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?

I'm a secondary school teacher - science. I've got a good work life balance now, but it's takes a good few years to get there. I'd also say that work life balance is ok but it's still a stressful job. Like the other posters say, how about a school nurse? Better hours. But again, it's not in stressful, you have a very busy day as a school nurse.

Do you have any idea how boring being a vaccination nurse is? Most nurses do the job because it varied and in most cases unpredictable or in some cases exceedingly unpredictable. I think it’s the huge variety that draws people to it. Friends who’ve gone off to be vaccination nurses do it either because they are completely burnt out and need a period of calm or they have physical health problems it’s a job staff are frequently redeployed too, are retired or are coming up for retirement and just want somewhere easy or mums with school age children looking for often a term time job. HCSW are increasingly being employed at vaccinators because ultimately it’s a pretty basic job.
The majority of nurses are now graduates contrary to what many think we don’t just mop brows or bow and scrape to consultants we are making complex and life changing decisions about peoples lives. Vaccinating people just isn’t going to cut it for most experienced nurses.

School nursing in many cases is very CP heavy which is not for everyone.
Ditto health visiting also suggested on here.
Ive know quite a few friends and colleagues who’ve gone off and done both with HV all left at the end of the training the amount of CP and responsibly associated with it was overwhelming, more stayed in school nursing but at least 50% dropped out at the end,
We’re a weird bunch nurses you have to find you’re niche unfortunately that niche, an area that suits you just because you are happy in one area doesn’t mean you’ll be happy somewhere else.
I once looked at a job that on paper looked ideal I love techy stuff reading gases changing treatment accordingly fiddling with equipment to get the optimum etc did a few bank shifts there before applying loathed it.

Don't you need a degree in the subject you're going to teach?

For teaching in England, you only need an A-level and sometimes not even that if a school needs a body.

@SugarMiceInTheRain I'm genuinely interested to know if anyone warned you about the negatives? And if they did what was your thought process about continuing to retrain?

I would be looking at clinical research; possibly Medical Science Liaison or similar, with a pharmaceutical company. Or a role as a research nurse initially would give you an understanding of the basics of clinical trials and you could get into clinical trial monitoring via that route. These roles do require travel though.

You could be me! I have looked into it.
My brother in law has started as a teacher in a college and doing his qualification along side his work.
I qualified 16 years ago, I work in community also and have done for the past 10 years. Worked as an NP Recently took a pay cut as the job I applied for as a specialist was only 24 hours. So now I’m doing bank to top up (unsociable hours including nights).
my friend qualified as a primary school teacher and she earns more than me (yes that’s with the calculations).
I think people think community nursing is once the job is done. It’s done.
I’ve lost count how many times (including last week when I finished at 7 rather than 5) that I work over my hours as there has been some emergency when I’ve visited someone…I can’t just walk out the house and say…I finish at 5 or just not see my other patient as I have finished.
Im working on yet another uni module, doing assignments etc (in my own time) this is the third one in 2 years.
I’m ringing patients on my day off to confirm visits, ensuring prescriptions have been delivered etc.
Then to top my money up I’ve worked Saturday night shift at my old job (with no pay for the extra hour) and I need to arrange childcare for the holidays!

I get what you mean about still wanting to help people etc and that teaching may be the thing! im not saying it wouldn’t be easy. But in the long run I feel it might be better than if i work up the nursing ladder (making complex clinical
decisions with a 10 min appointment slot, as that is the reality of GP land).

There isn't much travel if you are a research nurse based in hospital, mostly training courses. The drug company trial monitors have to do a huge amount of travel. They don't have to be nurses. All the ones I worked with were young and single. I did a few trips to Europe, usually just a couple of days. Lots of day training courses usually in Birmingham or London.

Im not being negative about all these suggestions honestly but you would loose your NHS pension which is a big factor to take into consideration especially as you get your older which assuming the OP is.
This may not bother her but I’m single so size of pension is a big factor and looked at working in a hospice run of course by a charity the pension was good but not as good as my NHS one will be if I work to 67.
There are so many factors to take into consideration.
OP you can try anything and always come back in f it’s a disaster.

