Teaching to NHS

[Fifflefaffle]

I wondered if there was anyone who's done both?
I'm applying for 2 jobs which don't need retraining for (admin) but looking to perhaps train in the future.
My only reservation is covering the school holidays (DD6) but me and my husband could split our holidays and cover most that way.
I left a full time permanent job last year and am on supply at the moment. It has bought back an enjoyment of teaching again but the thought of going back to a permanent teaching post does not enthuse me at all.
Time to start something new...

So do you mean the admin jobs are nhs admin or when you talk about retraining do you mean you're thinking of nursing/physio/medicine or what?

You don’t specify what you mean. I’m a nurse that then went into teaching but there are differences between nursing and admin in the NHS. You won’t get school hols off in the same way as teaching no. You will need to find childcare.

I thought you meant that you were a teacher in a hospital?

I realise it's not but I'd love to do that.

Is there a reason you can't stay doing supply if you're enjoying it? I'm not entirely sure what you're asking if I'm honest. Teaching and NHS admin are such different jobs! I haven't done both, but I'm in the NHS and my Dh and Df are teachers. Do you think you'll feel 'busy' enough doing admin or will you get bored sitting at a desk? The obvious advantage of the NHS job is being able to go home at the end of the day and not do marking/planning etc, but you get that advantage with supply teaching too. Yes, there is a disadvantage re. school holidays, but if does mean you can choose annual leave to match your husband's for holidays etc, and staying at home with a sick child becomes slightly easier.

Just for clarification:

I'm a teacher in school.
I'm asking if anyone has made the jump from education to NHS.
I have applied for admin jobs in the NHS
I am.cinsidering completely retraining fromnext year e.g nursing

Thank you :-)

Sorry for typos and waffle in OP. I've had zero sleep with a sick child.

Thank you for all you replies.

I enjoy supply but my contract has been long term in my daughter's school (so on my doorstep). It's been a regular income too. I don't feel comfortable with day to day supply not knowing my income. It doesn't make me feel secure enough.

rubberduckies as supply I do: planning, marking and reporting to parents. Plus after school club.

I haven't gone from teaching to nursing. But I have worked as an allied health care professional in the nhs for over a decade. My siblings are teachers.

We spend a lot of time moaning about the same sort of issues, just dressed up in a different way. The pressure, too many patients/targets/kids, finger pointing culture, fear of some sort of slip up as non stop scrutiny from managers, a failing system with no support, moving goal posts, feeling exhausted/over worked/on a treadmill.

Just be careful you don't exchange one load of shit for another and have incurred a load of debt along the way.

Think about what it is you don't like about full time teaching, what are you trying to get away from? Will you get away from it by moving to nursing?

NicoAndTheNiners the thing I really dislike, and seems to be getting worse, is the behaviour. I realise that behaviour can be challenging in adults too. I have also lost the zest for teaching. It seems like I've come to a natural end in education. My only criteria at the moment is a job thay supports people. So I've been looking at NHS and working with the homeless. Have also considered prison service work too. Admin in the NHS is a step out of education and the next step to whatever I end up doing. If I retrain, I need to have an income also.

Well behaviour I guess is generally better. Or if it isn't I make allowances thinking people are scared, in pain, etc. Most people are appreciative.

I'm not sure how you'd keep an income while training to be a nurse.

I suppose you could try for a job as a hcsw and then do one of the new nursing Apprentiships if your local hospital offers this. My local one does so they keep their hcsw wage while training. Not sure how many hcsw shifts they do and how much is more of a student nurse/uni time.

When I was 18 I was torn between teaching and nursing. I went with teaching but I often look and think how I should've been a nurse. That's why teaching in a hospital appeals to me.

