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?

Don't know if it's been said but occupational health is a good field to train into I think.

You can work for OH companies, (so not NHS) and either see people who are off sick from work or phone them up. Then you write reports about what the situation is so that their employer can plan cover etc. Or you can go to businesses and do basic medicals, hearing tests (health suveillance).

It's never urgent so can be done part-time, sometimes people work from home doing it. Often you can choose your hours. It's reasonably well paid. And there's loads of work.

There are often training jobs available for qualified nurses; I'm not sure but I think you can study for a diploma in OH.

My answer was for Headinthedraw don't do it

I quit nursing and went to university to do a joint honours degree in Music and Politics. During this time, I met dh, and we married when I graduated.

I did go back to nursing before having ds1, and between having ds2 and ds3, but once I had three to put in nursery, the costs would have eaten up all of my take-home pay, so I quit for good and became a SAHM.

Since then I have done a bit of casual work as a school librarian, and in the school's reception, and some exam invigilation, but none of these turned into a career. I am now a full time housewife, and I couldn't go back to nursing even if I wanted to (which I don't) because my registration has lapsed, and I am too old and fat to do the job any more - I couldn't be on my feet for a whole case (I was a theatre nurse).

When my DC started school I got an outpatient post in midwifery. I had regular hours and no weekends etc. Did that for ages, gradually carving out a specialist role which was interesting.

Other such options are Day Surgery posts. Ours is wonderful and the staff look really happy.

My friend is a school nurse at an independent senior school and loves it, to balance the horrors above. She also got her DC educated at a lower rate.

Other mates are practice nurses, sexual health or family planning and HV. One has done her MSc and is now a commissioner for a large pct ( ? New name, I'm out of it now).

Another one is to train in secretarial skills and become a medical secretary. You'd be popular due to knowing medical terms.

Think wide and long term. If you are unsure keep enough hours to keep your registration live.

I worked in mental health for 13 years, first as a nursing assistant (as we were called all those years ago ), which I carried on doing whilst I did my nursing degree. Qualified in 1996 and went straight to work for a MH charity, first doing research and then street outreach work with vulnerable people. Did that for a good few years but went to law school at night and am now a solicitor, in a completely unrelated field. I only worked as a qualified nurse within the NHS for about 4 months. It wasn't for me.

Over the years I have met several former nurses who are now solicitors or legal executives, especially in personal injury/ medical negligence.

Have you thought of moving to the private sector op?
I know quite a few nurses who have started working for BUPA and loved it.

Thanks for all the responses and sorry for delay in replying (work 😳). You've given me some food for thought.

Abroad isn't an option as my husband is main earner and very settled here in his job.

Occupational health I would consider, I'm going to sit with NHS jobs open and have a good look for different avenues within nursing.

Ideally I do want out altogether but I'm not sure my family is complete yet and it might be wise to stay in NHS until I'm done having babies.

I've been nursing for just three years and already know I don't want to do this forever. However my children are young and I have negotiated my shifts so that we don't have to arrange childcare. What I get paid for two shifts a week is a good second wage so I can't complain.

Once that children are a little older I'll be looking at other opportunities which is sad as I worked so hard to become a nurse but I don't feel like I am able to give it my all due to time restraints and staff shortages.

I started nursing at 18. I quit after 18 months as it wasn't for me. After various customer service roles and an OU degree, I did a PGCE and became a primary teacher, which I've been doing for 16 years. Can't imagine doing anything else, I love it.

It's often easy to forget the good aspects, like the ease of part time work, no bringing work home and relatively good pay compared to admin jobs.

If you aren't qualified in anything else you are often competing with young graduates who generally are more flexible than yourself and often will work more hours.

I haven't left nursing personally but how about considering something that still uses your qualification such as working for a drug company or going into research (not necessitate within a hospital but independently for a university or pharmaceutical company). Some charities such as the British Heart Foundation have roles for nurses that are not patient contact. I am still in clinical nursing but also do some part time work from home for the health ombudsman- would you consider something like that?

What are your options for re-training, OP?

I'm not a nurse, but a hospital OT. I often think that I get all the perks and none of the shit of being a nurse. Same pay (often better), no real shifts - certainly no nights at least as weekend working is creeping in for therapists, lots of patient contact but never at the really tragic moments of death, extreme pain etc.

