Nurses who've left the profession

[April241]

I'm a nurse of 10 years thinking about leaving my job.

We're going through a difficult time at home just now and I don't know how to fix it. I work 12 hour shifts with a combination of days and nights and I think thats really beginning to affect me.

Are there any ex nurses around who left the profession and if so what do you do now?

I feel like I'm at such a crossroads and I just don't know what to do. I've recently moved to a new job which is great, I really do enjoy it but I think I'm struggling with the work life balance.

I'm still nursing, but I work in a secure care home with kids and do 9-5. There are all sorts of nursing jobs in unusual locations if you look around.

I have friends who have left nursing. A couple work in various training roles (an NVQ assessed, and another supports student nurses in placements). Another started their own business doing beauty stuff.

Thanks. I've spent hours now looking at various roles, experience/qualifications needed to see what else is out there.

I've always worked in the acute side, theatres/critical care and I'm not degree educated although I'm waiting to complete a second module so that I'll get my degree. A lot of jobs I see are asking for degree level so although it's never held me back in jobs before (probably because I've always stayed in the same type) it could potentially if I'm going down a different route.

Nursery nurse.
Nanny.
Childminder.
Fostering.
Police work/PCSO.
999 call handler.
Teaching assistant.
Social work. (Might be more stressful).
Therapy assistant.
Hotel work.

Come to general practice! were are you in the country?

Public Health?

sparkling in I'm Scotland, would LOVE to be a practice nurse and there were a few jobs advertised recently but all for maximum two years experience as part of a new initiative.

Thanks Serin and Donajimena, I'll have a look into public health!

How about funeral director? I was a nurse then went on to be a FD there's lots of transferable skills & depending on what you work it's 9-5 ( might be some evenings/weekends some get FDs to do on call but some don't).

An FD! That's so interesting!

I left nursing 12 years ago and became a health and safety advisor. I love it!

I retrained as a teacher. Still bloody hard work but no shifts or holiday childcare issues.

I haven’t left the profession but I’m a nurse lecturer. Try to keep your PIN and just explore other jobs you can do as a nurse. It’s vast. Research nurse? Practice nurse? Health visitor? School nurse? Practice educator? Private hospital in clinics?

I was a MH Nurse and re-trained as a Solicitor. It was hard work but I have now been doing that for longer than I was a qualified nurse. I did have a nursing degree which helped as I was able to do the Post Graduate Diploma in Law which is a sort of conversion course. I did the PGDL over two years part-time study in the evenings and weekends. I had a more or less 9 to 5 job with a charity whilst I was studying. It wouldn’t really work around shifts unfortunately.

I love being a lawyer way more than I enjoyed nursing.

Teaching is something I keep coming back to, I actually wanted to be a primary school teacher but started nursing after school while I was looking at college courses, the school careers advisor had said I wouldn't be able to start a teaching courses as I didn't have good enough maths and english grades. Rather than go on to do them in college I went down an entirely different path and started a pre-nursing course and here we are.

I've emailed the SQA for a copy of my certificate to see which grades I have from the pre-nursing course to see if they'd be enough to go on to do the PGDE after I have my degree. From reading the prospectus though it seems like a really competitive course and I worry I wouldnt even get a look in.

Research nurse is something I've never thought of, again without my degree I feel it closes a lot of doors but I should hopefully have that by the end of this year. Nurse lecturer/clinical educator would be excellent, teaching without letting my PIN lapse would be great. I'm really good at teaching and enjoy it, I get a lot of good feedback from students and colleagues so I may just have to work hard at my degree and wait out for education posts.

London and All Magic those are so different! It's encouraging to hear these, feels very much like I'm stuck where I am just now with no way out. Im worrying about a paycut, keeping my family secure with bills etc but I know deep down I need to change something.

I'm working on a funding bid to design a conversion MSc to get more folk into Artificial Intelligence (AI) jobs (ok, it all sounds a bit Dr Who but bear with me). The NHS published a huge report in Feb highlighting the need for AI skills (the Topol Review) and I'd like to target this funding at former nurses and AHPs. If the bid is successful, the course fees will be covered by the £10,000 scholarship and the course is 12-months full-time or 24-months part-time. Is this something any of you ex-nurses would be interested in? I'm just looking to gauge interest at this stage - the deadline for the bid in 10th Jan.