To ask if any of you quit nursing and what you do now?

[Tiptoethr0ughthetulips]

Just that really. Have been a nurse for 13 years, worked in various specialities from ITU to primary care. I can't face another 35 years. If you are an ex nurse what do you do now? How does it compare financially? Did you go back to Uni?

Anyone quit and regret it? Do return to nursing etc?

[squeak10]

Started my owm business

[Tiptoethr0ughthetulips]

Plus it was one on one off full weekends not halves unless doing bank.

[SquinkiesRule]

I'm watching this with interest.
I did a rtp course last year and have only been back working since june, I bloody hate it. I now remember why I got out of working in hospitals many years ago. I trained 30 years ago and was on the district for many years (abroad) I need to go back to that or find a small nursing home that will have dedicated days or nights, not this bouncing back and forth shit, I really do enjoy the old patients I have, I want to give them more than the hospital allows but not at night it makes my migraines more frequent and stronger.

[Tiptoethr0ughthetulips]

lougle how are you finding ITU? I have pondered going back, I think perhaps of all the jobs I have had I at least felt I was able to give the patient my all.

[nethunsreject]

I did. I couldn't hack the conditions any more. Even worse in Scotland than London ime. Sorry, no idea if that is relevant! Anyway, I quit and worked with a parenting charity for about five years. Big pay cut but managed. I'm now 'retired' due to ill health. I'm 43.

[Babyroobs]

I have been nursing for 30 years and this past year have really felt like I needed to quit it for good. I am nearly 50 and just finding it all so incredibly stressful with the shifts ( particularly nightshifts) and quick turnarounds from days to nights etc. The unit I work on is very busy and can't seem to recruit and retain staff, although management are very supportive and most of my colleagues are lovely. I have considered other types of Nursing like community nursing but other nurses tell me things are just as bad there.
When things came to a head recently I applied for a job with my local citizens advice centre as a welfare rights worker and to my surprise was offered the job. The money is a lot lower than I can earn in Nursing but it is something very different and I am going to give it a go whilst doing some bank Nursing work to supplement my income. I'm hoping that some time out from nursing will help me to see clearly what I really want!! I don't want to go through life having done nothing else ( been a nurse since I was 18). I am lucky that our financial situation will allow me to try something else, and can completely understand how people feel trapped as nothing else will pay as well with no experience.

[Glittered]

I've been qualified 8 years and go back in 10 days after 10 months mat leave.
I'm actually looking forward to it. My work friends laughed when I said that.
I'm in A&E and although a different area of nursing would be nice (emergency so stressful) I honestly think.il always be a nurse

[cx5221]

Ive just left and I'm self funding a legal secretary diploma the pay isn't as good initially but with experience you can earn just as much if not more than nursing and there are far more legal secretary jobs going than nursing ones in my local area. I volunteer at a local firm so I can build experience while doing the diploma to make me more employable (hopefully) I've been told due to history of nursing I'll be quite employable in medical negligence law as I know the terminology

[putonyourdancingshoes]

I left midwifery (after 6 months), worked as an HCA for three years and left to go back to uni. I am now in my second year of teaching.. hard work, still stressful but much more rewarding/enjoyable for me!

[Footinmouthasusual]

icy do you know me

Op quit as a district nursing sister after dc2 as incompatible with family life. No degree though as trained in the early 80s.

Had other dcs and started childminding as youngest started school.

A juggle but earned more money and running my own business was great. Loved the kids and the job was just amazing.

Afraid now quit due to increasing paper work and ridiculous interference.

Shame as playing all day and having fun with other people's little people was fantastic.

[Geordiegirl79]

I'm not a nurse (am a teacher) but just wanted to say all you nurses are amazing. I can only imagine how stressful, full on and emotionally draining it must be, adding in changing shifts and being massively underappreciated. Sorry that's not much help to you OP but I wanted to express my gratitude to our nurses, knowing lots will be reading this!

[gillybeanz]

My friend quit nursing for health reasons and is now teaching Health and Social Care at a local college.
She qualified with a PgCE Post Compulsory, after a year ft ,with college placement.
Tough year but 5 years down the line she's a senior member and about 50+

[Quirkyle]

Hi i've abeen paeds nursing for 15yrs. I quit my perment job 1yr ago and have been doing agency. I'm looking to retrain not sure what though. I hate long days, 12 hours with 1hr lunch is awful. I just can't do it. The work load, staffing has made a job I love unbearable.

I'm going to a few open days at my local colleges. I wish someone should tell me my strengths!

