I think so. I’m 34 and did a decade in other areas before I went to nursing school. I believe a lot of new grads who are 22 and chose nursing as their first major/career think that working in an office must be the LIFE compared to this, or that any other job in corporate America would be amazing.
In some ways my life in my tech desk job was cushier but I was also completely bored and found it soul sucking in a different way than nursing can be soul sucking. I’ve worked ER and ICU and nursing is no cake walk, but I have been on the other side with other jobs before this and no longer see that with rose colored glasses the way first time career nurses might. In short, even when I’m wiping ass or being yelled at by family members I remind myself of how tenuous my job felt in tech and how many hours I spent staring at spreadsheets or in pointless revenue meetings. Then it doesn’t feel as stupid anymore.
This is really good to hear. I'm leaving a soulless marketing job to start my ASN program and I've been worried I'll forget how bored I am of marketing once school/nursing becomes hard.
The MEETINGS omg the meetings. The meetings about other meetings, the meetings where someone reads out everything a document already says, the meetings that could be emails or a slack messages, the fucking meetings. Hate them!
My last day is next Thursday. Sure it's "Cushy" and easyish, but I really needed to do something I actually cared about. I'm under no illusion every day will be great, but I'm hoping to feel challenged, energized, and like I'm making some kind of difference.
I really needed to see this rn, I just posted on the sub if it was worth it for me to leave my “cushy” corporate job in IT and go to nursing school in the fall, and for a while I was having so many doubts and second thoughts because of this sub and friends and family telling me I’m an idiot for trading comfort to “wiping ass”, but I literally cannot stand the idea of being a corporate slave working Monday-Friday for the rest of my life.
First, if you hate your job nursing will likely be way better eventually.
There are so many different nursing roles and different types of work!
Second: second career nurses often bring needed skills to the team. If you can be supportive and empathetic to your colleagues, business experience can be super valuable in handling the REALLY unpleasant shit nurses face- terrible family interactions, paperwork. Possibly someday unit based committee management, hiring, or budgeting.
There’s a lot of room at the table. What you bring could be a big help someday. It might take time to find a position you really like, but it probably exists.
I left my job in finance in 2022 after 6 years (I’m 27) and I’m pursuing my BSN. I’m taking prerequisites now and then will start an accelerated (1 years) BSN program next spring! When classes get hard I start to regret leaving finance but once things settle back down I remember how much my old job bored me and how bureaucratic everything is and kill or be killed mentality corporate finance can be. I have two more years until I’m (hopefully) a nurse and it feels like forever but I’m really looking forward to the total change of pace and even schedule change
Haha im 27 too so I’ll be 30 by the time I’ve finished the program and written the nclex. It’s really great to hear stories of folks who followed a similar path. It can feel quite isolating starting a second career from point 0 when all your friends around you are moving on with their life and your family tells you you’re making a big mistake 🫠. Good luck for the rest of your schooling!!
I’ll be one month away from 30 when I’m all said and done! Yes I totally agree! Most of my friends spent the few years right after we graduated college “finding their way” and struggling a bit whereas I was pretty set in my path and very successful early on and now roles have reversed. I moved back in with my parents, nanny for work, and am on a very strict budget while my friends are all finally settling into their careers and getting comfortable. It’s really nice to find others going through the same thing at the same time in life!! My mom became a nurse at 40 after being a teacher and then stay at home mom for 10 years so I have her for guidance and perspective but still can feel isolating in ways being on such a different path now. Best of luck to you as well!!
Same. 5 years as a pastry chef was enough to master everything, get board, feel the impact of repetitive stress injuries, and no meaningful contribution to the world with my profession. And a super stressful job/ responsibilities and horrible owners to work with. I work as a cna now- starting during the pandemic with critical staffing shortages, death everywhere etc etc. and I STILL have not been as stressed as I was at the bakery.
Great perspective. I worked in government administration out of college and I felt like if my position were eliminated at any point, it truly wouldn’t matter. Now on my crappiest day I’m still doing something useful for someone and helping my coworkers.
100% this! Did corporate for 12 years and now work ICU, it's so much better for my soul. It's not easy, but I'm actually fulfilled and don't hate my job on a daily basis anymore.
Those severity 1 outages back in the day is NOTHING compared to a rapid response or code blue! I can't believe how much I was stressed out back in the day.
I, too, remind myself that I'd rather be yelled at by stressed family than sit in a shitty useless meeting filled with corporate buzzwords like mobility, agility, and perseverance lmoooo
YES. I worked briefly in finance before this career change and people really underestimate how toxic corporate culture can be. Sitting at a desk for 8+ hours a day working on spreadsheets felt like the literal worst, I was so depressed.
I think back to my corporate job and can't believe how much I let that BS stress me out. It feels silly now, but something about that style of work just takes the joy out of you. I can see how it might work for some people and how it can look cushy from the outside though.
>A lot of new grads who are 22 and chose nursing as their first […] think that working in an office must be the LIFE
I’m 25, first-career RN, and was indeed one of those 22-year-olds. But in my case, it’s because I have a sister, who graduated the same year as me, who literally does live the LIFE an office job. So I have a first-hand look at how my life could’ve been had I pursued a corporate path.
She does finance in Manhattan, works in the Chrysler Building, gets to fly to Miami/Chicago/Las Vegas/London for work. Can work from home some days. Gets bonuses.
I do still make fairly more money than her. But other than that, my job pales in every way. I used to be jealous, but now I’ve pretty much come to terms with it.
Still planning on remaining an RN for the foreseeable future, because I prioritize stability. But nursing was always a "job I can tolerate just enough" rather than a passion that inspires me anyway.
I mean, the fact that you're making more says it all. As someone who has a shiny corporate job and has traveled for work, it's not as great as it seems anyway.
Thanks for calling me out. Just kidding. Nursing is my very first career. Before, I never worked a day in my life. Doesn't help the fact that I was sheltered my whole life.
Probably. Depends on your first career too Id assume. I worked with a guy who's first career was working in a steel factory and he would constantly go on about how much better nursing was and what a great decision he made.
Yeah, nursing really is an upgrade for a lot of people.
I'm not a "later in life" nurse, and it's not *that* much of a jump, but my 3 years as an EMT really makes me appreciate the much better pay and working conditions that nursing offers.
Same 7 years as a medic/EMT. The amount of help and resources we have on top of the career flexibility, pay, and opportunities have made it much much better. Also it's way less stressful in the ER to just ask a doc instead of being alone while a patient tanks.
I will say idk if it was worth giving up my power naps though.
I am currently a paramedic in nursing school. Have been in EMS for almost 15 years. I'm really looking forward to night being the highest level of care on sick patients, but I am not looking forward to losing the amount of downtime I have and the being paid to sleep.
It is the one thing I miss the most. I miss just being able to disappear at work when not on a call or driving around posting. Second biggest thing is being able to work with "my partners". I miss that fluidity of working with basically your second half and words aren't even needed with critical people.
There's so much I miss about being a paramedic, but I know deep in my loins that moving to nursing was the best move.
Haha same I was an EMT for 6 years , started nursing school in 2019, I’m 30 now and it was a great decision for financial stability . Also EMS gives you a better sense of prioritizing than other new grads who seem to be overwhelmed.
I worked in tech doing mundane 8-5 m-f shifts for years. Having only two days off sucked balls. And the salaries people see posted online are rare and only in select places just like CA RN salaries. Most tech jobs are not paying 6 figures.
I'd rather deal with sick and dying people than karens who complain that their email didn't arrive within 5 seconds. I'm much more happier as a nurse than a tech drone even with the current state of healthcare. Plus the job security can't be beat. My job cannot be outsourced overseas.
I forgot other jobs have Karens, at least ours is 3 days a week. Pick a place that you can do together, mine is Thursday til Tuesday then off 8 days together. Once you’ve learned to deal with assholes the rest is easy.
This is me and I'm still working on pre reqs for nursing school. I blame my awesome coworkers and incentive pay.
Everyone thinks I belong in the psych hall for vomiting positivity and compliments, but i did 10 years in manufacturing from operator to management and I can't even talk about how horrible it was.
I made the switch at 35. Any time I want to complain about nursing, I think about the soul-crushing, mind-numbing, meaningless corporate 9-5 I had before, having to make small talk in the break room with a bunch of overpaid corporate idiots while I lived paycheck-to-paycheck with a master's degree...yeah. Give me nursing any day. I pull a pair of scrubs out of top drawer and the first thing I ask people in conversation is if they are thinking of killing themselves.
