Career change (again?)

[Mulledmead]

Hello. I am after some thoughts, opinions, experince as my head is in a little spin at the moment.
I have been a healthcare professional (nurse) for the last 12 years. I work in the community in a band 6 role. I have recently been on a secondment in an office based job (busy, decision making, sometimes high pressure environment) and I have loved it.
I don't think I want to return to traditional nursing. I had my appraisal recently which was really positive and I got some useful tips about next steps. One of which was to sit down and map my skills and interests so that I can plan for the future.
Off the back of this I have seen a job which beautifully encompasses all my interests and strengths. However it is not in the NHS and would result in a pay cut of sorts initially (plus loss of all the other security of the NHS), but has progression opportunities.
I just don't know what to do. I was a latecomer to nursing anyway (now late 30s) and my first degree is in another area of healthcare!
I suppose I am worried that people will start to look at my CV and think I may be a bit flakey (even though I have been stable in my pre-secondment role for about 10 years). I am also worried that I move into a completely new role and hate it as it will be outside of my NHS comfort zone!
But the prospect of doing this role for another 25 years does not fill me with joy either (but would provide stability for me and my children- I co-parent but am single).
The other option is to stick it out and wait for different job to come up in the NHS, but I am not sure what I want exists in the NHS. I look at NHS most days and occasionally see roles of interest but I lack essential criteria.
Thanks if you have got this far...what would you do?

Apply and make the decision when or if you get the job offer for a start. But dont worry about looking flaky, doing something for 10 years is not that. If you are staying in healthcare there is huge value in having been 'frontline' so to speak and then moving to something more behind the scenes, you will have a perspective and experience that others in those roles might not and that can very valuable. Trying different roles, moving into varied areas of a sector is a sign of intelligence, flexibility and adaptability - think of your career as a picture you are painting with detail, depth and perspective - the more of these experiences and skills you add the more complex and engaging the picture will be.

@Ohsugarhoneyicetea wow thanks so much for such a thoughtful reply. I think within my current setting in the NHS I have never been encouraged to think like that. There is almost an expectation you are there for life, possibly moving into a team lead job when someone retires. I have very few role models of sideways, backwards and alternative career enhancing moves! It's a bit scary!

What are the ‘essential criteria’ you apparently lack?

Are they qualifications you could acquire? Or something else.

Because you’ve said you loved your secondment job - and that was surely within the NHS? So clearly you could thrive within that environment.

There’s certainly no harm in applying for the NHS post - the process would almost certainly be enlightening and would help you to clarify exactly what your strengths are. And perhaps, areas where you might have become complacent after 10 years.

As the pp says - exploring and moving into new roles is how people grow, professionally.

I don’t think you should wait for different NHS jobs to appear - I think you should pro-actively seek them out. Let people know you are looking. Get yourself on mailing lists (or however things work in the NHS). That’s not flakey - it’s sensible.

Sorry - no harm in applying for the non-NHS post!

@TottersBlankly thank you for reply!
A lot of the roles I have seen (within the NHS) that are of interest seem to require project management and/or data skills. The qualifications are technically obtainable, but the practical skills/experience are harder to come by in my current area. I have done small scale improvements within my work area but not at any scale (although it's been a great starting point)
However you have a very valid point in terms of seeking things out. I need to make some contacts and be more proactive!
As I said, I think sometimes as a nurse, it feels there is an expectation that you remain a nurse for life (in one capacity or another) but I recognise that isn't necessarily the case in other sectors. I need to change my mindset.

I don’t really have public sector experience but a former partner of mine was a civil servant and was allowed a sabbatical every five years. (Maybe six months? Can’t remember.) All my academic associates seem to enjoy enviable amounts of time on sabbatical, too.

Is there nothing similar in the NHS? After ten years you surely need some proper time off to recharge and ponder. You could take the time to get a new qualification and then apply with vigour for the sort of job you want now.