To leave nursing?

[Tiredoutnurse]

For the first time in 23 years I have applied for a non nursing/ non NHS job. I realise I may not be successful with this application but the fact that I’ve submitted it has surprised me. I never thought I would leave nursing but the idea excites me. I had a lightning bolt type revelation when I realised that I could pursue something that might make me happy and that I was a person too.

There are lots of reasons not to change careers at this stage. For a start it would be a significant reduction in my income (fewer hours advertised and also lower hourly rate). I also feel incredibly guilty about “leaving the sinking ship” and worried about the future of the NHS and I feel guilty abandoning my lovely colleagues.
I’m not sure who I will be if I’m not a nurse. I have lots of interests but my identity has been very bound to my profession and I’ve been successful in my career in a high risk high, stress area.
But I feel increasingly overwhelmed and my mental health is not great. I am nearly 50 but I won’t be able to receive my pension at 55 as I had originally expected to when I joined the NHS and the thought of working 12 hour shifts in my current role for another 20 years frightens me.
I am also increasingly tired of the winter. The winter happens every year and it is like a war zone at work every year but each one worse than the last one. In my current role I’m expected to fill in a lot of gaps when colleagues are sick or there just aren’t enough of them. I feel like I have 3 jobs.
Is anyone in a similar situation?

I retired from nursing last year and now work in a shop (I am a lot older than you though)

I don't miss it one little bit - and didn't even realise how stressed I was until I left

We are managing on less money and I'm now very much of the opinion that money isn't everything. It's nice to have, but if you can manage on less, that's fine too.

Good luck with your job application - I hope you get the result you want!

I left Nursing seven years ago after 35 years. I have never regretted it. In fact I was out last night and bumped into some old Nursing colleagues and it was enough to give me flashbacks and an anxiety attack. I had to drop earnings initially but what I earn now is not hugely less than when I was Nursing.

Thank you both for your responses. It is good to know that there is life after nursing 😀. I did think that I just need something to go to initially and I can increase earnings after that so glad to see that that has worked for you @Miley1967

I came to that conclusion at 28 (that I couldn't still do this at 55)

Don't stress it, think of the Christmas and New Year (and every other single bank holiday) where you can make you own plans.

I made the same decision aged 36. I couldn't do it any more with the hospitals in the state they are in. Now have a 9-5 job on double the wage with 1/4 of the reposibility, but it's not about the money.

My quality of life is soo much better. I never get home from work and just sit on the sofa crying because I wasn't able to do the best for my patients, never go to bed worrying I didn't hand something over, never have to go a shift without eating, never feel like I have just walked out of a war zone. I can't imagine going back although I loved nursing and miss the good moments some times

Thank you @SparklyCyanNewt I think that is what is wearing me out … spending my days off worried that I have missed something because I have been trying to do too many things at once, leaving late because I want to make sure that I’ve done everything I can for the patient and the next member of staff.

Leaving was the best thing I ever did. Fifteen years over multiple specialties, a huge range of knowledge and they lost me due to the inability to address bullying manager after bullying manager.

@Locutus2000 I’m sorry you had to go through that. I hope things are better for you now. You are right though it seems such a shame when all that experience and skill is lost to the NHS and I suppose that is another reason I feel really uncomfortable with the idea of leaving.