Leaving teaching and retraining as a Mental Health Nurse at 46!

[RosyRoas]

Has anyone on here done this?

I am so fed up with teaching and give myself such a hard time for no longer enjoying it. I just feel it's not for me anymore; now that my son has grown up, I've moved on from that stage of my life.

I've got an interview for a MSc in Mental Health Nursing next week. I know the NHS gets a bad rap, and there isn't much money in nursing. However, the thought of a totally different career really excites me. I have done care work in the past, which included psychiatric care. I know it's not the same, but it's something I had considered before having children.

Although excited, part of me is questioning whether I have actually gone a bit mad (perimenopause!!). It would be a big pay drop, and I'd be poor for two years whilst studying. I'm single, so even more of a financial strain.

I would be SO grateful if anyone could share their experiences with me. Even if you're an RMN who has never been a teacher.

Thank you! 🙏🏻

Out of the frying pan into the fire. I don’t know why you’d go to the trouble. NHS clinicians are trying to leave in droves.

You’ll find lots of similar experiences on the Mature Study and Retraining board, here:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/mature_students

The physical demands of mental health nursing can be enormous, that is something to consider.

What kind of setting would you want to work in once qualified? Wards? Community?

Are you comfortable with being involved in depriving people of their liberty and restraining them to force medication? Witnessing patients be traumatised by the healthcare system rather than be helped?

What about mental health social worker instead? It's a similar pathway in terms of Masters study.

What is it about nursing that appeals to you specifically?

Fascinated by this :) I am in my late 30s and have been nursing since I was 18. Firstly in adult nursing then I did a specialist degree in school nursing which deals a lot with safeguarding.

I would look at your physical health, nursing as a whole does impact your health both physically and mentally.
The decisions you make come back on you and your pin number and more and more responsibilities are placed on the shoulders of nurses.
You will be doing nights/ long days/ weekends/ xmas

However, there is nothing else I would want to do with my life.. when my friends who I went to school with and who didn't go to uni are on 4 times my salary.. I am actually okay with it.. because I love my job. It is hard, and I cry but I also laugh and I do make a difference.

I wish you all the best

Thank you everyone! This info is already helping massively.

I know that nursing is hard. It’s just something I’ve always wanted to do and I feel like it’s now or never because of my age. However, I am open to the fact that it could be a really bad move and perhaps I need to move on from a career calling of the past.

Frodo12, I’m so happy for you loving your job. It’s definitely not always about the money. You sound like a super level and caring person.

Swanling, I did spot the MH Social work degree the other day. You can get paid whilst training and with no uni fees. Applications have closed for this year, but I will definitely be looking into it again now.

Thanks again, so grateful for you all taking the time to read and reply 😊

If you went down the MH social worker route you could work in outreach or community MH teams - in the latter case it would be Mon-Fri 9-5, supporting people in practical ways.

In the scheme of things, you're not so old that waiting a year to research (and maybe gain work experience?) and make your decision is not going to make much difference or stop you pursuing this.

Don't feel you need to leap into the first option you saw just because it's the one available in this moment - you have time to weigh up what is the best fit for you and wait to choose a different path if that's right for you (or not).

Another thought that crosses my mind - occupational therapists also work in mental health teams in different settings. That's even more about practical support than SW. I don't know as much about the pathways but I think it's fairly similar again.

There are lots of roles in MH and plenty of them don't involve shifts or physical labour.

Whatever you decide, I wish you all the best.

I would work as a HCA/Support worker on a ward or in the community before you commit.

I work on a ward and its hard very bloody hard.

Another vote here for occupational therapy. A very versatile career that makes a difference. You can work in inpatients, community, universities, CAMHS and that's just mental health off the top of my head. I'm not an OT but I work in a multidisciplinary team that has OTs in it and these are the settings that our OTs have worked in

i know a couple of OTs snd an OTA. I think but unsure that one OT set up her own business. My OTA friend worked on contracts for a few years for different authorities before getting a permanent job as an OTA.

Mental health nursing I’ve known a couple, bloody hard work and I wouldn’t do it.

