Help! Primary School Teacher or Nurse?

[Happygolucky1994]

Sorry wasn't sure where to post.

But which career should I choose?

I am 23 yr old with a 2 year old daughter. I'm on benefits in a council home (nothing wrong with that) but I desperately want to give my little one a better life i.e. more holidays, opportunities, owning our own home etc..

In September I have the option of either begininng a Primary Education PGCE course which will take one year... or an Adult Nursing course which will take 3 years..

I have listed the pros and cons of each career but it's still not really helped.
I know if you want to be either of those career choices you must be passionate for that one thing but I really am passionate about both! I want a job that's rewarding. I love the idea of caring for others in there time of need but I also adore helping children learn new concepts etc.

I understand that teachers have to work evenings and weekends at home and nurses have to work all kinds of shifts. My biggest worry is not being able to spend much time with my daughter. Childcare is not an issue but i'm with her everyday at the moment so the thought of barely being with her is tough.

I just want to hear what others think of each career. Or if you work in these fields please can you offer some insight to the reality of the jobs. I can't sleep wondering which path to take :/.

Thanks in advance

I've a lot of Nurse and teacher friends. One thing I've noticed with the people I know is that in teaching anyone who has gone part time has lost their tlr. I don't know one teacher who has reduced their hours in school kept at the level they were on. All have been demoted.

All the nurses I know, again lots, have kept the position they were when going part time. One got a promotion while on Mat leave and went back Monday to Wednesday 9-5.

Not all nursing involves shift work. I know quite a few who work 9-5 min-fri. There seems to be a lot more scope for careers in nursing than in teaching.

Ultimately, I'm not sure the public sector is the route to take if you want to enjoy the finer things in life!

As a nurse I would say don't do it. My husband works away I cannot work permanent job its so unfamily friendly. The shifts are too long. When I started the shifts were better at 8hrs these long days are a killer. Finding childcare is a nightmare, nights/weekends. Plus the shifts mean no set days childcare providers want set days. I know work agency is very hit and miss but it's what works (kind of) for us.

I have been teaching primary for 25+ years and rarely take work home. What doesn't get done between 7.30am and 5pm just doesn't get done. I am lucky i suppose, because I have worked in 4 different schools during that time, all of which have been run by Headteachers who don't pile on the paperwork etc However, I think I have been lucky. The school holidays are fab and there's no shift work.

And remember academies can pretty much do what they like. And all Schools are heading towards being academies.

If academies got rid of the long school
Holidays, would it still appeal?

Nurse. Leave work and your time is your own. Can request days off to suit you. I.e. For school plays etc. Much more flexible than teaching and less stress.

Teacher. Mon-fri at work. Can fit around school and childcare although yes you might have to bring home work. Lovely long holidays (well needed mind) and so rewarding!

I'm a nurse consultant and DH is a head teacher. Based purely on what you've said I'd say teaching will give you more quality time with your child and less worry around childcare in school holidays. As a nurse you can pick and choose shifts if you join an agency however you need a couple of years of basic ward nursing under your belt first. Despite what some have hinted at nursing and teaching are good careers . Teaching is more family friendly. I would suggest you do some shifts as a hca before starting a nursing course, I firmly believe all student nurses should have a year on the wards doing basic care to ensure they are headed down the right path. Perhaps volunteer at a local school for reading etc? Depending on age group of course. DH has 2 Nqt teachers in their first year who are doing extremely well.

Nursing and then do the School Nursing conversion? It sounds like the best of both worlds for you. You would be doing health promotion in schools but there would be a fair bit of safeguarding / child protection.

Unfortunately before specialising or converting in nursing you'll need Ward experience under your belt first. Another factor to consider!! Both jobs can be extremely stressful depending on where you work and your responsibility level . Bit at toddlerteas comment. Have a think about where you would like to be in five years in both careers and then very carefully find out about the pathway you would need to go on to get to that position. Qualifying is the first step.

Nursing them specialise in community. Monday-Friday 8.30 until 5pm. So many options with nursing and after a year or so you can jack in your job and go agency. Better pay and you get to choose your shifts to suit you.

I wouldn't recommend going into teaching at the moment to my worst enemy.

I'm leaving in July and cannot wait!

