Need a change after bereavement

[mochachocaa]

Hi,

Looking for careers advice.
The big thing is, I’ve lost a child, something that will never get easier to deal with - I just want to try and keep my head just about above water for the rest of my life if I can.
The problem, is I’m a HCP. I love(d) caring for people, but now there are so many triggers - things that I didn’t think would bother me, absolutely do. For example, I tried to step back into working in hospitals, attended mandatory life support training, made an absolute embarrassment of myself and couldn’t do it.

Any ideas what a nurse could do if they don’t want to be a nurse for now?
⁃ I’m not in the best mindset to retrain.
⁃ Would love to work from home to be away from triggering things (and people actually 😂)
⁃ Need to try and pick up about £1300 a month part time (3 days a week perhaps)
⁃
I’m currently working in the community, and struggling with that! I’ve just about managed it, but barely to be honest.

Any ideas would be appreciated
Thank you 🙂

Would something like district nurse be more manageable? Working mainly with older people and regular time alone to recharge (I’m not suggesting travel between patients is a break but at least you wouldn’t be 1:1 all the time)

Working from home 111 responder? But I’d imagine there would be many triggering calls. My private through work healthcare just emailed me saying they now offer nurse practitioner appointments. I’ve used the service before and it’s via phone- the hcp is at home. I’ll look out the details.

Looks like they have a lot of wfh hcp roles
https://jobs.axa.co.uk/ejd_description/230006P4/occupational-health-advisor-home-based
Take care x

Sending hugs. I’m so sorry,I know what you are going through. Our youngest daughter died of a brain tumour 2 1/2 years ago.
There is no way I could have continued working but after 35 years full time I was able to take early retirement.

No wonder you can’t face it. I can’t even watch medical programmes, some news articles, adverts etc. So many triggers.

I’m sure there will be jobs out there for you using your skills. Maybe in time a school nurse?

Be kind to yourself and it’s ok that you are not ok.

Hi OP - I’m truly sorry for your loss from one bereaved mum to another. It is heartbreaking and you are right the pain is something you will sadly deal with for the rest of your life.
I lost my precious young adult son six years ago (only child).

I worked in a strategic role in the public sector at the time. I knew I couldn’t go back to this. I actually decided to work in a garden centre part time, as it got me out there working with a team (btw I didn’t tell them about my profound loss), also talking to customers and I took real pleasure in nature and plants and also learnt lots about horticulture! Then Covid struck and I left - but it helped me find a purpose and I earned an income at the same time.

I know everyone experiences grief very differently but I hope my experience helps you to think about what might suit you for the current time - it doesn’t have to be forever.

six years on, I think about my son all the time and miss him desperately, but I also have laughter and joy in my life in different ways.

I wish you strength going forwards. Big hugs xx

I'm sorry for your loss
What about joining a company that provides manual handling training?
Could be a trainer for staff in care homes, day centres, home carers.
You wouldn't need to go anywhere near a hospital, the staff will come to your training room. Or writing all their risk assessments?
Or being a research nurse into something not too "front end" medical, such as incontinence products? A lot of the data collection could probably be done from home

Sorry had a link but it didn’t post

https://www.nurses.co.uk/jobs/nhs-nursing/workfromhome/

How long ago did your tragedy happen? It won't ever go away but we do find ways to manage.

If it's relatively recently, some time off might be better than making a big decision now?

That said, I have recently taken a new job. I feel bad because my employer were amazing during my worst days, but I need to move on and be somewhere I'm not known as the person who suffered "the tragedy".

What about considering agency office type work for bit? As a HCP your admin skills will be reasonable and you could see a variety of places while thinking about what you might like to do longer term. And if you find a particular place difficult for any reason it's easy to just leave and find something else. It's certainly worth having a conversation with some of the big agencies like Reed.

Thank you so much for all your replies, and for your kindness I'm so sorry that some of you know and feel this distress too.
Some great ideas, a few I've never thought of, so will definitely be having a look.
Thanks again all

You could have a look at civil service jobs, particularly those jobs which may be working on policies relating to what you are experienced in. These jobs are often WFH and would be very different to what you're used to...

Or as the previous poster said, work in a garden centre!! I can definitely see the appeal in this.

Maybe disability services..It's not so acute but your skills would be so valuable.. I have worked in this area and a number of staff I worked with have had considerable sad personal events but they are able to work in this area and are actually very empathic to the people they support..-warm wishes to you x

Ok so sorry for your loss.

Would Occupational Health be of interest?

Drug companies often recruit nurses in specialist advisory roles eg advising GPs on asthma, diabetes, COPD, dermatology etc - obviously as part of their sales force but the 'soft' end so there is a significant training element as well as the information about their particular drugs. It could be a job with a lot of travelling across quite a wide patch but they may well have embraced online work. Could that be possible for you?