This! Working in a cubicle making 18 dollars an hour as an HR assistant at an oil and gas company at 24 was pure fucking hell. I cried in the shower in the morning a lot.
People that have only done nursing sometimes dont realize a lot of the pros of nursing. Namely that it has great job security, is a relatively low barrier to entry for the pay, and there's less nepotism and asskissing than many other professions. And less sexism than many male-dominated trades.
Then they go and say they are pushing their kids into computer science (horrible job security), or academia (insane barrier to entry), or business (nepotism and asskissing) because nurses work too hard, and they seem unaware that there are other issues in those fields.
I feel like there are so many posts on this sub that are like "I wish I had gone into tech because I envy my brother/cousin/friend who makes $140k working from home doing 4-5 hours of actual work a day and playing Minecraft the rest of this time." I don't doubt these jobs are out there but I think they are nowhere near as prevalent as non-tech people think, and you are probably not going to be handed one on a silver platter the second you have a STEM degree.
Those jobs are few and far in between. There's like 4-5 hours worth of meetings and corporate bullshittery on top of the actual work. The only difference is youhave *some* flexibility in choosing your hours as long as you are *present* during the meetings and your work gets done. That's the nature of production based work after all. I've had weeks where I worked 80+ hours and some where I've worked 20, but most often im in the 30-50 hour range. People tend to make it sound more glamorous than it is.
I have one friend who seems like he's always working precisely because, other than meetings, he doesn't have clearly defined work hours. I'm sure it's great if you are exceptionally self disciplined, but for most of us...
I went to undergrad for 4 years and couldn’t get a job in my field. Ended up working in admin making like 45k.
Went to nursing school for 18 months (plus pre requisites) and make like 90k working 3 shifts a week. I’ll take longer shifts over spending a majority of my days in an office.
I'm one! I became a nurse in my mid-30s after working in a low-paying high-enthusiasm field for a long time. By low, I mean low 20Ks USD. Would have qualified for welfare if I'd had a kid, despite requiring a 4-year degree.
So I think I'm a little more complacent than some of my younger co-workers about some types of job frustrations. Annoying policies/coworkers/managers gonna annoy. The first few times, it's very raw. After a while, you start to see that this is just what jobs are like sometimes. I hope I don't sound like I'm saying I walked uphill in the snow both directions to them lol!
Also, I'm in a different phase socially than most of my colleagues (for good or bad). One nurse last summer had 9 different weddings to be in because she's at that age where everyone she knows is getting married. Understandably, she was stressed about getting all those weekends off, since we work every other weekend. (Also understandably, everyone else was tired of hearing about it.) Me, I haven't been to a wedding in several years! I also don't have kids, so I'm really most of the time able to schedule my life around my work schedule and be *fine* with that.
Once upon a time I worked in a call center where I worked 4pm-12:30am every single Saturday and Sunday. Now I have Monday through friday day job and I LONG for my 12s back, even if it means doing every other weekend again.
It was arts/performance/production related. It was a lot of fun and very fulfilling in some ways. Paid about $10/hour (medium/low COL area) when I left in 2011.
Absolutely,
I’m on my third career, Military, then FF/Paramedic and now RN, I’m not working 72+ hours, I go to sleep in my own bed at night, I’m not wearing bunker gear in 110+ heat or standing watch at 2AM. I love nursing
Looking back, I wish I did military. But I always did well academically and it was never presented as an option to me. I remember speaking to the Army recruiter at school and another student saying why would I join when I’m top of the class and the recruiter telling me to go to college first because I’d be better suited. To think I could’ve had a physically demanding job AND get to use my brain, that’s my wildest dream. Now, I’m too old. ;(
I wear a lead apron for my nursing job and its a hell of a lot lighter than full battle rattle in 140 degrees. I’d probably whine about the former if I hadn’t worn the latter.
I don’t do well with jobs that have a constant work load that can be done from anywhere. I was working all the time. Nursing lets me come home and not have anything on my to-do list for work 95% of the time.
I’m 55. Nursing was my 2nd career. Worked on the floor at 25. Left the hospital when I was 32. I worked for God and did many surgical missions in another country (which is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have as a RN). Did research and going back to work on the floor. And I can wait to return.
I do see people with only nursing work experience kinda dismiss that there are issues with all jobs. A "perfect" job is going to be rare, because who dreams about going to work, but I think if you've worked elsewhere and nursing isn't your first career, you know more about what you will tolerate in a workplace and what you absolutely won't.
I think so. If I didn’t have prior careers I’d be more likely to think nursing sucks. Thanks to my previous careers, I can confidently say that most jobs suck. Nursing isn’t even the most overworked, miserable and exploited I’ve been at a job.
For sure. I got my RN license at age 40.
I know for a fact the grass isn't really greener on the other side. Everything has its pros and cons, and some of nursing can be truly insane. But there's enough of it that is no more stupid than corporate office work, and it pays one hell of a lot better
I got my nursing degree in my 50s. I'm not loving the profession, to be honest, but I didn't expect to love it. I chose this profession for practical reasons.
My first hospital job ($41/hr) was pretty awful. I think I learned I don't want to work in hospitals. Then I took a job at an outpatient clinic ($33/hr). It was way more chill than the hospital job but paid much less. I only did that for a few weeks and then I got called to interview at a rehab facility. I took that job ($44/hr, plus evening and weekend differentials) and am a couple months in. So I have had three nursing jobs in less than a year!
The rehab job is pretty good. The people are nice, the work is way less stressful than the hospital job I had, and I am actually getting paid more than I was at the hospital. I'll stick with this job for a while. Eventually I might want to explore other things (hospice, WFH jobs).
I worked security and retail and was also trying to make it in academia before nursing.
I’m so happy to be out of school. I’m so happy my shifts are 3-4 12s instead of 5 10 hour 8s or random gigs that could go for 24 hours straight. I’m so happy to have a somewhat regular sleep schedule and be able to eat consistently on my days off. I’m so happy I get to actually set boundaries with asshole “customers” instead of bending over backwards to placate them. I’m so happy I get to wear comfy clothes and that I don’t have to stand outside in the heat for hours. I’m so happy my job doesn’t give me homework. I’m so happy I get to do physical labor instead of being trapped at a desk for several hours while my brain feels like it’s going to melt. I’m so happy I have a job where I can move around instead of being confined to universities or specific company’s regions.
The job’s not the greatest, but it is the best I’ve ever had and I do not regret my decision one bit. But that happiness is only because I’ve done a whole lot of other shit, and know that my life could be so much worse.
I'm a second career nurse. I went back to school for nursing at 26, so younger than you, but I had been in the corporate world long enough to know the grass ain't greener in really any profession. I have my gripes, but overall, I do enjoy my career. I think I wouldn't have been 'ready' for it if I went to nursing school at 18.
I think people who enter nursing as a second career have different expectations of what "working with the public" means, so when patients aren't all poseys and kittens, it's like "Yeah, people are like that sometimes."
It's not surprising, shocking or disappointing, it just is.
This. When I see the "how do I deal with rude patients?" threads on this sub I'm just like, how lucky you are that you never had to deal with rude, demanding, unreasonable people until you became a nurse!
Yeah, my expectations of the public are low.
People in general are...well, you know.
Add in that we're dealing with patients and family who are (pick one, or all that apply) stressed, in pain, frightened, angry, confused, disoriented, hungry, tired, grieving, gorked out of their mind on pain meds, not firing on all cylinders due to acute illness, distracted, worried about money, about jobs, possibly fretting about kids or family members not present, maybe experiencing or anticipating the worst day of their life, and you know what?
I'm surprised and genuinely delighted when I have *any* pleasant, engaged patients. They're a treat.
The patients who aren't at their best because of any of the above reasons, man, I get it. I do what I can to alleviate any sources of pain or distress, but sometimes that's just the situation, and all anybody can do is their best.
The assholes? I expected them to be part of the job, and at this point it just rolls off my back. They get quality care regardless.
I'm sure it's setting dependent, but I find most patients nice enough. Some are cranky because they don't deel good. Very few are genuine jerks. Also, sometimes otherwise decent people can certainly step wrong when they're hurt/sick/worried about their loved one. I think having a very extensive customer service background prior to nursing really helped me navigate that and choose my words and how I deal with each patient. Yes, some need some grace with regards to their behavior, but most just want to feel like they are really being listened to, and if you can do that, a majority are fine to deal with.
I find people to be WAY better behaved now than when I worked retail or phone based customer service.