Teaching. It will be hell to find the childcare for nursing shifts, even if you think childcare's not an issue at present, as the long shifts are so anti-social.
Yes, there's a lot of work out there for nurses but you'll be doing so much studying when your little one is so young, whilst you're training. Do the teaching course and get it over and done with in a year.
And as a previous poster said, at least you have Christmas and school holidays off. The parents were always fighting over the school holidays on the leave rota when I was a nurse, as it's more difficult to get childcare in holiday season and especially on bank holidays, which you'll still be expected to work.
When I was a student nurse (20yrs ago now!) nobody cut the mums and dads any slack; they were expected to deal with the childcare issues and carry on regardless. I assume not that much has changed.
I also second the comment about the huge responsibility that comes with nursing. Of course teachers shoulder massive responsibilities too but I would imagine they're rarely life or death. As a nurse, having an off day could see you responsible for a patient coming to serious harm or even worse.
I'd not usually try to put people off nursing as it kickstarted a fantastic career for me and I am often full of regret that I gave up the clinical work. However, I didn't have children when I nursed and having watched friends with children struggle for three years during our training and then with the demands of shift work too, I'd not recommend putting yourself through that when you've got a small child.
Good luck with whatever you choose!

In September I have the option of either begininng a Primary Education PGCE course which will take one year
OP - Do you already have a degree?

So grateful for all of you who have responded. It is good to hear from others experiences. From the replies it seems like teaching is more family friendly than nursing. I know a nurse who does three 12 hour shifts per week and then has the rest of the week off- is this common? As this sounds quite appealing (although tiring). Although I know shifts varym i have a degree in childhood and youth studies, been a teaching assistant and i've worked as a carer in a nursing home. Not much experience on a ward a part from a voluntary experience last year for a week.

Teacher - as you will get the holidays with your child whereas you'll be working all year round as a nurse.

In September I have the option of either begininng a Primary Education PGCE course which will take one year... or an Adult Nursing course which will take 3 years..
I don't understand how if you already have your degree how you are going to get funding to do a nursing degree as well???

I have a degree in childhood and youth studies
So how are you going to fund doing a nursing degree because I am almost certain that you can only get student finance for one degree in your lifetime??

Definitely teacher!

ou can expect to work from 7am - 11pm+ every day including weekends and a large proportion of the holidays

I don't know any teachers that work 16+hour days plus weekends.

I know NHS bursaries have been scrapped and it will be funded through student finance now but i've been informed that for Nursing degrees, any previous funding for other courses won't be taken into consideration. So they said I will receive three years of funding

My nurse friends are happier than the teacher ones. 12 hour shifts have advantages if you can sort childcare as 3 a week is basically full time.

Yes, 3 X 12 hr shifts are normal. And then on the fourth week of the month you do an extra shift. That makes up your monthly hours.

With nursing you leave it all at work. I love that. Once you're out the door that's it.

And once you have your 2 years on the wards post qualification, you can get promoted pretty quickly. You generally will never really struggle to find work again. There are a ton of different areas you can go into and many are more family friendly - like clinics. Theatre is great when you get sick of wiping bums as you have minimal patient interaction. A lot of my friends became midwives. Some went into ICU (appeals to the nerdier ones).

Downside: irregular hours, night shifts, not getting summers off, you see a lot of wee/poo/blood/mucus and you see people die. Literally.

Happy - 12hr shifts are common yes but there's also lots of other nursing roles that are 9-5 Mon to Fri, holidays off like clinics/outpatients/GP practice etc and there are places that don't do 12hr shifts at all (my place doesn't and neither did my last job).

Also you don't have to get a full time job when you qualify if you don't want to, part time roles are advertised too. I'm currently on maternity leave and dropping full time to part time, i've found that most people wishing to do that have been able to.

The downside would be your 3 years of training as you tend to follow your mentors shifts on placement so could be earlies, lates, weekends and nightshifts easily.

I love my job but there are some days I just wish it could be a little easier, there's a lot of red tape and wastage in the NHS which bugs the life out of me but overall I do really love it.

Good luck whatever you decide!

With nursing you leave it all at work

With teaching, at 9am till 3.30 pm, you have to have all the lessons planned. All resources ready. Because you have 30 children in front of you and it's just you. And they are depending on you to have done all the work outside of teaching time so they get the lesson.

Yes 12 HR shifts are common. So 3 a week and your full time hrs are done, this is great when you get off on time and you are working as a band 5 nurse with support. Bear in mind it would not be usual to do 12 HR shifts only on week days , nights and weekends are standard too. My job at the moment only involves days but I have a lot of work to do in my own time for presentations, following up patients etc. I miss working on a 'easy' Ward with a great team ! DH when he was a teacher never brought work /marking etc home. He was very organised at work although of course I've seen some teachers completely burnt out it's exactly the same with nursing. Take your time to decide and make sure you have some experience with care work