I need to get off the wards! Please help me.

[LumpySpaceCow]

Hello,

Exactly what the title says!

I've been a nurse for 20 years and have got at least another 20 in front of me. I am fed up with the toxic, blame culture, chronic under staffing, shifts (especially night shifts!) and general micromanagement. My colleagues are great but would chuck me under a bus to save themselves (not their fault, it's the culture we work in).

My mental health is in pieces and I need a change. However, I do feel trapped as I am in a senior role so need to make a move that would be financially viable.

Has anyone else made such a move? I am wondering whether lecturing is the way to go but would appreciate any advice from others who feel the same and have made the leap away from hospital ward working.
TIA

I’m not a nurse but have been a clinician in mental health in the nhs for 15 years.

I’ve just taken a job in the student health department at a university. Am at the top of B7 in the nhs so it’s a bit of a pay cut, but worth it for the work life balance and better culture.

@JudyGemstone I'm at the same pay point so know that anything I get will be a pay cut but I am willing to take it. How did you find the job? Sometimes it's just knowing where to look!
Congratulations on your new job!

Occupational health nursing or school nursing?

Only have sympathy really, I'm in a similar position.

My plan is a couple more years then part time or bank shifts. We are saving like mad to make that happen.

I really would love to get out and do something completely different but that’s a big step and I feel too old and unmotivated to retrain.

What specialty are you in? Could you make a switch to community services? Do you think you'd like to stay clinical? In my area we have nurse/AHP led teams specialising in diabetes, respiratory, heart failure. Plus opportunities in acute care (think acute frailty in the community) plus virtual wards. Also developmental ACP posts if you think you could be commited to the study involved in becoming an advanced practitioner.

What about 111 service, or a move to a role assessing people's health for benefit claims?

Does your Trust have any sort of career service? Some Trusts do as a way of retaining staff, finding a suitable role in the same Trust.
Or have you considered a sabbatical, give you time out to think? Met someone on a 6month sabbatical who was doing voluntary work, he had about 10yrs service in NHS. This was about 15yrs ago though, so don't know if sabbaticals still exist

Becoming a nurse lecturer/ part of your Trust's training team?

What about research or clinical nurse specialist?

Same here, 20yrs in A&E and I was totally done in. Night shifts, 2 am finishes and never ending pressures and expectations were too much.
I did my advanced training and now work as an emergency nurse practitioner in a small walk in centre which closes every evening and rarely has waits over 2hrs, bliss.
Could you do your ACP training?

Thanks - I just saw it on indeed. My friend who’s a RMN has got a job there too.

There are lots of opportunities to get off the wards, it depends what you want. If you are band 7 it may mean a payout to a band 6 or even a 5- a payout may be worth it? Something along the lines of a CNS, occupational health, clinics, community, practice development team or some kind of service such as OPAT, dialysis etc.

Or research?

Thanks everyone!

@NameChangedForThis195206644 I'm Children's trained so not sure if I could move to OH but school jirsing could be an option. I would need to really look at the wage though as I would be dropping 2 bands to train and not sure if the culture would be any different but at least it would get rid of the shifts!

@RapidlyApproachingEndOfMyTether it's really specialised and I'm not adult trained which really limits my options. I'm hoping that my leadership and management experience/skills will be transferable to roles outside of my specialty.

@Pudmyboy I will look into this but I'm not adult trained which i think will limit my options. I'll also look into the career service. I know that they offer apprenticeships so ill speak to them yo see if they have any advice.

@Mumof1andacat I'm really considering research.

I should have mentioned that I am Children's trained- I think that also limits my options.

@Beesmakehoney you're right. I just need to accept that I will need to take a drop in pay. I am also nervous about starting again at the bottom (I currently manage staff) but need to get over that in order to improve my work life balance and mental health.

Have you thought about community nursing, they would be delighted to have your skills and so many specialist area out there - virtual wards, district nursing, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, rapid response etc…

Theres corporate nursing so something in nhs education/ training, audit, research nursing, quality assurance/ improvement and clinical effectiveness work - can you go and shadow to see what its like? Talk to your Dep Chief Nurse and see whats in her/ his portfolio- is there something there you could look at.

Infection, Prevention and Control nursing?

Lecturer at university- you would need to look at training to be a post 16 teacher but they would support you to do that.

Good luck xx

What sort of nursing do you do and what do you want to do?

Outpatients or working at your local elective surgery private hospital I'd going to be totally different to AMU

I think you're right you'll need to take a pay drop to change direction. But with 20 years to go it may be worth short term pain for long term gain. Because your alternative is burnout in next couple of years and leave altogether!

Could you look at a retraining course in some clinical specialism that's more Mon-Fri? Or health visiting, in my area they're all Band 7
Working for a children's charity?

Bank shifts, 111, PIP assessor all possibilities to supplement income in short term.

I think you'll be able to climb the ladder in another clinical area quite quickly as you've got a wealth of experience already.

Thanks everyone. Lots of useful suggestions. I think I need to accept that it will take time but I'm going to start preparing now by spending less and budgeting more. My MH is worth more than my job and I want to be around more for my children. I am determined to not be on a ward by next Xmas!!

Just keep a look out on all the job sites in your Trust and others.

I thought I was 'trapped' at band 6 on wards and couldn't move up unless wanting to manage other people or be a nurse prescriber, neither of which I had any interest in.

I got a band 7 post which I'd previously thought would never be an option (as it was so great, no-one would ever leave it till retirement, except the previous post holder did leave to become a reiki therapist 😊) and since covid, WFH 99.9% of the time.

@HettyWainty what area are you in if you are able to tell me?

@HettyWainty my previous comment was a bit ambiguous- I mean what job role (and not locality!). Thanks

PM'd you.

If your a people manager those skills are highly transferable outside nursing. Have a look at team leader / manager posts in civil service they will train the “job knowledge” if you can already manage time/people/budgets etc.

@WinterDipper that's a really good shout, I'll take a look. Thanks.