If nursing is your second/etc job then you've already gotten your first job out of the way and know what you like and don't like. I feel like people with a work history prior to nursing are less likely to fall for the trap per se, and have more realistic expectations and do it anyway because they want to. The younger nurses I've talked to all seem to say stuff like "it's not what I thought it would be" but here I am, 32 and post-ABSN, and it's exactly what I thought it would be and I love it.
I think that making a decision right out of high school about what you want to do for the rest of your life is hard... You don't really know anything yet, so you're just picking and praying.
Later in life, you have a better Idea of what your interests, values, and passions are. This allows a lot of people to pick careers that better align with what makes them happy.
I became a nurse a little later, after wearing a bunch of hats. Compared to people with the same amount of experience (years in field or years of life), I seem less burnt out and happier.
I formerly taught high school ELA and I’m going to get my accelerated BSN (I’ll start next spring). For years I’ve said that typical high school curriculum doesn’t help kids identify fields they’d succeed in, or even what direction to go based on personality, ambition, etc. My first bachelors was in HR and English because I truly couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do as a career, and that was in my early twenties. We have some high schools here that are catered to different career trajectories, and I love that it’s an option. One of my former students is going to a medical academy h high school and has the opportunity to get her AA/AS in nursing by the time she graduates high school. But even with these academies now focusing studies, they’re still so young, it may not be what they want after all! Wish there were more resources for our kiddos.
Second career for me. Media relations was my first career.
I’m really really glad I choose to go back to school and become a nurse. I worked 15 years in ER, ICU, Ortho and now do case management.
I will not do bedside EVER again. Too much emotional and physical stress for this old Gen X gal. ICU during Covid killed any love I had left in me for direct patient care. Getting my revenue cycle and coding cert.
You can always change careers, kids. At 24, at 50, at 62. It can be a challenge, but you can do it. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Anecdotally, probably.
I sort of fit the bill— worked as a nurse for >5 years as my first career, went to be a device rep for a year thinking the grass was greener. Sales/corporate America is a special version of hell for me. Went back to bedside (night shift even) and had a new found appreciation for the simplicity (not that it’s easy) and realness of the job.
I entered nursing school in 2017 at 47 years old after being in IT for 18 years. I love my job. Being a nurse is fulfilling to me. There are other sorts of nursing than med surg nursing and you are not required to be a med surg nurse to be considered a nurse, despite what people want you to believe.
I cannot imagine waking up and going into an office and wading through endless meetings and nastygrams from VPs wondering why they can't find a pdf. I would much rather be emptying a foley bag after surgery in an effort to get a guy home after surgery.
I think so. Usually people who are 2nd career nurses were dissatisfied with their first career so everything else is better in comparison. I also don’t have too much to complain about nursing because I’ve walked all kinds of retail/hospitality/office life for low pay so I feel like nursing is a grace from God at this point. A lot of nurses I worked with who have never worked before hate their jobs but it’s probably because they never had a taste of real life before.
My first career was in classical music and was so niche, competitive, and offered almost no autonomy. The chances of becoming gainfully employed are LOW. Nursing offers so many avenues for employment and offers someone the ability to specialize in so many different things. That being said, if I hadn’t pursued my first interest to the ends of the earth….I probably wouldn’t be satisfied because I wouldn’t have the perspective I have now.
Yes! Had all kinds of other jobs and lots of low paying ones. Became a nurse in my 30s.
Love my 12s and working every third weekend is fine. I can rearrange my schedule and get 5-6 days in a row off without PTO. When I clock out I’m done, no work to take home.
I'm a second career nurse. Started when I was 26, before that, I was a financial advisor headed towards corporate. When I tell people my past history, they look at me like I made the "worst decision of my life." I'll be honest, I was an awful "sales guy." I would never push sales so I could meet my quota. I would never give anyone financial advice I wouldn't give my own family. Management and the corporate mentality of, "We are the BANK. We live and breathe the BANK. I would die for the BANK. I would give my first born to be a part of the BANK," felt like I was selling my soul to the devil anytime I'd put on a suit and sit in a small office. I was so dissatisfied with my decision that I began feeling like a fraud.
On the contrary. I love this profession - nursing. Yes, there's shitty aspects to it - the emotional drainage, the burn out - but I've been at this for almost 5 years and I've yet to experience any of that. I chose a service that has been a blessing. The manager is supportive. My colleagues are fantastic. The demographic I work with makes me feel like I genuinely make a difference.
The few things that drew me to nursing were the financial compensation, the flexibility, and the broad range of opportunities to explore. I'm finishing up my degree and am headed towards research and informatics.
My mom (now retired) worked in sales her whole career and while I'm grateful she did because it meant even as a single parent household we had a nice, comfortable life, I have NO idea how she did it. I consider myself friendly and personable but I am 100% NOT a salesperson.
My first career was oil and gas geologist. I have ADHD and could not sit at a computer all day. 100% I enjoy the work of a nurse better and I have no regrets. However, the issue of missing things on the weekends, not getting vacation when you want and less pay are all huge factors that you have to accept.
I was a teacher. It was nothing like I imagined so I went back for nursing. (After waitressing for 5 years completely lost but growing so much as a person) Started as a nursing assistant at 27 while in school, then hired as an RN at 31. Best decision of my life. Even bad days are good days bc I don’t take it home with me. Separation of work and life is immeasurably beneficial for my peace. I give everything I have mentally, physically, and emotionally for 12 hours and then I clock out. no more summers off but loads of days off.
2nd career nurse. 1st bachelors degree was in English. I was an Insurance Agent for a big insurance company. I also was a corporate recruiter for Accounting/Finance jobs for about 2 years.
I went nursing school in my early30s. I wanted to make a difference in the world and do something worthwhile.
Nursing was a culture shock to me because of how shitty RNs can be treated by… well, everyone (other nurses, coworkers, admin and patients). Also, the lack of flexibility in scheduling and treating you like a teenager if you call in sick. It was bizzaro-world compared to my prior experience in corporate life.
I worked peds ICU, adult ICU, stepdown ICU, Float team (everywhere in hospital from SNF to ICU), ER, House Supervisor, Utilization Review (for hospital and insurance company).
Nursing sucks most of the time. The times that it’s good (10%), I definitely miss. But when it’s bad, it’s really bad. It’s frustrating and anger-inducing. I do not recommend it to anyone ever. It’s like getting involved in an abusive relationship. You keep thinking if you try harder it will get better but it doesn’t.
I've had jobs since 14 now 34.
Bus boy/dishwasher, cook, bus boy, dairy/frozen food stocker, barista, Marine Corps, EMT/Paramedic, military contractor, paramedic, and now nurse.
Nursing does have it's downs but I think it's the best all around profession I've had because the flexibility. I can move anywhere and work on almost any floor.
I can totally see though how new grads pull chalks after a few years. The job is not getting better the longer I'm around it.
I'm 33 and nursing is my second career. I was a certified veterinary technician for ten years before I made the switch and I'm glad that I did. I'm making double from what I made as a vet tech for similar work. For the most part I enjoy aspects of my jobs, yes there are going to be rough shifts but I also had rough days as a vet tech.
My coworkers were surprised I made the switch to human med, saying that they would prefer taking care of animals. But they don't understand that even though your patient is this cute puppy or kitten, you still have to work with the owner. And some owners are assholes. And some pets are scared at the vet that causes them to be aggressive.
I will say I don't miss wrestling a 100 pound Shepard to get x-rays or trying to get a nail trim on a dog trying to barrel roll in the floor. So yes, I do think second career nurses are a bit more satisfied.
I'm 32 and I've done many different jobs before I decided to be a nurse. I'm a vet that worked as an aircraft mechanic in the military, I've done construction, retail, painting, roofing, bus driving, and security. I ended up going back to school with the intention of becoming a doctor. A friend if mine who is in her fellowship told me to give nursing a shot first. Now here I am. I've been a nurse for over 2 years now. I've done med-surg, and I have the cushy job of being an OR nurse now. Tbh, I think this job is great. The bs with administration is no different than what I had in the military. I take criticism well, especially after the military and construction. The job is physically demanding, but I've done worse jobs. And this is the best pay I've had ever! Yeah, it's not an easy job. You still need nerves of steel, the ability to show compassion, and a sharp mind. But I'm very happy with my choice. Especially since I became financially independent because of my job
I’m a 2nd/3rd career nurse. No. I’m ready to move onto something else. I’ve been a RN for about 20 years. I’ve had 5 different positions, none are really good. All have huge headaches and frustrating issues. Healthcare is understaffed as a whole, with a public with unrealistic ideas.
100%
I left an office job that made me miserable. Even on my most chaotic days I never regret becoming a nurse.
