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 never been a nurse, but I know that I'd hate shift work (I like my routines) and am no good with blood and needles etc, so I'd make a pretty rubbish nurse! I'm about to return to teaching now my youngest will be in the juniors. Although, as everyone has said, the holidays are great for childcare, even if you've still got lots of work to do at home, during term-time it's probably one of the worst jobs you can have as a parent. The amount of plays, assemblies, concerts, stay-and-read sessions, cake sales, fetes etc I'd have had to miss... In the juniors though, the main thing will just be sports day, which I might be able to swap PPA time for if I'm lucky. Working in the same school as your child attends would obviously help!

Teaching is exhausting physically as well and I imagine nursing is the same. I don't intend to be a mainstream classroom teacher until I retire; I just couldn't do it. I'm hoping to move into SEN/psychology side of things.

Good luck whatever you decide!

Is there a third option? Both jobs are incredibly demanding and stressful, and neither pays well at all.

Are you 100% dead set on nursing or teaching and nothing else at all, ever? Because if you are open to other suggestions, you could train in something far better paid with far more regular working hours, and with a degree of job security.

I think there is more variety in nursing. Very different jobs. Research, ITU, community...
You can branch out and do things like medical sales reps too.

thirty waves, join the club!

Maybe teaching is for you Tabymoomoo but not for me? Everyone is different after all. The job I have now isn't that exciting either but it's a lot less effort so I don't need adrenaline to drive me like I did in teaching.

I'm a nurse. Nursing is very flexible and you do not have to work on the wards, there are areas that are mon-fri part so no Christmas and bank holidays involved.
I work on a very flexible ward, as in i request all my shifts. I work part time ( 7 shifts a month). I do work 12hrs shifts but this works well for me. For example in a month I'll do 4 nights 2 day shifts and one on a weekend. When im on nights hubby is with the kids and does the school run in the morning and I'll do the pick up. I split my nights so no more than one at a time. Because I'm part time I can be off over half term without using and leave days as I'll request to do eg 4 shifts in one week instead of my usual 2 then do 2 the next and 1 after that then have the rest of the time as days off as I'd have covered my hours. I work on a very flexiable ward though and I know not all palaces are like this.
The other beauty in nursing is that there is always overtime! When I know something is coming up I'll put my name down for a extra shifts to pay for whatever has come up.
It is not the easiest job in the world can be very emotionally draining, stressful ect but I love it and it's a job your heart has got to be in. It also works well I find for family my life.

I'm a teacher DH is a nurse

His hours are 3 x 14 hour shifts per week- you can opt in or out of this- which he loves because although the days are long he has more days off than at work for a full time post. He never takes work home (band 5 A and E) and generally is able to leave on time. However he does have to do nights 2 weeks out of 6 and has had Christmas Day off once in the 8 years we've been together. That said if he moved to a post in pre-op/ day procedures/ gps then shifts would be a thing of the past- so there are options

As a teacher my holidays are great and I thoroughly enjoy working with young people. However it is mentally and emotionally exhausting, requires hours worth of work at home, no flexibility at all and you really are at the mercy of your head- no matter how good/bad a school a new head can result in a huge decline/ improvement rapidly.

Overall I would hate to do his job and he would hate to do mine I think as a single parent you need to really consider how you would cover shifts etc as a nurse

I think the work environment is very different.
I've always found nursing environments supportive and colleagues very supportive.
With teaching it seemed every man for himself and generally much less supportive.
But that may only be the schools I've worked in. And it depends on whether ofsted is around the corner.

Unfortunately before specialising or converting in nursing you'll need Ward experience under your belt first.

This is no longer true. You can go direct into some specialisms after completing your degree and there is a shortage of nurses so plenty of opportunity for promotion. Have a look at nhs jobs online to see whats available in your area.

Occupational Health jobs (working outside the nhs in industry) is rewarding, well paid and usually office hours only.

I have done both op so might offer some insight, started off in nursing moved into teaching mainly to help with regular hours and holidays. Both are highly demanding jobs in different ways. I find teaching with all the prep and staying on top of everything every bit as tiring as ward work and there is less flexibility during term time but can only say for me that the holidays are the bonus even though I am so tired I am crawling towards them! Good luck all I can say is teaching suited me and my family better,and I've never regretted it, its caring but in a different way.

I'm a student nurse with a 2 year old. I'm about to hit 2nd year with no idea how!

So whilst I'm on placement I have been doing 12 hour shifts and traveling 30 mins each way by car. This turns it into a 13 hour day. I was on my feet the entire day.

When I arrived at 7am my first job was to catch up with who we had, what needed done and more at the handover, then straight into bed baths, personal care and barrier nursing for those with c-diff, mrsa, etc... checking wound dressings were ok enough to be left til later on and getting those who are more mobile up from bed and into chair for breakfast.

Assisted feeding for those unable to feed themselves, assisted showers or bedside washes, blood pressure,temp etc and updating charts. Ward round, dressing changes, escorting to scans, then I helped give a break to those on one to one duties as they needed a break, the nurse did the morning medications (mornings is a heavy time for meds, no mistakes allowed)

At 9-10 nursing staff get a half hour break for breakfast. It's nice to get a breather. As a student nurse however I'm taking notes as I need to consolidate my learning each day.

