To leave nursing to become a learning support assistant?

[ArianaG]

I am a community mental health nurse and work part time. I find the job very stressful and have wanted to leave for quite some time but financially this is difficult.

I finally started applying for other jobs and have a job offer for a part time learning support assistant in a school supporting students who have additional needs.
I am now in a dilemma as I feel so worried about leaving a secure nursing job with good conditions and higher pay but it's stressful and I can't see it ever getting any better. I've worked on the wards too and hated it due to stress levels.

Should I stick with nursing or take the hew job? Have any nurses left the profession and regretted it or feel that they did the right thing?

@DeathByWalkies

I believe special schools often employ a school nurse who's permanently based at the school. Might that be an option?

Ta's working in Sen schools are also far better paid than their counterparts in mainstream education. It is, 100% deserved as Ta's in Special Education go above and beyond and it can be a very challenging role at times. SEN schools wouldn't operate without TA support. SEN schools usually like to employ staff with experience of this type of position.

My problem was working in the NHS, I jumped ship and ended up working in a private EMI home and bloody love it. Dementia care is much more rewarding than the work I did in the local hospitals.
I only work 24 hours (two days) I'm RGN not RMN although the other nurses are RMN. Many EMI homes would bite your hand off to get an experienced RMN, ours would. The pay is good too.

Thanks for everyone's replies, I will continue to think about it all!

RE the special needs school nursing

They will often expect you to have experience in complex epilepsy care, Positive and enteral feeding which aren't usual for RMNs to have.

Moving across to be an RNLD is almost impossible unless you want to do a Masters in LD nursing in addition to your MH nursing. There aren't conversion courses to RNLD.

I would say that community LD nursing, if you are interested, can often be challenging but less stressful - we have smaller but more complex, long term caseloads. It lends itself more to part time working.

I know a couple of colleagues have gone into LD nursing but think it's just as stressful as mental health.

I left Nursing after 35 years as a qualified Nurse. My anxiety levels could not cope any longer ! However I was enabled to do this by my dh inheriting some money meaning we no longer had a mortgage.
I now do a job that I love, am passionate about and I actually look forward to doing it and it makes all the difference. I probably earn now less doing 4 days a week than I did doing 2/3 Nursing shifts but I don't do any nights or weekends, have ten days off at Christmas etc.

@Babyroobs Can I ask what job you do now?

[quote ArianaG]@Babyroobs Can I ask what job you do now?[/quote]
I'm a benefits adviser for a large cancer charity, so advising people with a cancer diagnosis, many of them terminally ill , calculating benefit entitlement, helping with disability form, applying for Grants. I love it. Poorly paid ( although there is scope to progress ), but very rewarding to make a difference.

Hi Ariana, just wondering if you made the move. I’m a nurse and I’m wanting to apply for an LSA job in a secondary school,with my goal being a pastoral role. Like you,part time,the wage cut and job security is scary,but I’m thinking,hey,we only live once!
I’d be keen to find if you made the move and how you have found it,if you have? Thank you

I sympathize because I’m an RMN and have been working as such for the last 20 years.I am constantly looking for a way out but I wonder if the difference in pay is worth it.

I’m a ward nurse and always have been, currently top band 6 so although, a lot of responsibility, quite good pay. I know community and wards are stressful in different ways, I wonder though if ward work might be less stressful for part time because you hand over the ward to the next shift?

I’ve contemplated many different careers….bus driving, fire fighting, border force, pharmacy assistant….you name it, I’ve considered it. Decided now though to ride it out until dses through University then just reduce my hours. I don’t think working more hours for less pay is worth it and I also worry that other roles will be equally stressful in different ways.