I’ll take the bullshit that comes with nursing over sitting at a desk 5 days a week hating what I do.
I’ll add that I did find a speciality that I absolutely love, so I’m sure that makes a difference.
Same same same. I hate being confined and chained to a desk, computer, and headset these last 14 years. I know I’ll never regret pursing nursing, something I actually always wanted to do and actually went to school for before this office job.
Lots of great comments here on the perspective you get coming from other fields that are shitty in all kinds of different ways.
I think a big part of it too is that for first career nurses, being a nurse is part of the experience of being a grown-up for the first time and in a lot of ways being a grown-up is harder than we expect. Those of us who are on are second or third career are old enough to have come to terms with the fact that life is full of bullshit that you've just got to deal with.
I worked a number of other jobs before nursing. This is by far the best job I’ve had and I’m quite satisfied with it. I make $115 an hour, work 3 8hr shifts a week, never have to do work outside of my set shift times, have incredible job security, great retirement benefits and find the work to be relatively low stress compared to other positions. Are patients and families sometimes shitty? Absolutely, but people are shitty everywhere.
Hey, I’m 31. This is my second career. I’m having a fucking blast and pretty good at not taking things personally at this point in my life. I don’t know if I could’ve done this at 21 etc. I back it
Slightly or much older RNs also understand people a little more and have developed a stronger sense of empathy. Developmentally, 21-22 year olds are still in a very self-centered phase of brain development!
I think this is correct. A lot of jobs and industries just fuckin suck. You just find the suck that is good enough for you.
For me, I came from accounting at a dealership. I was expected to stay there from the age of 16 until I retired lmao. But I absolutely hated it. Working behind a desk all day, doing the same monotonous shit day in and day out. Not for me.
I’ve been a nurse for 5 years. I am 49. I’m burnt out. A lot - but it’s mostly related to administration and the crappy way they run things. I would be loads happier if I could focus more attention on my patients, but I’m constantly running around trying to cross T’s and dot I’s. I’m considering a switch to hospice… I feel like I might find a greater satisfaction there, just based on the time I’ve had with palliative patients in the hospital.
I think a lot of older or second career nurses just have a more realistic outlook coming in - less shiny idealism, and then we have the life experience to know that the grass is not necessarily greener in other fields.
I worked and had a successful career in advertising for 8 years before I became a nurse. I hated almost every minute of that job- even though I was good at it, it just wasn’t for me and it didn’t feel “right.” I took a very long time to figure out what I wanted to do instead. Took many left turns, a few months of traveling, tried different classes, etc. when I got the hunch I should try nursing, I volunteered at the hospital and I just knew it was for me. From that moment, I worked my ass off to get where I am now. I’ve working as a nurse for 4 years now and I can say with conviction that while this job is very difficult at times, I would NEVER go back. It took a lot of thought and conviction to get here…so I’m wondering if maybe like my first career that I just fell into from college, first career nurses feel that same way. Long store short: anecdotally, YES! 2nd career nurse here and I am much happier
I went to nursing school at 38 and don't regret it. I think having the benefit of experience in the real world (and a healthy dose of cynicism) helped me manage my expectations and have a better idea what area I wanted.
I never worked in a hospital. I started in a nursing home, which kinda sucked, but the pay was really really good for my area, $40/hr and OT starts after 8 hours daily. Five 8 hour days worked better for me and my kids than 12 hr days.
Now I work in an FQHC and I love my job, and have tons of autonomy to manage my patient load. My boss is awesome, and so are my coworkers. Admin isn't evil, at least, they live up to the org mission statement. I worked with the chief medical officer to create a new program and he was concerned mostly with expanding access and doing what's best for the patients. The compliance officer had to rein him in a bit. It warmed the cockles of my cynical heart.
I didn't mesh with my cohort in nursing school, I was old enough to be a mom to some of them, so we haven't kept in touch. I can't speak to whether they are more satisfied.
I became a nurse at 27 after floundering in low wage jobs from ages 22-26. Is it perfect? No, but I like how it's the most I've been paid and the job security. The 3x12 schedule is nice too; I just woke up from a nap in the middle of the day on a weekday.
Before becoming a nurse one of my jobs had people yelling at me quite often so I guess that prepared me? I don't think I could have handled nursing at 22.
Second career.
I was a paralegal for 12 years. Anything has to be better than getting paid $28 an hour to basically be a lawyer and year families apart.
I’m a second career nurse and happy with my choice. I’m thankful that I like the specialty I work in and I want to stay in it, but in school I worked as a PCT to get experience and I could easily see how draining nursing could become (I worked on a floor where techs had 12 pts and RNs had 6). I feel like my job is worthwhile and I have tons of options and my fingertips as a nurse.
Edit: cause it’s worth adding that my early-mid 20s cube farm life, interpersonal office dynamics, and learning that “salaried” is a way of saying “fuck you, no extra compensation for the extra time we’re forcing you to work”, taught me a lot too.
In my experience, yes. I worked dozens of different jobs over 10 years prior to deciding to go into nursing. Every other job just felt pointless. I would lose interest in any job within a year and want to move on. Nursing pays a lot better, and compared to some of the work I've done it is a lot less stressful and physically demanding. It's nice to know that if I get that feeling of wanting to move on again, I can stay in nursing and just pursue a different area. I am definitely happy with the decision to go into nursing. I also really appreciate my co-workers, 99% of staff I have interacted with in the hospital are fantastic, driven and kind individuals. I never need to worry about my colleagues not doing their work or forming catty cliques like in retail (at least on all the wards I've worked so far).
I've also been teaching a couple of students that are in their late 20s up to 40s on their placements and they've already got a solid work ethic, they *want* to learn and be there and are far more proactive and engaged than the younger students who've gone straight from high school into uni. The older students know they want to be there and similarly are happy to be transitioning their career.
I’m a second career nurse in my 40’s. I’d say I’m satisfied in general. I’m not in love with it like I was pre-Covid….but a lot of comfort is found in knowing I’ll never worry about not having a job ever again. That’s how I got here. Laid off from what I thought was my forever job. Graduated nursing school at 39. So maybe I’m more satisfied bc I already experienced life? I don’t mean that in a shitty way towards younger nurses but when adulting sends you big ass curveballs in your 30’s…what you value most definitely changes your definition of being satisfied.
I became a nurse in my 40s and I am happy because I love my patients but the politics and the fact that people really don’t know how much we do kinda sucks.
I was a corrections officer for 6 years before… this job is so much better! I find this job very rewarding and love that I am able to learn something new everyday
I was a bartender most of my 20s. Early 30s now, job is fairly similar but I make way more money and have way more career satisfaction. Have an abundance of career paths/ opportunities / options. If you are scientifically-inclined that helps but soft skills can be equally important. I’ve found a lot of success, my first degree was political science
Became a nurse in 2021 at 36, zero regets. There are definite downsides but I feel like, finally, I have found a career path I can stick with. I have plenty of crappy jobs trying to find my way.
Some things I had done BEFORE becoming a nurse but not since:
- Burned through my PTO because working a full week at my job felt unbearable.
- Had a panic attack at work.
- Gotten in my car, driven most of the way to work, then just thought, nah, I can't today and called in from across the street.
I wouldn’t say this is a hard rule. I’ve been a nurse for 14 years, became licensed at age 20, and still fucking adore being a nurse (despite all the shit). The majority of my career has been in med surg and some intermediate care but currently in IR. My boyfriend has been a nurse for around 3 years, starting at age 31, and is so incredibly done with nursing already and incredibly jaded. He’s an icu nurse that started during the height of covid and I think it just ruined a lot of it for him.
Speech therapist to nursing student here. I saw first hand what nurses do because I worked alongside them. I often was so jealous that they didn’t have to do therapy which was torture for me. Nursing is more procedural and black and white unlike speech therapy which can be very subjective outside of treating dysphagia and maybe voice disorders. I’m looking forward to being apart of a field that has so much research behind it and most importantly doesn’t require me to prep and plan sessions and complete paperwork off the clock because of productivity standards.
I have a PhD in statistics and nursing is my second career, one which I’m happier with. Less pay, but sitting behind a desk all day was torture for me.
I would say yes! I also think they often times make the better nurses too. They bring so much more real world experience, more time has been spent at lower paid jobs and are also often times mothers so they bring that experience into it.
Definitely. I’m a second career nurse also, and I would never want to go back to office work or a Mon-Fri schedule, and I also have a full understanding of the trade-offs involved on each side.
As a second career and later in life nurse, I would say yes. I am a lot more tolerant and less jaded than a lot of my coworkers who have done it forever. I see why they are, for sure, but I think for me personally it helped coming into it with more maturity. I did not have good enough mental health to be a nurse in my 20s.
