Leaving nursing?

[Metalgoddess]

I am a mental health nurse working in a psychiatric unit of a hospital. I have been doing this job for 10years. Since having my second child, something seems to have changed within myself. I just don't want to do this job anymore. I hate the stress of the responsibility(most of the time being in sole charge of the unit), the violence and risk from the patients doesn't seem worth it anymore. I guess I have lost heart and value my health more than I used to.

I really want to be a SAHM for a few years then become a part time support worker or people with learning disabilities. This is financially possible but will need cuts to be made and will prevent us fom moving house etc. however I worry about losing my registration and pension and whether I will regret this move along with taking a massive pay cut. Has anyone ever left mental health nursing and regretted it or been glad they have done it?

Not mental health, but I was an RGN (trained in 1991) and I let my registration go back in Sept. I'm doing OU study (literature) and training as a complementary therapist which I plan to do as my next career once the DDs are both at school (another 2 years of SAHM).

No regrets. Registration is a pain which we are brain-washed into thinking is the most important thing and once mine went I felt the weight lift. Yippee I'm not a registered nurse any longer!

Ahem. Just one perspective.

And there be the lesson, I have just this week tried to talk someone out of training directly to be a midwife, my Mum did the same for me, be a Nurse first, which happily you are (although general nurses like me have it easier to retrain)
if you are looking for a change, it take about 18 months to retrain in another speciality and the hours to remain registered are small, I spent 2 1/2 years out of nursing living abroad and kept my study up as well on line, again a small amount.
you if clever with your times and training could remain a nurse and in a few years work in your preferred area.

Hi goddess

I'm a mental health nurse, and although I am still practising I saw your post and wanted to reply.

I used to do frontline ward based nursing but left that about ten years ago to become a CPN.

Although there were aspects f the job I loved, the shifts (particularly nights and weekends) really wore me down and I fl I was just 'coping' not living iykwim.

I then went into community work and although it can be stressful at times I can honestly say it is nothing like ward based work, 99% of the time I am happy and cope well, I have ever feet threatened and ts agreat team I work with. Since having my wo children wrk ave alo been great about giving me flexible hours ( pt) and I feel Lucky to be paid well (top band six) for what I do.

Along the way there have been times that I too have considered leaving leaving nursing and if ward based was all I could do I would have left already, but one major pls about nursing is the diversity of jobs out there, I've also worked in clinical trials and the to be honest was really easy wk, regular hours etc for good pay also!

Be wary of going into support work as you may find you are a nurse in all but reward/status, I now to an four staff who are in that position at present.

Good luck with making your decision!!

Sorry for typos, flipping iPad!!!