Teacher/nurse/midwife/paramedic/social worker

[Niffler29]

I am looking to go college/university next year. I am nearly 30 and I am a single parent to 11 year old DS. I have always wanted to return to education as my current job, as much as I love it, offers no progression and is poorly paid. I just don’t really know 100% what I want to do and any friends I talk to in the above professions don’t sound very happy there 🫣.

I know they all come with extreme difficulties but there are a few for each that concern me slightly more:

• Teaching - I’ve been reading online that newly qualified teachers are struggling to get permanent positions are their first year and end up having to relocate. This wouldn’t be an option for me and I would be worried about working my ass off for years to just not be able to get a job at the end of it.

• Nursing - I’ve read and heard a lot about bullying in the workplace being really common which is the main thing that puts me off.

• Paramedic - Friend’s have advised me that in the beginning when you get a position your shift pattern can be all over the place as you will almost be covering colleagues holidays until a permanent shift pattern opens up.

Can anyone who works in those professions shed any light on their experiences? I want to find a career where I am helping people in need, something that I can be proud of doing and that will make my son proud of me but preferably something that doesn’t destroy my mental health at the same time. If such a thing exists! Thanks in advance for any advice.

One place to start would be to get yourself to some university open days. You can find out what’s available locally and how those particular programmes are structured.

You could also consider other allied health professions. Lots of them have more 9-5 hours at least during training and then variable depending on what path you take after qualifying.

Have you done this quiz? It might give you some ideas about other options you might not have thought of.
www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/findyourcareer

Occupational Therapy! It’s the best job in the world.

Check out LSF: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-learning-support-fund-lsf

I’m a nurse and looking to leave at the moment. Wish I had done occupational therapy or speech and language therapy much more patient centred care and one to one with patients. Also hours are more 9-5 min fri

I'm a second year adult nursing student. It is an incredibly diverse field tbh, but you need to really want to do it. Jiggling the degrees academic stuff with families and placement is problematic for a lot of people, but it is incredibly rewarding and their are wonderful moments. Bitchiness wise I have come across it, and some nurses and HCAs seem to really hate students for some reason and I can absolutely guarantee you WILL have a placement (if not more than one) where you cry every night at the thought of going back.
However, there are also supportive, friendly and tight teams who will endeavour to make you love it as much as they do and who love having you there.

Oh and I came from animals too - I'm 38 and spent all of my career working with horses!
I'd have a real think about nursing if I were you.

Teacher and a single parent here.

I would not recommend it as there is a lot of extra work that goes with it which often needs to be done in the evenings or weekends, especially for the first couple of years.
As a single parent it is almost impossible to juggle everything.

I am planning on leaving the profession by Christmas until my DD has left school.
I’ve only stayed as long as I have due to covid and worrying about getting a new job before a lockdown.

If this is something you want to do then I’d wait a couple more years personally.

And instead I’d look for a job which has set hours and you don’t need to take your work home with you.

I’m a nurse, helping people is alright, but if I had my time again I’d go and do whatever qualification was needed to become a banker with a massive bonus.

The warm fuzzies don’t pay bills or provide any cushion of wealth to soften the blow of all the bullshit you’ll have to put up with.

Have you looked at becoming an occupational therapist? I am a nurse and work closely with occupational therapists, if I had known about that career path before doing nursing, I would of chosen that instead.

agree with @Clairejay34 , OT, PT or even ultrasound, xray tech, maybe i would have been supper gutsy and done biomedical tech (fixing and updating fancy medical machinery)

I think if OP had the qualifications or financial/time resources to be looking at dentistry school she’d have posted about whether she should should consider dentistry or medicine or veterinary science or law, etc. They’re all a level up in terms of cost to train, length of training, academic expectations and in just about every other possible way, from the professions that she has asked about.

An “ultrasound tech” or “X-ray tech” is a Radiographer.

Can I suggest dental hygienist / therapist. The pay is good and it’s in demand although some hygienists say it’s very monotonous.

What about one of the allied health professions OP?

OT, Physio, Speech and Language Therapy, Radiography etc

I'm a nurse and I wouldn't encourage anyone to do it unless you have a real burning desire for it and are going in with your eyes open - I'm trying to get out!

fairgame84 · Today 19:36
Have you considered being a speech and language therapist?
There is a shortage of them in the hospital where I work. I can imagine it could be a really rewarding job, albeit with the difficulties that come with working in the nhs.

my friend has a private speech therapist for her daughter who charges 75£ an hour as the nhs one was 20 min therapy twice a year. The child has made huge progress. i think this is also a good and very valuable career option.

I'm also an AHP

PT/OT are increasingly being pushed towards 7 day service.
My friend is a MH OT and loves it and the times are quite flexible and no weekends. Hospital and crisis teams tend to work till 8 or 10pm and weekends due to pressures to discharge pts.
OT can be quite misunderstood which can be frustrating. A physio friend said they often had to go to lectures in shorts and crop tops!

As a nurse I never encountered any bullying. Nursing offers so much scope these days. If you enjoy studying and you are ambitious, there’s ample opportunity to progress.

I e looked but can’t see if you have a degree or not. If not, I’d recommend teaching in either maths or science or English as all these subjects need teaxhers. You could do a degree in a relevant subject and then a pgce or some other route. I love teaching.

Where did they train, Love Island?!

As others have said, something like Speech and Language Therapy or Occupational Therapy could be brilliant, or maybe something like a portage worker?

This job quiz is excellent, I recommend it a lot to people who I work with, it could be worth doing to see what comes up! www.prospects.ac.uk/planner

I’m a mental health social worker in a community mental health team. I love it, but I do a lot of my admin in my own time ie. evenings and weekends to try and keep on top. It annoys my husband and causes issues sometimes with him that I have to work in my own time but it’s my job!! X

I’m a midwife but certainly wouldn’t train if starting over. Long unsocial hours, a lot of politics. Massive effect on mental health and unable to provide the care you should be able to give and always wondering what if?

'Anything you do earn you lose an eye-watering amount in tax'.

I don't understand this...?! Paramedics aren't taxed any differently to anybody else.

That was for @bakewellbride

😏
They have to wear the shorts and crop tops so they can get hands on with muscle groups etc. It's quite standard for physio courses.

Where did they train, Love Island?!

And this is one of the reasons that asking the general public for careers advice is not a good idea!

As a Pp mentioned it's so students can access, see and work on particular parts of the body. You can't see how a shoulder or knee works if it's covered up.
Physio departments will talk about this as part of the recruitment process so it's not a shock when they ask you to come in wearing shorts and a vest/sports bra.