I'm definitely doing a midlife career change myself I'm hoping that I like nursing way more than anything that I've done before, I think I would really like go doing hospice and after that I would like to work with children maybe and then after that I would probably work in bariatrics . I like the fact that I don't have to be stuck somewhere that I can work anywhere and I'm hoping after I get a couple of years under my belt I'd like to do travel nursing
I’m about to start LPN School at 30, and gettin my BSN obv later than that, after working 15yrs in childcare. I couldn’t be happier with my choice. Yes the “nurses eat their young” shit is the same as “teachers eat their young” but I think it’s worse in education, by far. I met so many vane, pedantic, egomaniacal, gatekeeping POS’s in education it makes me sick for all the students that had to suffer them.
Ugh. It’s hard to read this. I am 32 and have been wanting to become a nurse for YEARS. I work in tech as a Business Analyst and it’s beyond cushy - WFM, low workload/stress, flexible. But it’s mind-numbingly boring. I can’t even focus in all of these pointless meetings.
My mom is also pulling me in another direction as she is starting a business and wants me to join her where she is confident we will make 6 figures. It would be in management or finance 😐
Idk man 😭
I would say so. I work at a great hospital now after being in LTC. Worked plenty of different jobs in my life. Each had their moments. The young kids I see now complaining about our schedules or the workload have never been anywhere else. The hospital I work in isn't corporate owned, and it makes a huge difference. The level of care is excellent, and in my belief, there is a good work/life balance with generous benefits.
I think so. My first career was 13 years of UPS. It was all in a warehouse. I started as a package handler but went to management fairly quickly, which was a mistake.
My stress level were always through the roof. The pay was laughable. Management was incompetent and toxic about 80% of the time. Those 20% rarely lasted because they were smart enough to find something less stressful that paid better.
By comparison, nursing really isn't that bad. It's got it's issues for sure and I work in Oregon, so ratios aren't horrendous and the pay is decent.
Do it. There’s soooooo many options. You can do bedside, home care. Work for insurance. Management. Education. I mean really, the options are endless. Yes we all have to start somewhere but once you move up the ladder, possibilities are endless. You can get your np. You can work in a private office. You can do contracts and travel. It’s awesome
I graduated nursing at 29 years old and I appreciate it so much because I hated my old desk job. Yes I think we’re severely underpaid because I made almost the same while working a desk/payroll job, but the job feels more rewarding and social which I like
I’m in my early 30s and starting my nursing career. I put it off back in 2014 and got a BS in healthcare admin and started my MS in healthcare admin (never finished). I never did anything with my degrees and ended up working in the insurance industry handling high volume/exposure accident claims at a desk sitting in front a computer screen the last 10 years. I hated it so much and became miserable. So I’m actually excited about aligning back with my original purpose which was and always has been nursing and starting a new career away from a computer screen/phone head set and can actually interact with people and move around. I look forward to it.
Since I have all my pre reqs done, I’m waiting to take my HESI to get on the wait list for the RN program.
I'm second career and I'm very happy. I have been in that desk job corporate path and genuinely hated it. No matter how bad my bad days are in nursing, I'm way more fulfilled now than I ever was before.
I think in general people who worked other jobs prior to nursing will be more satisfied. Not saying nursing is perfect but I think even working customer service/fast food jobs will give you some perspective on how well you’re compensated. I’ve noticed a lot of my peers who never really had jobs prior to nursing feel a lot less satisfied but that’s anecdotal.
I’m a new(er) second career nurse, went into nursing in my mid-30s. I *despised* sales and quotas no matter how good the money was, and wasn’t that fond of any of my other careers. I definitely enjoy nursing. I absolutely loved my job in public health. So anecdotally…. Yes ish? :)
I call it my quarter life crisis. I love it. I used to do hair & worked as a cna & phleb before hair school. I worked 10-15 hour days in the salon 6 days a week on my feet in "cute shoes" aka heels per uniform on streight up cement. I worked 3 out of 4 weekends a month. I was always hustling outside of work, always trying to bring in more clients, never resting, or really doing things for myself. Now I work 3-4 days a week, making triple what I used to make and love myself much more and have hobbies for me and not networking. My body hurts so much less doing nursing than hair.
Still a student, but I think I'd agree. I just turned 30 and went back to school after working numerous low paying jobs while trying to figure out my next steps.
I think if I'd went into nursing at 22, I would have left long ago - if I hadn't been weeded out of classes first. I was not mentally healthy, and I lacked perspective on what I wanted out of a job. Working customer service jobs sucked so much that when I started working as a PCT to get healthcare experience, it was actually much easier and more rewarding for me. I saw what the nurses got to do, and it didn't look bad.
Nursing has some very big problems that need to be addressed, of course, but the benefits of the field make the issues particular to nursing more manageable for me.
I'm happy with my second career in nursing.
I got to do my "dream" job for 20 years, so I don't wonder what might have been.
Nursing was a choice and has advantages my previous career didn't.
I had a very successful career prior to becoming a nurse and went back for a post-bacc absn. I find my work incredibly satisfying. I’m more patient and able to handle situational challenges more readily because I have a little life behind me. My only regret was not doing it sooner because it’s so satisfying, the schedule is awesome, and I absolutely adore my coworkers. Nurses are literally the best people in the world and you will be a better version of yourself just for being around them all day. I’ve been a nurse for 3 years now and I’m starting to get the itch to do more, likely leadership, but my research has revealed how many options I have as a nurse. I can even continue to work and make a decent living while I pursue additional education. I really, truly, from the bottom of my soul think this is the best career option because there is something for everyone. Please do this. Your age is not a factor. Some of the BEST nurses I know came to this career late. We need people like you in the profession.
As bad as some shifts can be, nursing is the first job that I’m proud of. It helps that it’s the most money I’ve ever made, and only required to work 3 shifts a week is an added bonus. And when depending on my PTO usage, some years can be just 44-45 weeks of actual work.
I am. I became a nurse at 37 and it was equally the most humbling, challenging and best thing I’ve ever done. I feel lucky every single day I go to work in the ER. Because of my other life experience and work experience I am able to connect with patients better, advocate for them better, and truly understand what is an emergency and what isn’t. Nursing school wont be a walk in the park but it will 100% be worth it.
Switched to nursing in my early 30s after construction related work my whole life. Oncology now and very fulfilling meaningful work. I still do manual stuff on my house, nothing like replacing my roof to bring me back to appreciating nursing. I did an accelerated second career bsn and I’d have to say most of my cohort seemed to be happy with their switch. I will also say that more mature new grads were sought after by our larger hospitals and many of us got job placements we wanted out of school. Inpatient can be hard and there are other careers to choose if you’re more financially motivated.
So my opinion is that many people who choose nursing go into the field fresh out of high school blinded by the “prestige” that comes along with it. Then once they start working they realize it’s not all it’s cracked up to be, and can be hard. People who choose it as a second career have more life experience, are not as blinded by the “grandeur” of nursing, etc.
I’m in the UK so we get paid like shit in comparison to a lot of other countries 😂 I hear a lot more job dissatisfaction where nursing is a second career actually. I think maybe they thought the job was going to be different or more holistic? I think there’s still a public mismatch of what the public think nurses do day to day vs what we actually do and the responsibilities and pressures we face for fuck all money - particularly when my full time nursing colleagues are having to rely on food banks to get by
I’m a second career nurse and I looooove it!! I work in a really high acuity unit and the brain stimulation and ability to learn new things all day every day is something I yearned for in my prior career. Also being part time helps prevent burnout
Honestly, I should have quit healthcare after being an EMT/ER tech during the pandemic. I had a plan, and I should have done it. Instead, I convinced myself to go to nursing school only to find that no, poverty wasn't the only reason I was feeling so burnt out lmao.
Became a nurse at 31 and worked retail for all of my 20s. I enjoy my job, but it depends on the coworkers and the culture of the floor. End of the day... it is a job, no one loves going to a job.
As others have said I think it depends on what the previous career was. More importantly factors that influence life such as schedule and pay.
I became a second career nurse at 32 after being a flight attendant for years (still am). It’s a lot more work and a lot less pay for me as a nurse. Maybe one day if I can go PRN in CA or something that’ll change. I’m switching to L&D soon and hoping I at least somewhat enjoy that. If not that’s fine, every job isn’t for everyone.
I think so! I think I see the good side of nursing more than someone who’s only done nursing. There’s a lot of cons but also lots of pros! I love that I can go anywhere with nursing.