NC as this is very outing!! I suspect Im one of the few who have done both. There totally different jobs and I'm unconvinced one makes you a good candidate for the other.
Nursing is much harder whilst your actually at work most of us work 12/13 for shifts often with no break all day that includedsnothing to drink in 12 13 hours, yesterday for example I didn't go to the loo all day as I was too busy but as I hadn't drunk since 6 am then I didn't need to go anyway, I average 15000 steps a shift, I work in a very stressful environment and we are very understaffed which is worrying when lives are in your hands. We are constantly being verbally abused by our patients and their families, people are very aggressive, its now a weekly occurrence and people are just bloody rude many seem to think that we are trying to be difficult when in fact we have their relatives best interests at heart and we are in a system that has totally collapsed and waiting very long periods to see a nurse/doctor/physio or get medication to take home is the norm and not me being difficult. Ive been threatened by guns knives glass, been pushed punched spat at and chased, had furniture thrown at me and have regularly hidden behind desks etc waiting for security. No hour is the same as the last we go from busy to hectic, with increasingly only very occasional episodes where we're quieter for 10-15 minutes. Im regularly part of medical team working together to save lives. More and more is expected of nurses we no longer do bed baths and mop brows we are a essential part of a a medical team making clinical decisions. We are working in a system where increasingly money (or in the case of the NHS lack of it) is effecting clinical decisions and care (this is affecting you your children your parents etc) and will affect their outcomes this is hard to live and work with everyone I work in believes in the NHS free health care to all regardless of who you are. IME everyone is pulling the same direction all I work with care about the patients above everything else many work extra hour/stay after our 13 hours is up to care for the dying, and their for families we view as am humour and privilege that we can reach out a hand and help people. We work Xmas Easter nights including days and nights in the same week so many have permanent "jet lag" and there are serious health implication around working nights; early onset of cancer and dementia coronary heart disease etc like teachers and many other occupations nurses miss assemblies nativity plays etc We get approx 8 weeks holiday a year (if you work BH"s) which is better than many and you'll never find it hard to find a job because we are heading for staffing crisis of gargantuen proportions. Interview processes are nothing like teaching usually just a one easy welcoming interview and when would you like to start (hopefully now)? We're getting so desperate we'll almost take anyone now a days and there are so many different areas to work in most people can find something that suits their personality I personally thrive on front line stuff others like wards or the community or specialities etc. When I finish work I rarely take things home, although now I have a senior position I do it a bot more than I used too but it really isn't encouraged. Its stressful and when I was teaching most teachers said they didn't know how I did it.
Teaching is definitely less hard work when your actually doing the job but you take loads of crap home, lesson preparations marking etc, there seemed to be endless pointless meeting etc after school which we're described as voluntary but weren't. There is to my min an odd atmosphere in teaching I just didn't get the impression you were all pulling in the same direction. I felt there was less of an "we're all in this together" and definitely less job satisfaction. All the teachers I knew moaned about the job, the SLT, the hours etc we moan in the NHS but not in the same way I can't quite put my finger on it, Im going to be lynched for this but I also found teachers were very image conscious "be professional" and being seen as a professional was very important to them, I no longer hear this being said in the NHS ( maybe its given?).
If I was youOP what would I advise? If youre serious thinking about nursing's do a stint as an HCA you easily get work through you local hospital bank, get a feel for what nursing is all about. Its bloody hard work and as I said technically very demanding but most days I come home thinking I have actually made a difference.

as am humour = an honour

Frying pan into fire springs to mind.

I agree with the above, work as an HCA for a while to get a taste of hospital work. The student nurses I work with who haven’t been involved in hospital work get a big, big shock when they first go out on placement. Learning the routines and basic nursing care as a student nurse puts them at a disadvantage to those who’ve already got those skills.

Don’t train as a nurse. If you can’t manage the behaviour of kids you’ll struggle with the behaviour of the general public. Plus you’ll be working unsocial shifts and have less leave and less pay. Some NHS admin jobs are very cushy and we’ll renumerated, especially in large London trusts.

Have you thought about working in a selective private school? It’s not that they don’t see bad behaviour but they see less of it and are able to expel those pupils very quickly. My friend moved from state to private and loves her job, plus they get very long holidays.

Thank you.
Training as a nurse was just an example. You're absolutely right; difficult behaviour is in adults too and I want out of that!
I'm looking at admin but because I have zero experience id have to start right at the beginning. I'm going to give it a go though and see what happens.
With regards to private school, I've been in state schools for 20 years now and I ha e heard private schools are not keen on teachers from state schools because they have 'low standards'. I haven't actually tried it though...

AnNHSForAll thank you so much! I probably didn't make myself clear as nursing was an example I just used.
Your reply has been very useful. And I'm sorry to hear you're threatened and punched etc. Not surprised. It happens in teaching to (as you know) but probably on a much bigger scale for you.
Maybe I need a job away from society in general!

@AnNHSforall I know it's a very personal opinion but which do you prefer?

Nursing without a doubt. The NHS is on its knees it’s all about money now or the lack of it but underneath it all the ethos the idea of caring (in the many ways we do) for people in so many different situations the level of commitment and dedication shown not just by nurses but so many others who work in the NHS especially our doctor colleagues who we work so closely with is stronger than ever.
I find teaching a negative culture, lesson observations etc it felt like poor performance was being looked for. Now in the NHS they are my bing towards celebrating excellence instead. I’m not phrasing it very well it’s really hard to explain.

I really get a feel of what you're saying about teaching being negative and NHS being supportive.
My previous school was so toxic and yet all the staff pulled together and were so supportive of each other.
I find teaching quite a catty culture. It's very political. I love the idea of caring for people but I can't I've had enough of teaching. Because honestly speaking, the actual teaching part takes up the least amount of time!

I think you've phrased it very well. SLT and ofsted seem to be out to pull apart rather than celebrate success.

I work in nhs (not nurse). V tough. Nursing seems to be high stress, understaffed, huge responsibility (there have been prosecutions for making an error). We certainly need more nurses - but work as hca 1st AND also try an admin job nhs/private company (just to see if better work/life balance).

Patients seem in general to be more well behaved than what is described in schools. But patients with dementia are v hard to manage - can get violent or do things that are dangerous to themselves (which we are supposed to prevent, but have to try not to sedate them if possible).