AIBU to feel trapped after giving up my nursing registration? I need my independence back

[Tokaboka]

I was a qualified nurse. Stupidly gave up my registration about 3 years ago and have done thing since - all with the encouragement of DH who has supported us both since.

nothing is wrong - money is fine … but all of a sudden I’m shitting myself. I’m trapped now aren’t I? wtf was I thinking?

Can anyone talk me through getting my independence back?? I’m 45. Autistic and now suddenly very overwhelmed by the whole thing

In the meantime - should I try and get a carers job?? I can’t think straight

You could do a return to nursing course if you really want to go back to it.

Why did you give up Nursing? Is there any other jobs that you think would be a better fit?

Why did you want to leave? I'd had enough after 36 years, so no intention of returning. Were you relieved to leave at the time?
You have many options open to you at your age.

Why are you trapped?

Is there a reason why you can’t work again?

Why are you trapped OP?

And why do you want to work as a carer?

Well you can be an Nvq assessor? Or just do the back to nursing course and gp nurse or

Why can’t you go back to nursing? How old is your kid/kids?

You're shitting yourself because you've realized you gave up something that's going to cost you time and money to get back if your marriage fell apart or something happened health or his work wise and you needed to get well paying work right away. You don't have that automatic fall back any more. You've made yourself financially vulnerable in hard economic times.

Do the return course, get your license, and pick up part time work. We have prn here which is better paid but no benefits. Get certification in something you enjoy or something like aesthetics and work part time in a medspa.

Are you uk based?

I’m shitting myself because

what he decides to leave?
what if I decide to leave?
whst if god forbid something happened to him?

I can work, I just chose not to so I could concentrate on my crafting (which I make a bit of money from but not a living). We didn’t need the money so it seemed viable but obviously I didn’t think it through.

I’ve looked on indeed but I have no qualifications or experience in anything else.

So why not go back to nursing?

Then do the return to nursing course and get a part time bank job so you’re not working to get burnt out but you’re still working in the field

Why did you leave OP?

As others have said, there is a bank work - my friend did it in a hospice which I think was quite different than a regualr hospital.

I also have a second friend who is doing a nursing course solely to be able to administer aesthetic treatments.

Please don't panic OP.
I am a semi retired registered nurse and you can contact your local University re returning to practice. I would contact the NMC before doing this and they will advise

Don't panic, it sounds like you're in a reasonable position to to a return to work course. I agree that there's a strong argument not to give up your means of supporting yourself if you need to.

OP?

Did you voluntarily give it up? Or were you disqualified?
if the latter, be honest if you want genuine advice

whst if god forbid something happened to him?

You should both have life insurance, especially if you have young children.
Everyone with young children ought to have life insurance if at all possible.

Spend less time on mn (where women detail their struggles) and enjoy your life

If things change then they change

You cant live in fear.

Apply to do a return to practice. If you don’t want a permanent post for now, you can pick up a few bank shifts each month. It won’t take you long to get back into the swing of things after 3 years. My friend did a return to practice after 16 years!

Exactly, quite eye opening to see those people not getting that and asking why. OP is very sensible to have this realisation and get back to work asap. We aren’t meat to be SAHM these days. Far too risky. Ill health, job loss as you say can come knocking at any time, in addition to losing your empowerment as a person. Being a mother is unpaid labour that no one respects as a job (obviously it shouldn’t be that way)

Exactly, we can no longer be fooled into the role of homemaker by men with picket fence dreams and be deluded mothers with dreams of staying home being full time homemakers. We know what men can do and we should all have our own savings and career for our own mental health and security, it’s not worth being in a vulnerable position when they can suddenly meet someone else and up and leave you in a the lurch, no matter how good a man seems, it happens ALL THE TIME. Good for you and good luck getting retrained.

Chat GPT says: If you’ve been completely out of nursing for those 3 years, you probably won’t meet the hours requirement. In that case, you have two routes:

1. NMC-approved Return to Practice (RtP) programme – usually involves some university study plus supervised clinical practice.
2. NMC Test of Competence – a CBT and OSCE.

You’ll also need to demonstrate 35 hours of CPD from the last 3 years, meet the NMC’s other readmission requirements, and arrange professional indemnity cover.

Do a return to nursing course. I stopped working as a nurse but luckily had enough hours in the preceding 5 years so I could re-register with confirmation from another nurse. I would have done a return to practice course otherwise. Is this an option?

Have you got any savings or have you been paying into a pension or paying your national insurance contributions?