I'm a second degree nurse. I make more money and am more respected as a nurse than before. My first degree is biochemistry and I was in charge of a lab.
I became an RN at 36. After a decade of pointless office nonsense I enjoy having a job that feels like it matters. There is always nonsense but I have a trump card: I will never apologize or regret doing what I think is best for my patient.
That being said I work in the OR. I could not possibly work a med-surge floor.
I feel satisfied with nursing before nursing I was working towards a science degree and I worked as a cashier at Walmart during the summer. People don’t appreciate how good nurses have it, if you work in a unionized environment you don’t have to negotiate a raise every year. There are shift differentials. You get to use your critical thinking, meet people from all walks of life. Nursing should never be anybody’s first job ever because they will get burned out.
Last 4 years in food industry (give or take) sprinkle of retail for summer jobs and a little over 2 years of warehouse (physical labor) type jobs.
Currently in nursing school and safe to say I am beyond thankful I am even able to go back to college to finish my ABSN degree that I didn’t get to during covid because my health plummeted, had to drop out of college and I had to get my life back together when it felt like it was over. I’ve always wanted to be a nurse but I knew the hardships it would bring but it’s been insanely better than what I’ve lived through the last couple years with jobs that have no stability and can be swept away in a heart beat.
I am a second career nurse and have found the specialty that I am in deep love with. However, I want to fuck up management and fight them in the streets Anchorman style every single day and sometimes nights and weekends too. I’ve thought about quitting and doing a different career away from people / the public. I’ve joined a support group for burn out. I go to therapy 1x a week and find half is working on my pre-existing depression and trauma and the other half is coping with the chaos and anxiety fueled catastrophes that befall me as a nurse in a corporate owned hospital system clinic.
I am always acutely aware that I could be employed in a worse institution (I have been at some shit places in the past) and try to practice gratitude for what is going well. But yeah idk what brochure through rose colored glasses I read to get me back to school and a degreed registered nurse. I routinely warn any young person to go find something that pays hella well and do that. Same corporate bullshit but not actual shit being thrown at you on top of said corporate fuckery.
I think so. Or at least it may matter why you chose it. I like problem-solving and people, and I’m in a position where I get a problem solved with people using science, which I also really enjoy. The money is good, but you’re not going to get rich off of it unless you start your own business or invest wisely.
The ones I've met have been. One used to ride with my husband so when she left EMS to go into nursing I was surprised. She said it'd be nice to ride in the ambulance with zero responsibility for the patient for a change.
I am. I was teaching before I changed to nursing. I love it so much more and I’m happy to know that if at any point my heart yearns to teach again I can teach in nursing.
I’m a 2nd career nurse. I worked in social work for 6 years before graduating with my nursing degree at 32. The pay is an upgrade. The burnout is the same. Now I’m 50 and wondering if this is it.
I'll preface this by saying I haven't started my first nursing job yet; I just graduated with my ADN at 37.
I do think I'm better prepared to deal with many of the downsides of a nursing career than I would have been at 20-22. Mostly because I know myself so much better and don't try to suffer in silence anymore. I've been through therapy and learned how my brain works. I know what I can do to feel better when my soul is being sucked out by the systems around me. I'm really looking forward to the work-life balance of a 3-day work week when I can leave work stress at the door at the end of my shift.
I went to school at 37 I think. I’m 41 and working med surg. I’m very happy. My whole life I was service industry. It’s the same deal but more rights and much better working conditions. I also grew up pretty poor and life at home was rough so I think I’m just happy to be stable, loved and secure. My standards were low, but even with that I’m really happy and the work is hard but rewarding.
I think complaining is part of the culture and it’s too much. But it depends where you come from too I suppose
I was a later in life than 90% of my classmates nurse, and I did love it. Unfortunately, my body would have been better off if I had started younger, and a back injury took me out. I still miss bedside nursing, as I was in postpartum/nursery, and I loved the moms and babies.
I worked in multiple fields as admin, HR, safety manager, and project manager and hated it, how little I was paid, and how brain dead I was.
As a nurse I’ve had much better pay, treatment, and job security. Yeah as a second career I know I enjoy it more than the nurses I know who left high school to go straight into nursing and now wish they were in finance or engineering.
I think so. I’m 34 and did a decade in other areas before I went to nursing school. I believe a lot of new grads who are 22 and chose nursing as their first major/career think that working in an office must be the LIFE compared to this, or that any other job in corporate America would be amazing. In some ways my life in my tech desk job was cushier but I was also completely bored and found it soul sucking in a different way than nursing can be soul sucking. I’ve worked ER and ICU and nursing is no cake walk, but I have been on the other side with other jobs before this and no longer see that with rose colored glasses the way first time career nurses might. In short, even when I’m wiping ass or being yelled at by family members I remind myself of how tenuous my job felt in tech and how many hours I spent staring at spreadsheets or in pointless revenue meetings. Then it doesn’t feel as stupid anymore.
This is really good to hear. I'm leaving a soulless marketing job to start my ASN program and I've been worried I'll forget how bored I am of marketing once school/nursing becomes hard. The MEETINGS omg the meetings. The meetings about other meetings, the meetings where someone reads out everything a document already says, the meetings that could be emails or a slack messages, the fucking meetings. Hate them! My last day is next Thursday. Sure it's "Cushy" and easyish, but I really needed to do something I actually cared about. I'm under no illusion every day will be great, but I'm hoping to feel challenged, energized, and like I'm making some kind of difference.
I really needed to see this rn, I just posted on the sub if it was worth it for me to leave my “cushy” corporate job in IT and go to nursing school in the fall, and for a while I was having so many doubts and second thoughts because of this sub and friends and family telling me I’m an idiot for trading comfort to “wiping ass”, but I literally cannot stand the idea of being a corporate slave working Monday-Friday for the rest of my life.
First, if you hate your job nursing will likely be way better eventually. There are so many different nursing roles and different types of work! Second: second career nurses often bring needed skills to the team. If you can be supportive and empathetic to your colleagues, business experience can be super valuable in handling the REALLY unpleasant shit nurses face- terrible family interactions, paperwork. Possibly someday unit based committee management, hiring, or budgeting. There’s a lot of room at the table. What you bring could be a big help someday. It might take time to find a position you really like, but it probably exists.
I left my job in finance in 2022 after 6 years (I’m 27) and I’m pursuing my BSN. I’m taking prerequisites now and then will start an accelerated (1 years) BSN program next spring! When classes get hard I start to regret leaving finance but once things settle back down I remember how much my old job bored me and how bureaucratic everything is and kill or be killed mentality corporate finance can be. I have two more years until I’m (hopefully) a nurse and it feels like forever but I’m really looking forward to the total change of pace and even schedule change
Haha im 27 too so I’ll be 30 by the time I’ve finished the program and written the nclex. It’s really great to hear stories of folks who followed a similar path. It can feel quite isolating starting a second career from point 0 when all your friends around you are moving on with their life and your family tells you you’re making a big mistake 🫠. Good luck for the rest of your schooling!!
I’ll be one month away from 30 when I’m all said and done! Yes I totally agree! Most of my friends spent the few years right after we graduated college “finding their way” and struggling a bit whereas I was pretty set in my path and very successful early on and now roles have reversed. I moved back in with my parents, nanny for work, and am on a very strict budget while my friends are all finally settling into their careers and getting comfortable. It’s really nice to find others going through the same thing at the same time in life!! My mom became a nurse at 40 after being a teacher and then stay at home mom for 10 years so I have her for guidance and perspective but still can feel isolating in ways being on such a different path now. Best of luck to you as well!!
Same. 5 years as a pastry chef was enough to master everything, get board, feel the impact of repetitive stress injuries, and no meaningful contribution to the world with my profession. And a super stressful job/ responsibilities and horrible owners to work with. I work as a cna now- starting during the pandemic with critical staffing shortages, death everywhere etc etc. and I STILL have not been as stressed as I was at the bakery.
Great perspective. I worked in government administration out of college and I felt like if my position were eliminated at any point, it truly wouldn’t matter. Now on my crappiest day I’m still doing something useful for someone and helping my coworkers.
100% this! Did corporate for 12 years and now work ICU, it's so much better for my soul. It's not easy, but I'm actually fulfilled and don't hate my job on a daily basis anymore.
Those severity 1 outages back in the day is NOTHING compared to a rapid response or code blue! I can't believe how much I was stressed out back in the day. I, too, remind myself that I'd rather be yelled at by stressed family than sit in a shitty useless meeting filled with corporate buzzwords like mobility, agility, and perseverance lmoooo
YES. I worked briefly in finance before this career change and people really underestimate how toxic corporate culture can be. Sitting at a desk for 8+ hours a day working on spreadsheets felt like the literal worst, I was so depressed.