I’m an ACP so worked in the NHS for years. I think you are utterly bonkers to give up all that annual leave and pay for mental health nursing.

You will be very short staffed wherever you work, poor conditions and agency staff usage which causes issues with continuity of care.

It will be very stressful and I cannot think of anything worse to change career too!

I was in teaching for 2 decades. I then ended up working (as a non-clinical contractor) in mental health wards.

In all honestly if I was offered a magic wand that would qualify me as a MH Nurse with a salary of 100K per year I genuinely would NOT take it.

I have the greatest respect for MH Nurses. They do incredibly difficult jobs in near impossible circumstances.

During my time in teaching I worked in some seriously deprived schools with some outrageous parents and pupils however NONE of that compared with being on a MH ward.

Tread VERY carefully OP.

I hate to say this but you're going into MH Nursing at the worst time in recent history. Staff are leaving in droves, all wards and community teams are understaffed. Violent incidents are rife on some wards in the Trust I work for.
I wouldn't advise anyone to take up a post, it's just hideous. Speaking to colleagues in other parts of the country, the situation in our Trust isn't unusual.

I’m an RMN. I’ve worked in various settings -
wards and community. I left acute MH inpatient almost 2 years ago for a job in a specialist community team after working on the ward for 7 years. The wards are currently hideously understaffed, incidents are high, admissions are often risky and inappropriately placed. Most shifts were spent just “fighting fires” rather than spending any time with service users actively nursing them. It was incredibly difficult and I wished I had more time to help the people in my care. Eventually I had enough and had to move on.
I now work in a service which luckily is well staffed (we have vacancies however comparatively we are in a better position than most teams!) and I have a smallish caseload where I really get to build good rapports with my service users. I now feel as though im able to do the job I went to uni to train for.

It can be the worst job in the world, it can also be the best. It’s stressful, rewarding, demanding, all mixed up. I do love what I do, but the stressors and the awful pay often do not make it worth it unfortunately.

Basically - to add to an already long post! My advice would be to really think about it and if you do decide to go for it - really really consider where you’d like to work. Look for a team where you’ll be able to get a good preceptorship and support as a nqn.

Hi OP

Community MH nurse, I worked on the wards for several years after qualifying and have been in community in a couple of roles in specialist teams for the past 8/9 years. It can be really hard work and we have a staffing crisis. It is worthwhile and rewarding work and we need good people to do the job. It won’t be easy, but I don’t think you’re after an easy ride! I sometimes wish I had worked in a different area where I could’ve earned more money and had an easier job. I then remember that the sense of fulfilment is part of it- even on the days that feel awful I know I have helped someone in some way.

The poster above who talks about being involved in depriving people of their liberty and administering medication under restraint- yes, this is a part of the job on wards and to some extent in the community. It never feels good. Sadly some people are so unwell it is required. In some areas I can imagine powers being abused by MH nurses, I have thankfully never witnessed this.

The years of Tory government continue to fail the people who we care for, I just hope it can improve a little over the coming years.

I’m an RMN and I honestly love my job. I was NHS until 2019, then agency in A&E until 2022. I’m now private sector.
Contrary to accepted wisdom, I don’t think people leave the NHS because of pay (and pension, sick pay and leave are way better than elsewhere): it’s more the lack of flexibility that just didn’t work with a young family and no family support for childcare with shift patterns liable to change at 48h notice (completely disregarding family friendly flexible working arrangements), and lack of senior management support/ toxic colleagues. The actual job was brilliant and pay was ok. If you’re past the point of needing childcare and have flexibility I’d do it!
On another note, plenty of people train later: 35 was the average in my cohort, but my husband did nurse training at 41 and my mum did hers at 53.

Thank you everyone for your comments. It’s really interesting to get your views and I appreciate you taking the time to add them.
I am currently looking at mental health social work. It’s funded so there would be no uni debt or trying to live on an impossible bursary for two years. Also, I’d still be working within mental health, but in a different capacity.
I’d be interested if anyone has any experience or thoughts on this.
Thanks again 🙏🏻