To want to change careers from nursing into teaching for better work life balance

[TwinklyRoseTurtle]

I’m aware both are highly stressful careers, I’m quite senior in my role and would be taking roughly a 15K pay cut. However it keeps niggling in the back of mind, from posts I’ve seen this on previously I’ve seen it commented that teaching means taking work home- in my nursing role this is also very common- you never switch off even on days off. I’m finding the shift work increasingly difficult but not just that, I still like helping people it’s my favourite part of the job but I just feel like nursing is not for me anymore, I’ve still got a long career ahead of me and can’t deny the fact I would prefer Monday- Friday hours and all half terms off for childcare also. I’m interested in hearing from anyone else who has done this? Is it an unrealistic expectation for work/life balance?

seriously consider moving into HE to teach nursing? It is still in high pressured compared to my clinical role, however generally no nights or weekends and no where near the same level of risk associated stress. Easter and Xmas off, and you could pick up the HE teaching quals on top. Might not be as significant a pay cut either

This makes no sense. Why would you take a pay cut to have the same work life balance that you have now? Unless you actually think teaching is an easy job…..

From your replies you really want to do this OP so go for it as you think it will be easier than nursing. And do pop back here in four or five years time and let us know your experience.

Whatever you do keep your pin number updated which is easy enough to do if you work for an FE College like me. I teach what was known as an NVQ Assessor! and I now run a level three diploma in healthcare and take learners on the NHS and do one-to-one teaching with them and group cohort sessions with them to prepare them for university so they can go on and do the level four DNA course… it’s called healthcare assessor role. Amazing flexibility about half the pay of senior nursing

I would say teaching adults is a whole lot easier than teaching under 18

I am a nurse also desperate to leave the profession. I know that you are trying to be helpful, but it is infuriating when you ask people for ways to leave the profession and ALL they suggest is other alternative nursing roles. Even when the OP or whoever you are chatting to has made it abundantly clear that they no longer wish to be a nurse in any form.

I truly believe that nursing is a trap; they pay you just about enough to stay as they are aware you will not be paid more elsewhere. Furthermore, the cost of retraining as something else or restarting a new career will be too much of a financial hit for most nurses, particularly those with families and caring responsibilities. The initial salary is ok if you are in your twenties and newly graduated, but the ugly truth is that the majority of salaries for nurses will not exceed £45k in their lifetimes.

Many of us have tried multiple clinical options and have still inferred that it is not for us. Yes, I did a short stint as a PIP assessor, it was hellish and I ended up on SSRIs. It The amount of times I've heard "oh why don't you go into community nursing" (great so I will go back to band 5 and lose all of my unsociable hours) or "why don't you teach nursing in a college" as if there are so many teaching posts available in colleges.

What a load of rubbish! Teachers are paid an annual salary, which is paid in 12 equal monthly payments, regardless of how many days are spent in school in that month. You will need to compare annual salaries OP.

However, I really wouldn't recommend teaching any subject, in any school, if you are looking for a work/life balance. There must be other nursing related roles that would be suited.

Teaching isn't the career to switch to for work life balance. What kind of work do you take home? My friend is a nurse and she is horrified by my working hours, although she finds it tricky to mentally switch off she doesn't take anything home with her. She works 8:30-4 weekdays - is a high band and very specialised (so not like an entry level type role). I'd look at alternative roles within nursing before making a total career change.

This

I think you’d be going from the frying pan to the fire. Full time teachers work around 50 hours a week and I’d say more on the first couple of years. Yes you get holidays but you will never be able to do pick ups, drop offs, nativities, sports days… seriously if you want work-life balance and less stress, don’t do it.

Yes you're right, I teach adults, and the crucial difference is that they are highly motivated and actually want to be there. You've given OP good advice above.

I was a charge nurse on a surgical ward.
Don’t do it.
its more stressful in a school, less funding, more outspoken parents who are difficult to challenge,
teenagers who will push you to your limit.
Stay in the NHS.

Why are you not wanting to teach nursing? Because I reckon that being a uni lecturer would be less stressful than teaching. Plus you won’t have to do a year’s teacher training. I’m only f2f with students for something like 180 hours a year and I’m full time. If I’m not needed on campus then I can wfh.

I retrained as a teacher, I'm in my second year and love it. Like you my children are older so school runs aren't an issue but it's lovely to have the holidays with them. Maybe I'm lucky in my school but although I do work long hours, I bring very little work home with me and feel I have a good work life balance. My school has a robust behaviour policy which I think helps as I spend more time teaching than behaviour managing and overall I find it a meaningful and engaging job.

