Successful left Nursing stories

[ohsotired2022]

Posting in AIBU for traffic .

Looking for success stories from former nurses who have left the profession.

I've been working as a Nurse in the NHS for over 20 years.
So many people tell me to stay for the pension.

Just looking for success stories of those who have left please ?

AIBU it's a great steady job, good pay and pension

NBU life is short, it's not worth years of being miserable

Not me (I keep trying!) but a friend left to be a dog groomer and is doing very well out of it.

I know nurses who have left and gone into a variety of things including:
dog groomer
clinical equipment sales rep ( earning 130k)
singer ( as small festivals, events etc)
set up a small b and b in the countryside

I’m still a nurse but I now work in clinical research rather than on the wards. I often used to think of leaving the profession but I’m really happy in my job now.

I know a few people who became PIP Assessors. Decent money but absolutely soul destroying.

I’d look at opportunities in equipment sales, clinical research or as a drug rep.

The thing is there’s so many different types of nursing…..do you currently work on a ward? ….if so what about working in the community…..9 to 5 ….option to flexiwork

Friend went from hospital nursing to being a health visitor. She loves it and is much happier. She felt she was never able to do a good job, get to know her patients, be part of continuing care when she was a nurse. As a HV she feels she gets to do all those things.

I was a Nurse for 30 years and left around six year ago. My NHS pensions forcast is not great ( as much of my Nursing career was part time and I spent some years abroad ) but I don't for one minute regret leaving as I think I probably would have topped myself had I been forced to stay in a job which made me so anxious. After five years in a different role I earn not much less than a qualified Nurse ( taking enhanced payments for weekends/ nights out of the equation).
I now work for a charity for older people advising of benefit entitlement, social care etc and it involves visiting older people in their homes to help complete forms, access help etc. Could you look at social prescribing jobs, although they do tend to be quote competitive but still NHS so you would keep your NHS pension ? They are based in GP surgeries and help people access non medical help but things that can enhance their lives like social events, things to help loneliness, addiction etc. I am not a social prescriber but have gone for a couple of jobs like that and would try to when my current project comes to an end. The elderly population is only going to grow and there will be a lot of need for these kinds of posts in the future I feel.

There are so many areas of nursing in the nhs. If you are working on the ward, you could move and even stay within your hospital. Research offers patient care with working core hours worked. You could move into education or specialist nursing, so running clinics.

Left nursing after 20 yrs. now teaching first aid.

Hobson's choice really! Excellent pension, but if you are way off retirement, it's soul-destroying to be in a job you are no longer happy in.
Why not look at medical writing/editing. Always v much in demand. I loved it, and it afforded my many travel opportunities (covering conferences, etc)

You can get qualifications for this, but you are pretty much there with your background. The sector you would need qualifications for is regulatory submissions (approval for new drugs/dressingd/devices), as there is a specific format required.
Good luck!

I left and now work in higher education at a University. Best choice I’ve ever made. Nursing was destroying my soul!

I was a clinical bed manager and moved across to work for a charity about 15 years ago. Have moved around within the charity sector and now work for a public body and earn £80+k mostly working at home.

Nurses underestimate their skills in planning, managing competing demands and identifying and mitigating risks. I had to take a pay cut to move sectors but was able to move back up quite quickly once in the sector.

I left nursing after 24 years as a Paediatric nurse and School Nurse, in 2019, I started to train part time to be a Methodist Church minister, it took 3 years to train and I officially left Nursing 2 years ago. I don't regret leaving the NHS.

A few weeks ago there was a similar thread about leaving nursing - one of the suggestions was to look at The Civil Service.

@Tumbleweed24 ha ha that was my post too ! 🙈

Thanks for suggestions.

I currently work in the community 4 days a week. On paper my job is probably perfect but it's working in Children and young people's MH. Not sure if it's right for me with demands of my own family.

I've worked as a Health Visitor before. Regret leaving sometimes but it was a lot of Child Protection.

I'm 46 and can retire at 60, if I stay in the NHS.

I have an opportunity to leave and work privately as a Sleep Nanny. Considering this.