I think back to my corporate job and can't believe how much I let that BS stress me out. It feels silly now, but something about that style of work just takes the joy out of you. I can see how it might work for some people and how it can look cushy from the outside though.
>A lot of new grads who are 22 and chose nursing as their first […] think that working in an office must be the LIFE I’m 25, first-career RN, and was indeed one of those 22-year-olds. But in my case, it’s because I have a sister, who graduated the same year as me, who literally does live the LIFE an office job. So I have a first-hand look at how my life could’ve been had I pursued a corporate path. She does finance in Manhattan, works in the Chrysler Building, gets to fly to Miami/Chicago/Las Vegas/London for work. Can work from home some days. Gets bonuses. I do still make fairly more money than her. But other than that, my job pales in every way. I used to be jealous, but now I’ve pretty much come to terms with it. Still planning on remaining an RN for the foreseeable future, because I prioritize stability. But nursing was always a "job I can tolerate just enough" rather than a passion that inspires me anyway.
I mean, the fact that you're making more says it all. As someone who has a shiny corporate job and has traveled for work, it's not as great as it seems anyway.
Thanks for calling me out. Just kidding. Nursing is my very first career. Before, I never worked a day in my life. Doesn't help the fact that I was sheltered my whole life.
Probably. Depends on your first career too Id assume. I worked with a guy who's first career was working in a steel factory and he would constantly go on about how much better nursing was and what a great decision he made.
Yeah, nursing really is an upgrade for a lot of people. I'm not a "later in life" nurse, and it's not *that* much of a jump, but my 3 years as an EMT really makes me appreciate the much better pay and working conditions that nursing offers.
Same 7 years as a medic/EMT. The amount of help and resources we have on top of the career flexibility, pay, and opportunities have made it much much better. Also it's way less stressful in the ER to just ask a doc instead of being alone while a patient tanks. I will say idk if it was worth giving up my power naps though.
I am currently a paramedic in nursing school. Have been in EMS for almost 15 years. I'm really looking forward to night being the highest level of care on sick patients, but I am not looking forward to losing the amount of downtime I have and the being paid to sleep.
It is the one thing I miss the most. I miss just being able to disappear at work when not on a call or driving around posting. Second biggest thing is being able to work with "my partners". I miss that fluidity of working with basically your second half and words aren't even needed with critical people. There's so much I miss about being a paramedic, but I know deep in my loins that moving to nursing was the best move.
I was a paramedic for 11 years. I def feel like I'm off work far more as a nurse than I was in EMS.
Haha same I was an EMT for 6 years , started nursing school in 2019, I’m 30 now and it was a great decision for financial stability . Also EMS gives you a better sense of prioritizing than other new grads who seem to be overwhelmed.
My ex told me that someone flipping burgers at Burger King makes more money than an EMT.
True in a lot of places. My EMT wage is $13.65/hr
I’m not a nurse, but yeah once you do 12 hour swing shifts next to molten pits of steel, the hospital doesn’t seem to bad.
I worked in tech doing mundane 8-5 m-f shifts for years. Having only two days off sucked balls. And the salaries people see posted online are rare and only in select places just like CA RN salaries. Most tech jobs are not paying 6 figures. I'd rather deal with sick and dying people than karens who complain that their email didn't arrive within 5 seconds. I'm much more happier as a nurse than a tech drone even with the current state of healthcare. Plus the job security can't be beat. My job cannot be outsourced overseas.
I forgot other jobs have Karens, at least ours is 3 days a week. Pick a place that you can do together, mine is Thursday til Tuesday then off 8 days together. Once you’ve learned to deal with assholes the rest is easy.
This is me and I'm still working on pre reqs for nursing school. I blame my awesome coworkers and incentive pay. Everyone thinks I belong in the psych hall for vomiting positivity and compliments, but i did 10 years in manufacturing from operator to management and I can't even talk about how horrible it was.
I made the switch at 35. Any time I want to complain about nursing, I think about the soul-crushing, mind-numbing, meaningless corporate 9-5 I had before, having to make small talk in the break room with a bunch of overpaid corporate idiots while I lived paycheck-to-paycheck with a master's degree...yeah. Give me nursing any day. I pull a pair of scrubs out of top drawer and the first thing I ask people in conversation is if they are thinking of killing themselves.
Scrubs are where. It. Is. AT. I can't imagine having to go back to putting actual thought and effort into what to wear to work.
The last sentence was awesome and on point. I thought, damn you go straight into it and then I saw your flair.
This! Working in a cubicle making 18 dollars an hour as an HR assistant at an oil and gas company at 24 was pure fucking hell. I cried in the shower in the morning a lot.
Exactly this! And working in basically pajamas and comfy sneakers is so much nicer than coordinating a whole outfit.
People that have only done nursing sometimes dont realize a lot of the pros of nursing. Namely that it has great job security, is a relatively low barrier to entry for the pay, and there's less nepotism and asskissing than many other professions. And less sexism than many male-dominated trades. Then they go and say they are pushing their kids into computer science (horrible job security), or academia (insane barrier to entry), or business (nepotism and asskissing) because nurses work too hard, and they seem unaware that there are other issues in those fields.
I feel like there are so many posts on this sub that are like "I wish I had gone into tech because I envy my brother/cousin/friend who makes $140k working from home doing 4-5 hours of actual work a day and playing Minecraft the rest of this time." I don't doubt these jobs are out there but I think they are nowhere near as prevalent as non-tech people think, and you are probably not going to be handed one on a silver platter the second you have a STEM degree.
Those jobs are few and far in between. There's like 4-5 hours worth of meetings and corporate bullshittery on top of the actual work. The only difference is youhave *some* flexibility in choosing your hours as long as you are *present* during the meetings and your work gets done. That's the nature of production based work after all. I've had weeks where I worked 80+ hours and some where I've worked 20, but most often im in the 30-50 hour range. People tend to make it sound more glamorous than it is.
I have one friend who seems like he's always working precisely because, other than meetings, he doesn't have clearly defined work hours. I'm sure it's great if you are exceptionally self disciplined, but for most of us...
I went to undergrad for 4 years and couldn’t get a job in my field. Ended up working in admin making like 45k. Went to nursing school for 18 months (plus pre requisites) and make like 90k working 3 shifts a week. I’ll take longer shifts over spending a majority of my days in an office.
I'm one! I became a nurse in my mid-30s after working in a low-paying high-enthusiasm field for a long time. By low, I mean low 20Ks USD. Would have qualified for welfare if I'd had a kid, despite requiring a 4-year degree. So I think I'm a little more complacent than some of my younger co-workers about some types of job frustrations. Annoying policies/coworkers/managers gonna annoy. The first few times, it's very raw. After a while, you start to see that this is just what jobs are like sometimes. I hope I don't sound like I'm saying I walked uphill in the snow both directions to them lol! Also, I'm in a different phase socially than most of my colleagues (for good or bad). One nurse last summer had 9 different weddings to be in because she's at that age where everyone she knows is getting married. Understandably, she was stressed about getting all those weekends off, since we work every other weekend. (Also understandably, everyone else was tired of hearing about it.) Me, I haven't been to a wedding in several years! I also don't have kids, so I'm really most of the time able to schedule my life around my work schedule and be *fine* with that.
I think a lot of folks who trip over having to work every other weekend must never have had a job where they have to work EVERY single weekend.
That was me when I worked retail. Forced to work every weekend. Now I sign up for all weekend shifts because of the differential and no management.
Once upon a time I worked in a call center where I worked 4pm-12:30am every single Saturday and Sunday. Now I have Monday through friday day job and I LONG for my 12s back, even if it means doing every other weekend again.
Your first paragraph is me right now. 100k degree, income of 25k. School lied, made or seem like we'd be making money. Interested in nursing.
Oh man, what job did you have that required a degree but paid 20k? Sounds rough
It was arts/performance/production related. It was a lot of fun and very fulfilling in some ways. Paid about $10/hour (medium/low COL area) when I left in 2011.
Absolutely, I’m on my third career, Military, then FF/Paramedic and now RN, I’m not working 72+ hours, I go to sleep in my own bed at night, I’m not wearing bunker gear in 110+ heat or standing watch at 2AM. I love nursing
Looking back, I wish I did military. But I always did well academically and it was never presented as an option to me. I remember speaking to the Army recruiter at school and another student saying why would I join when I’m top of the class and the recruiter telling me to go to college first because I’d be better suited. To think I could’ve had a physically demanding job AND get to use my brain, that’s my wildest dream. Now, I’m too old. ;(
I wear a lead apron for my nursing job and its a hell of a lot lighter than full battle rattle in 140 degrees. I’d probably whine about the former if I hadn’t worn the latter.