[thenightsky]

cx5221 That is a similar path to the one I took. Left nursing after it contributed to me having a breakdown. I walked out with three days' notice and walked straight into a two year diploma course at college where I trained as a medical secretary. I've never been out of work since I qualified, but, sadly, the work is going bad again in the same sort of way... too much work, not enough staff, bullying by doctors and managers, no time for lunch breaks or any breaks. I think the only answer is to get out of the NHS totally, sadly.

[MrsRhettButler]

I also just want to say thank you to all of you nurses, you do an amazing job and I think you're all wonderful
Sorry, no help though...

[NoMudNoLotus]

Thankyou rhett 💐

I am totally emotionally drained from work atm & need brain bleach to deal with the tragedy I meet every day at work , so your post is much appreciated.

[GorgeousPie]

Is nursing overseas an option? I am nursing in Australia - better pay, better nurse/patient ratios, overall a better working environment. I have been nursing for nearly 15 years, and recently spent some time back in the NHS - I found it quite sad really; peers I qualified with and colleagues I worked with seemed so overstretched, frustrated with systems and burned out. It's by no means perfect here but conditions are generally better.

[Werkzallhourz]

Going into occupational health? Could that be an option?

I know many of our Occupational Health bods at work are ex-nurses.

[lougle]

Tiptoe I'm enjoying it. I won't deny it's hard work. Yesterday I was meant to work 07.30 until 20.00, actually worked 7.30 until 20.30 (but would have been there until 21.00 if the nurse in charge hadn't ordered me home instead of trying to help the incoming nurse by getting stuff she needed).

I should have had a 15 minutes break in the morning, 30 minutes for lunch and 30 minutes for supper. Instead I got a 15 minutes break in the morning, 30 minutes at 14.40 and didn't get an evening break at all. No-one's fault, just too many patients became very sick at the same time, including mine, who needed to be intubated unexpectedly.

I do 23 hours per week. That's 2 shifts. It's 50% nights, 50% weekends, roughly. But of course the nights and the weekends can also coincide, so it actually works out quite well. For example, this week I'm on Tuesday and Thursday days. Next week I'm on Saturday and Sunday nights. So I can do a lot of the school runs, etc., still.

I get a lot of training and development without having to fight for it. I'm a year in and already doing the specialist ITU qualification. It is a big commitment though, so it's not for people who just want to find a job they can do and forget about in between shifts.

In terms of income, the high level of nights and weekends make the pay better than most nursing jobs. Also, when I do overtime I get a specialist rate more akin to agency rates even though I'm working in my own hospital (it's cheaper for the hospital than using agency). So a single shift can pull in over £300, which is useful.

Mostly, though, I feel satisfied that I can give my patients the level of attention they need. I still find having 2 level 2 patients more challenging, as do we all. But it is good to be able to focus on your patient and give them the best care possible.

[felinewonderful]

Hi I feel the same, so stressed out with nursing and I think it will only get worse. I am on maternity leave at the moment but feel physically ill at the thought of returning. I know a nurse who went into occupational health and liked it.
I want to do community support/project work with people who have learning disabilities or mental health needs or teaching assistant in a school for pupils with additional needs. I did both these jobs before nursing and enjoyed them, felt like I was doing something useful instead of endless paperwork, supervisions and rota. I am seriously thinking of leaving nursing but it means taking a significant pay cut even though I am only on band 5.

[Headinthedraw]

Thanks Tiptoe. Anyone else done RTN and become a school nurse?Would be interested to hear of your experiences.The ones I work alongside seem pretty happy plus hours seem good if you have children.I'm seriously reconsidering doing my RTN after reading his thread however.

[altiara]

I work with several ex-nurses in clinical research. We run clinical trials and our teams go out to hospitals/GPs to train staff on the trial and then go back regularly to check the data collected.
We also work with the Research Nurses in the hospital who sound like they have set hours more like 9-4 rather than 12 hr shifts. Not to say they have it easy, they have to cram an awful lot into their day but the working hours sound more reasonable.

[mirokarikovo]

I'm not a nurse or ex-nurse but I worked for a long time in universities and discovered that some of the very best Department Administrators came from a nursing background. It's a similar sort of skill set as you need to deal with all sorts or people - clueless undergraduates, overworked post-docs, professors who are unlikely to be absent-minded but can be tricky characters, members of the public. They all need you to do 57 different things by 2pm so there's never a dull moment (and sometimes you have to drop it all to pick up the pieces when a PhD candidate breaks down in your office) but the advantage is that no one dies and you get to go home at 5:20 every day (and the pensions and annual leave arrangements are decent).

[Pineapplemilkshake]

I know a few nurses who have switched roles rather than leave nursing completely - e.g. Some have become disability assessors, practice nurses or occupational health nurses.

[IwasateenagePIPassessor]

e.g. Some have become disability assessors

I'd strongly advise against doing this. It's soul destroying.