I am not certain without checking but I think nursing is about the same pay or a bit more than teaching. Teaching is a LOT more hours however.

You need a degree to teach.

I’m a teacher. An A-level in the subject you want to teach. Don’t necessarily need a degree in the subject. Of course a degree is needed and QTS.

Don’t do it. I’ve spent the first morning of my half term going to the drs for SSRIs for the anxiety and depression being a teacher in the current climate has caused. I’ve been teaching 16 years, I am not a stranger to hard work, and the extra hours but this last year has been something else. I don’t sleep and I cry daily, and I love this job and the kids (even the tricky ones) but the workload and pressure is slowly killing me.

According to Google, a nurse at the top of the scale earns 42k. I'm not a nurse, though. I'm a teacher (not promoted) and earn 54k (plus 3k responsibility allowance). You do have to do extra hours but after a few years, you have to find ways of prioritising. I have a really good HT. Some HTs demand too much. I try to get asmuch of my work done in school.

Going into teaching for a better work/life balance is absolutely insane. I wouldn't.

@Teachingversusnursing The majority of nurses are now graduates contrary to what many think we don’t just mop brows or bow and scrape to consultants we are making complex and life changing decisions about peoples lives. Vaccinating people just isn’t going to cut it for most experienced nurses

Thanks for that utter rant. Working with nurses for decades (I’m the one they ‘don’t just bow and scrape to’), I know exactly what they do. Also know one who went and did this and was perfectly happy not making any complex decisions, working set day hours Mon-Fri with all school hols off, so essentially only working 40 weeks a year. Their full intent was to happily ride it out for the last 20 years to retirement as also suited them after their kids left school. It might not be your cup of tea, or some others but it is valid option for some and you don’t get to speak for all nurses, they are not the Borg.

Lots of teachers are leaving because of the poor work-life balance. You get school holidays (not all paid - the wages are just split across the year - but I always ended up working during the holidays). In teaching there is a lot of work that can eat into the time you get at home. My experience was primary age but I have friends that are / were secondary teachers and they find it really stressful, have had time off due to mental health and do lots of work at home.

I'm trying to get out of nursing and I'm currently working on an application for PiP Assessor role. I'm sorry you had such an awful experience. Are you able to share a top line summary of why it was so hellish? I'm a surgical nurse and I'm very very drawn to the idea of swapping ward life with writing a couple of reports from the comfort of my home.

I’m a nurse currently working as a band 6 in nurse education. I’ve had a few band 7 roles but they haven’t been what I wanted to do longer term. I’ve been able to do a funded PGCE in my current job so for me I felt it was worth moving to the band 6 role.

It’s possible to teach health and social care at a college without QTS. The pay isn’t great but it could be a way in to give you the chance to try it out. They may pay for you to complete your PGCE too.

It’s sounds like you’re doing a lot of defending how you’re already used to a stressful job, being undervalued, taking work home evenings, weekends, holidays because that’s the norm in nursing.

So why the hell are you looking for a job with similar problems?

Retrain in something that’s properly 9-5, no bringing work home, no violence on the job, minimal safeguarding issues, low stress, better pay.

It’s not teaching, but there would be loads of other things depending on what you enjoy doing.

I know a few people who became teachers as a second career later in life. They all left teaching and went back to their old jobs or similar jobs.

There are always attempts to improve to work life balance, but something else gives and another aspect of your teaching life becomes harder.

It’s never ended, soul destroying and I really wouldn’t recommend it unless you are genuinely passionate. And the older you get, the more exhausting the job becomes. I am a secondary teacher of about 15 years.

I would suggest you perhaps take another role within the NHS.

Only read the headline. Better work life balance. Don’t think so. I’d stick to nursing if I was you.

Why?

Yes, that's what I meant. A degree is needed but not necessarily in your subject. Not sure how academies work though because local to us an unqualified teacher is a Head of a primary school.