Back from break. Finish up bed baths, get people settled, I then sat with a very frightened elderly gentleman, I made him a cup of tea, tried to cheer him up.

Called in to the next room to see an NG tube being fitted after watching a man having thick secretions removed from the back of his throat. (Try not to wretch in front of patient) ... held his hand and encouraged him to swallow the tube (I felt quite teary for him) Then ran to a call alarm for a cardiac arrest on the ward. All before lunch.

After lunch with lots of assisted feeds, watched a doctor giving a lumbar puncture (fascinating). Stood in with a doctor who gave a patient the worst news possible and offered a hand hold. Smiled my way through.

Took 3 handovers over the phone from patients coming in from different areas, passed the handovers on to the nurses ... had my lunch... assisted with all the 2 hourly turns for those who are unable to reposition themselves, changed pads for those who soiled, emptied catheter bags.

The ward I'm on placement is hectic, but amazing for learning. I am always exhausted after my shift, I'm in awe of the qualified nurses and the nursing assistants.

The placements rock. To be allowed to be with a patient who is having their worst day ever is a privilege. To hold the hand of a dying person and to stand quietly whilst family and friends say goodbye is an enormous thing.

I won't lie. This degree is difficult. You will get two weeks off at Christmas, Easter and summer, you will be hit with exams, essays, placements that you hate and placements that you love so much you never want to leave...and you will do it all smiling whilst muttering in your head...

I drove home, had a glass of wine and fell into bed.

I will admit that I did re-evaluate my life when I was taking a poo sample that I couldn't scoop up, had to use my hands!! But I wouldn't change it.

I think it's really horses for courses.

Chartered teaching is a post grad Scottish qualification.

I am a nurse with 3 children. I have worked part time and full time. I have worked shifts and regular hours. I have always managed to find jobs which fit around the needs of children when they were younger. I have always had job security. I have friends who are teachers who were unable to get part time hours when their children were small so have had to do supply work instead. As previous posters have said there is so much scope in nursing and you can find a specialism which suits your needs. Good luck with your decision OP.

I will admit that I did re-evaluate my life when I was taking a poo sample that I couldn't scoop up, had to use my hands!! But I wouldn't change it

Lol, I evaluate my life every single time I have to get a poo sample. Even if they're spoonable. Somehow the daintiness of the spoon makes it worse. Pinky finger out! Ugh!

😅. Poo was my thing. I wretched a lot and cried a few times. But I'm now over it after that placement . My mentor was hilarious about it and kept pushing me forward until I stopped thinking about it.

I'm exhausted and enjoying a day off...to write an essay and sort out my portfolio

Oh gosh i'm okay with blood and whatnot but feeling abit queasy in regards to taking poo samples with my fingers!

Tomato you and others on this thread sound so wonderful and caring. Thank you for doing what you do

@Happygolucky1994 ....that queasy feeling will soon pass. To be fair I double glove so I don't have too many issues. And it's not guaranteed that you will get to do that wonderful task

I think nursing is good for work life balance, my cousin does 3 long shifts a week then the rest of her time is ger own. She also gets about 7 weeks annual leave. There's also then the option to take on extra shifts and boost salary - some months she does a couple of extra shifts a week to pay for luxuries like a holiday etc.

I'd go teaching with those choices. Have worked in NHS and education, married to a nurse and best friends are teachers.

Nursing pros: range of areas to choose from, overtime payments, by virtue of the uniform most people think you're a saint
cons: long shifts without a break, working nights and holidays, a lot of responsibility even at junior grades but very limited opportunity to use your own initiative / create your own working practices, bodily fluids

Teaching pros: range of settings, flexibility with hours in terms of non contact tasks, holidays and weekends off (with the caveat of doing non contact tasks at times), ability to use creativity in teaching approaches (although tied to curriculum)
cons: additional work (although can be flexible with this), daily mail hates you,

Rizlett I would not advise anyone to do that in this current climate. I am in a specialised role and we had job cuts last year. Looking at getting back into general ward work as a job was nigh on impossible. Get some general experience and keep your hand in with bank work is my advice to anyone entering nursing right now

And the 'you get four days a week off if you do three long shifts' argument falls flat if you are on your feet running round like a blue arsed fly with no break as you are just utterly knackered on your days 'off'

As previously said, it's not a great time to be either - both sectors are suffering massive budget cuts and pressures/stress in both is only going up.

I can't speak for nursing as I have no experience there.

I'm a teacher, albeit not for much longer - I'm leaving the profession at the end of the academic year - and it's never been harder than it is right now (this is my twelfth year). There are a variety of reasons for me leaving, but one is definitely that I, personally, cannot take the pressure any more, and the effect on my mental health. And I'm in a school with a great Head - my previous school has a shit weak Head, which was much more difficult again.

Don't get me wrong - I love the children and working with them, and that moment when things just 'click' is magical - it's just not for me for lots of reasons at the moment.

I guess you need to look longer term - I'd say statistically, there's a greater chance of you still being in nursing in 5 or 10 years time, rather than teaching.

I would go for something 9-5 with less stress and more money, personally - accountancy?

But of the two, I think nursing sounds less stressful and has so many different options in it. Teaching sounds like a nightmare to me because of the open ended commitment!

Lots of mixed responses in regards to nursing. Seems it depends on the hospital you work at and what shifts you get