OT can be done part-time, as can physio. Dietetics is probably similar. I occasionally regret not going down the speech and language therapy path.

i left mental health nursing when i became pregnant with my first son 15 years ago-i could not face going back to all the stress abuse and long unrewarding shifts.i bravely applied for RTN got an interview then saw the tests would be so bottled it-my confidence has disappeared and i could find no support anywhere from the university i applied to. Its a shame all those skills i gained will never be used again and i have no idea what else i could do.

I agree that there are good aspects especially part time working. I currently job share and my boss is very flexible. The job I do is by no means the worst job I've ever had but...I dread going in. I'm 32 and have a long time to work. Does everyone dread going to work, is this just normal?

I look around at friends who have a variety of different jobs and noone seems quite as fed up as the nurses.

I may start doing some bank again and checking out different things.

In an ideal world if money need not be considered I'd work in a museum/ NT property and or work with animals.

My dh is a nurse most go into to related roles

My firiend in on the trust health bord
Oh any one thinking sw will be less stressful they will be gutted as I work in Ss

Op why don't you try working in a clinic is much easier my husbands runs one two days a week it opens at 9 and closes at 4.45 each day no weekends on evenings

How about becoming a school nurse I don't mean a coummity nurse I mean a school nurse there are serval jobs in my local la for one its shot pay but you get all the Hoildays and spend the day giving out inhalers

How about becoming a school nurse I don't mean a coummity nurse I mean a school nurse there are serval jobs in my local la for one its shot pay but you get all the Hoildays and spend the day giving out inhalers

This is normal most people hate there job

My sister is a job delivers sex education training in the LA and loves it she actually really loved working at Marie stops as well but had to leave as kept getting attacked by those anti abortion nuts

How about working for a medical devices or pharmaceutical company as a Clinical Nurse Specialist? You'd help the sales reps deliver training and education to customers (usually other nurses), get the perks of a medical rep job without selling (private health, company car, phone, lunch allowance) and be supported in maintaining your PIN and CPD. I trained as a physio but went into sales and what I earn now before bonus is more than top end of band 7. PM me if you want some info, I could point you in the direction of which companies are good to consider or avoid completely.

• and I am the same age as you OP

My DH left nursing due to stress and a chronic pain condition (no official diagnosis but arthritis and muscle pain plus other connective tissue issues). He worked pt as a nurse while doing architectural technology degree full time. Graduated when DC 1 was nearly 2 and walked straight into a job due to doing so well on the degree.

Starting pay was about £14 k but 7 years later he is earning more than a Band 5 with an annual bonus. No shift allowance but a better quality of family life. It has been tough and it has hit us hard financially but our marriage and his physical and mental health would not have survived nursing any longer.

I work in NHS research and research nursing is definitely worth considering. Mostly office hours and not much heavy stuff. We often get redeployments due to things like back problems.

I trained as a mental health nurse at 18 left after having my third child at the age of 32. I had absolutely had enough of the workload, scary level of responsibility and lack of support. I now provide community outreach mostly within the learning disability sector. I am self employed and provide care within my own home. It's a scheme run by my county council who refer people to me. It's totally flexible and I really enjoy it. It's a little bit like childminding but for vulnerable adults. There was quite rightly a lengthy process and panel interview for me to be approved. Essentially along the lines of the fostering approval process. It can be isolating and I've had months without work at times but it totally suits me and fits around my family

How about becoming a school nurse I don't mean a coummity nurse I mean a school nurse there are serval jobs in my local la for one its shot pay but you get all the Hoildays and spend the day giving out inhalers

Yeah cos that's all there is to being a specialist practitioner

OP I've been qualified 21 years this year; I've spent most of it working as a practice nurse. Primary care has enormous challenges but on the whole it's pretty good; I wouldn't work in a hospital now for all the tea in China. I like primary care for working largely autonomously in a small team. You don't get all the bollocks you get in the NHS. I also like not working nights!

I also work as a school nurse in an independent school. I have previously worked as a school nurse in the state sector which was challenging. The bulk of my work there was child protection (and certainly not just handing out inhalers...) My work now is really varied, lots of sports injuries, minor illness assessment, welfare support. And the long school holidays are a bonus

Research nurses always seem to have easy workloads. They also seem out of reach of corporate nursing and cost improvement efforts as often the funding is external. Where I work their workloads are a fraction of the CNS caseloads and the expectations on them are pretty minimal by comparison.