Alternative nursing careers

[ChiBox]

I've been qualified for 19yrs. I'm broken and despite doing a degree (as I was an old diploma nurse) in the hope of things changing. I am back in the same position. I can't nurse any longer. What do other ex-nurses do?

Botox and fillers? Your still helping people but to achieve a different outcome.

Or laser hair removal or eye treatment clinics. All employ nurses. No idea of pay or conditions.

I know one who's a medical sales rep.

Everyone I know seems to be going in to Botox and fillers as a way of getting out. Or massage or hypnotherapy.

Thank you, few friends are doing botox, need to look into it, my worry is I'm not that bothered with hair/nails and I don't have the right ' look' . Massage is not my thing!
I'm not an adult nurse so I'm not sure if that limits me. I just need to leave. I've got a year till I renew my Pin so a year to start training.

PIP assessor?

It doesn’t limit you. A few of my paeds colleagues are doing Botox etc.

My sister was a community nurse for years since she was 19/20, was working part time hours as a Band 6. She gave it up and became a full time Band 4 community podiatry assistant a few years ago. She loves her work now.

Have a look at voluntary sector. Places like the Alzheimer's society. Mnd etc all have advisory services. Supporting families in the community. I work for such a charity. Degenerative neurological condition. I work from home flexible hours. Autonomy over my work load. And job satisfaction. I can happily se me working until 67 in this role. Thankful as my pension isn't great.

Legal firms now hire nurses to paginate records and provide advice - if you are in th N West I know Of a few !

CQC inspector

Thank you lots of ideas I wouldn't have thought of. I'm so stressed and my family are suffering. I have spent the last week crying in my car before and after work. I'm not a cryer but I'm under so much stress. I just want to not turn up to work but I can't do that. My saving grace this week was a beautiful letter from a family who were moving to another area.

Could you work at 111 doing phone triage?
Office based, you don’t miss your breaks, money equivalent to higher end of band 6/start band 7, still eligible for NHS pension, etc. Opportunities for home working once competent and with 12 months experience.

I worked there for 2 years, have left now, but it’s okay for a breather and there’s a lot to learn, which might help you find some other paths down the line.

Queenofpain can I ask why did you leave? I have a friend who hated 111.

I left because I’m fairly early on in my career, having qualified in 2013, and eventually I grew bored and wasn’t stimulated enough. My prior A&E experience coupled with the phone triage skills that I’d gained at 111 meant that I was able to apply for a trainee advanced clinical practitioner vacancy at the GP OOH/Urgent Care attached to my local A&E.

I’d consider going back in the future if it worked with my plans/family, or I wanted the opportunity for home working. 111 also have opportunities for Clinical Team Managers and Shift leaders once you’ve done the job for a while, which has barely any patient contact, but just enough to do your revalidation.

Just thought it might be an idea to get you out of this stressy crisis situation and into something a bit more chilled while you make your other plans.

I’ve also seen some band 5 trainee emotional well-being practitioner vacancies advertised for IAPT services recently but depending on what branch of nursing you do, it might be a busmans holiday for you

There are nurses who carry out work for health insurers eg urine and blood pressure for potential insurees.

You could be an assessor of healthcare apprenticeships?

Nursing in an independent school - great holidays!!

School nurse or occupational health?

Lecturer?

One friend is in sales, another did journalism and now edits medical journals.