward Manager in mental health too ... iv worked 20 years in acute inpatients .

Im currently off sick with work related stress and dont currently foresee myself going back.

I have no quality of life , no work life balance, am completely unsupported.

Social work?

Hospice?

If only wow! So you must be feeling pretty similar. Awful eh. Hope you feel better soon

Have you thought about admiral nursing or nursing home management. I'm an RGN now working as a deputy manager in a nursing home and I absolutely love it. And I know RMNs who've done similar. It's very rewarding and the opportunity to create real quality improvement is immense.

Although if you're interested in retaining as an RGN, that too would be worthwhile. You really can do so much with an adult nursing qualification!

Fireworks that’s good for thought.

I always see lots of adverts for nursing home managers often for the same home so imagined it to be tough and that people didn’t last.

Any thoughts on best organisations to work for?

It depends how much you are energised by a challenge and how good you are at leadership, I think. It is very hard work! I can advise against the very big providers. Masses of bureaucracy. Sadly, also very very difficult to run a mostly LA funded home well. Single ownership homes are often seen as risky. I'd advise finding out what the owner/provider is like terms of motivation, ethos etc. Whereabouts are you based?

I did a career change.
The easiest way to decide what type of things to look for is to understand the skills you need to do your current role, then look at other roles that need similar skills (not similar roles necessarily). I say easiest way, this is actually really fucking difficult.

I don't know your job, but I would imagine applicable skills would be attention to detail, delivering at pace (this means having a plan with set milestones and hitting these at the right time), seeing a wider picture, excellent communication, changing and improving existing processes, etc.
Once you have your core skills, you then need to get creative in looking for roles that need those skills.

For me, I was a teacher / head of dept. I have skills in delivering at pace, wider picture, understanding user needs. I moved into digital service design. Not because I have an IT background but because the skills needed to design and deliver a scheme of work for a class are essentially the same as those needed to craft an online service for something.

My teenage daughter suffers from depression and has a brilliant counsellor. She sets her own hours, must earn quite a bit (from what we pay per session) and is an absolute godsend. Your skills would be perfect, I would have thought?