I had a similar mid life crisis - I was already working in a school and hit 50 and decided to do my QTS (Assessment only)
Looking back I should have just stuck with the normal midlife crisis cliches of tattoos and / or motorbikes!
I lasted 4 years!
Work / Life balance - there is none!

If you want to do it go for it.

Take the plunge and don't look back.
Good luck xx

Because I was replying to the information the OP had given at that point :

I’m finding the shift work increasingly difficult

can’t deny the fact I would prefer Monday- Friday hours and all half terms off for childcare also

Is it an unrealistic expectation for work/life balance?

She was actually asking if teaching would give her a better work life balance, which it obviously wouldn't, so offering opinions about what might help is a valid post, as so many others have done.

If you live in the south West the cqc are looking for assessors

Only you can make the decision.

In teaching, I had a headmaster tell me that teachers should 'expect to be sworn at', whereas I believe this is often dealt with more robustly in hospitals. Ditto physical violence.

As a middle manager, I took it upon myself to contact the police if the SLT refused. As a supply teacher I was aware of young members of staff being hit by secondary school pupils and the staff members being told of when they asked for the culprits to be removed from their class on a short-term basis.

Apart from taking paperwork home, etc, I believe that nurses can paid for overtime, via bank shifts?

Occasionally, I've heard of staff being offered extra for study groups or Easter Schools; most of the time, however, they're expected to do it 'for the good of the pupils'. It's a vocation, don'tyaknow...

I'll caution you that English teachers normally have the heaviest workload. In Scotland, at least, science teachers have a maximum of 20 pupils to a class and those who elect to take science subjects from S3 onward very often want to be, as opposed to the scenario in the English Department where you're dealing with 30 at a time from S3 on and they're there whether they want to be or not.

In S1 and 2 the max for non-practical subjects is 33. I don't know about the regulations elsewhere, so might be an idea for you to check up.

Where do you work? Subject? Primary or secondary. I'm not being sarcastic. I really want to find a school where this is possible. I originally trained in secondary and am wondering if I should leave primary and go back.

Thank you everyone for all your responses- I have read each one. To answer some questions:
yes I currently do have friends and family who are teachers- some encouraging me some saying absolutely no way, pretty much same as responses here.
by work/ life balance I meant working Monday to Friday, standardish hours- I realise can run later parents evenings etc but I don’t want to be getting home at 10pm or be out all day from 6.30am- 9pm- that’s on a good day provided I don’t have to deal with an emergency and stay late.
without disclosing my role, I think it’s apparent a lot of people don’t realise what nursing is- it’s not just looking after patients, it’s a lot of paperwork and that’s on a standard day if there are issues I have even more paperwork and thats not included in the time i have to look after patients- this often runs past my shift time and my time management is excellent but the pressures on the NHS are making it impossible. Someone asked if I am calm in a crisis? I can only think that’s a joke 🤣 I deal with crisis after crisis all day and help other team members too
To the posters asking how I can teach multiple subjects- I can’t at present I could do biology which was my plan or health and social care but I am willing to actually complete a 3 year course plus then PGCE if needed- that’s what I meant by that, I have multiple post graduate courses at masters level
I don’t want to do another nursing job, I’ve done both acute/ community and I just want a job that’s not life and death anymore honestly
hope that answers some questions- I am still after this post undecided 🤣

In England you just get QTS, you're not tied to a specific subject - you obviously train in a specific subject, and schools have to want to hire you for whatever it is you're saying you can teach, but if you can persuade them you're capable then there's nothing preventing you from teaching whatever. I did Teach First and they're notorious for putting applicants to train as maths teachers if they have maths a-level, even if their degree is totally different, and I have several colleagues who've swapped from primary to secondary or vice versa.

This is exactly how I feel thank you. I was actually looking into pip assessor roles but I guess that’s a no too 🤣

A 30 year veteran teacher here. On the one hand, yes move over to secondary science as we are desperately short of science teachers.

On the other, are you nuts???? Seriously, I imagine nursing is very tiring and unrelenting. What makes you think teaching will be easier?

Yes the number of hours spent inside the school building is less than a nurse’s time inside a hospital but wave goodbye to Sundays (at least from 2.00pm onwards) and don’t expect to have free evenings either. Both whilst training and when you’re completing your ECT years everything will just take you that bit longer so there won’t be much free time at all.

I love teaching. I’m lucky, I teach in a small indie now which makes the job easier compared to a when I worked in big comps. It’s still NOT an easy job though.

I would ask yourself this one question: Are you running TO teaching or away FROM nursing. If it’s away form nursing, then don’t do it.

It’s not rubbish if the job is advertised with a FTE salary.
another poster has suggested where OP can find the correct figures.