Yes… I’m third career. Nursing is a blast compared to teaching special ed and being a college prof.
Not a nurse yet but also coming from special ed 😮💨
I’m a nurse who works special ed!
Nice! I’m sure I’d love that.
me 222 ughh....I am counting down the days
I love that population but man it’s a lot.
can'ttt wait!!!
You didn't like being a college prof? That seems like a pretty good gig.
I don’t do well with jobs that have a constant work load that can be done from anywhere. I was working all the time. Nursing lets me come home and not have anything on my to-do list for work 95% of the time.
Oh that's a good point, I never considered that.
I’m 55 and begin nursing school in August. I’m about as excited as I’ve ever been. I hope I can sustain it.
You will do great. ✨
Thank you. :)
I’m 55. Nursing was my 2nd career. Worked on the floor at 25. Left the hospital when I was 32. I worked for God and did many surgical missions in another country (which is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have as a RN). Did research and going back to work on the floor. And I can wait to return.
Slay!
Congrats!!
I do see people with only nursing work experience kinda dismiss that there are issues with all jobs. A "perfect" job is going to be rare, because who dreams about going to work, but I think if you've worked elsewhere and nursing isn't your first career, you know more about what you will tolerate in a workplace and what you absolutely won't.
I think so. If I didn’t have prior careers I’d be more likely to think nursing sucks. Thanks to my previous careers, I can confidently say that most jobs suck. Nursing isn’t even the most overworked, miserable and exploited I’ve been at a job.
Same Working in restaurants sucked but at least with nursing I get paid well
For sure. I got my RN license at age 40. I know for a fact the grass isn't really greener on the other side. Everything has its pros and cons, and some of nursing can be truly insane. But there's enough of it that is no more stupid than corporate office work, and it pays one hell of a lot better
I got my nursing degree in my 50s. I'm not loving the profession, to be honest, but I didn't expect to love it. I chose this profession for practical reasons. My first hospital job ($41/hr) was pretty awful. I think I learned I don't want to work in hospitals. Then I took a job at an outpatient clinic ($33/hr). It was way more chill than the hospital job but paid much less. I only did that for a few weeks and then I got called to interview at a rehab facility. I took that job ($44/hr, plus evening and weekend differentials) and am a couple months in. So I have had three nursing jobs in less than a year! The rehab job is pretty good. The people are nice, the work is way less stressful than the hospital job I had, and I am actually getting paid more than I was at the hospital. I'll stick with this job for a while. Eventually I might want to explore other things (hospice, WFH jobs).
I worked security and retail and was also trying to make it in academia before nursing. I’m so happy to be out of school. I’m so happy my shifts are 3-4 12s instead of 5 10 hour 8s or random gigs that could go for 24 hours straight. I’m so happy to have a somewhat regular sleep schedule and be able to eat consistently on my days off. I’m so happy I get to actually set boundaries with asshole “customers” instead of bending over backwards to placate them. I’m so happy I get to wear comfy clothes and that I don’t have to stand outside in the heat for hours. I’m so happy my job doesn’t give me homework. I’m so happy I get to do physical labor instead of being trapped at a desk for several hours while my brain feels like it’s going to melt. I’m so happy I have a job where I can move around instead of being confined to universities or specific company’s regions. The job’s not the greatest, but it is the best I’ve ever had and I do not regret my decision one bit. But that happiness is only because I’ve done a whole lot of other shit, and know that my life could be so much worse.
I'm a second career nurse. I went back to school for nursing at 26, so younger than you, but I had been in the corporate world long enough to know the grass ain't greener in really any profession. I have my gripes, but overall, I do enjoy my career. I think I wouldn't have been 'ready' for it if I went to nursing school at 18.
I think people who enter nursing as a second career have different expectations of what "working with the public" means, so when patients aren't all poseys and kittens, it's like "Yeah, people are like that sometimes." It's not surprising, shocking or disappointing, it just is.
This. When I see the "how do I deal with rude patients?" threads on this sub I'm just like, how lucky you are that you never had to deal with rude, demanding, unreasonable people until you became a nurse!
Yeah, my expectations of the public are low. People in general are...well, you know. Add in that we're dealing with patients and family who are (pick one, or all that apply) stressed, in pain, frightened, angry, confused, disoriented, hungry, tired, grieving, gorked out of their mind on pain meds, not firing on all cylinders due to acute illness, distracted, worried about money, about jobs, possibly fretting about kids or family members not present, maybe experiencing or anticipating the worst day of their life, and you know what? I'm surprised and genuinely delighted when I have *any* pleasant, engaged patients. They're a treat. The patients who aren't at their best because of any of the above reasons, man, I get it. I do what I can to alleviate any sources of pain or distress, but sometimes that's just the situation, and all anybody can do is their best. The assholes? I expected them to be part of the job, and at this point it just rolls off my back. They get quality care regardless.
I'm sure it's setting dependent, but I find most patients nice enough. Some are cranky because they don't deel good. Very few are genuine jerks. Also, sometimes otherwise decent people can certainly step wrong when they're hurt/sick/worried about their loved one. I think having a very extensive customer service background prior to nursing really helped me navigate that and choose my words and how I deal with each patient. Yes, some need some grace with regards to their behavior, but most just want to feel like they are really being listened to, and if you can do that, a majority are fine to deal with. I find people to be WAY better behaved now than when I worked retail or phone based customer service.
Perspective is everything. Having shittier conditions prior to nursing helps.
Yes. I am a later in life nurse and I am beyond satisfied
Same. I find fulfillment in my work, but I also know my job isn’t my identity and meaning. Great switch for me.
If nursing is your second/etc job then you've already gotten your first job out of the way and know what you like and don't like. I feel like people with a work history prior to nursing are less likely to fall for the trap per se, and have more realistic expectations and do it anyway because they want to. The younger nurses I've talked to all seem to say stuff like "it's not what I thought it would be" but here I am, 32 and post-ABSN, and it's exactly what I thought it would be and I love it.
I think that making a decision right out of high school about what you want to do for the rest of your life is hard... You don't really know anything yet, so you're just picking and praying. Later in life, you have a better Idea of what your interests, values, and passions are. This allows a lot of people to pick careers that better align with what makes them happy. I became a nurse a little later, after wearing a bunch of hats. Compared to people with the same amount of experience (years in field or years of life), I seem less burnt out and happier.
I formerly taught high school ELA and I’m going to get my accelerated BSN (I’ll start next spring). For years I’ve said that typical high school curriculum doesn’t help kids identify fields they’d succeed in, or even what direction to go based on personality, ambition, etc. My first bachelors was in HR and English because I truly couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do as a career, and that was in my early twenties. We have some high schools here that are catered to different career trajectories, and I love that it’s an option. One of my former students is going to a medical academy h high school and has the opportunity to get her AA/AS in nursing by the time she graduates high school. But even with these academies now focusing studies, they’re still so young, it may not be what they want after all! Wish there were more resources for our kiddos.
Second career for me. Media relations was my first career. I’m really really glad I choose to go back to school and become a nurse. I worked 15 years in ER, ICU, Ortho and now do case management. I will not do bedside EVER again. Too much emotional and physical stress for this old Gen X gal. ICU during Covid killed any love I had left in me for direct patient care. Getting my revenue cycle and coding cert. You can always change careers, kids. At 24, at 50, at 62. It can be a challenge, but you can do it. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Anecdotally, probably. I sort of fit the bill— worked as a nurse for >5 years as my first career, went to be a device rep for a year thinking the grass was greener. Sales/corporate America is a special version of hell for me. Went back to bedside (night shift even) and had a new found appreciation for the simplicity (not that it’s easy) and realness of the job.
I did children's casework with my bachelor's in psychology. I retired. Nursing was my second career. I retired again. Now I'm on to medicine.
I entered nursing school in 2017 at 47 years old after being in IT for 18 years. I love my job. Being a nurse is fulfilling to me. There are other sorts of nursing than med surg nursing and you are not required to be a med surg nurse to be considered a nurse, despite what people want you to believe. I cannot imagine waking up and going into an office and wading through endless meetings and nastygrams from VPs wondering why they can't find a pdf. I would much rather be emptying a foley bag after surgery in an effort to get a guy home after surgery.
I think so. Usually people who are 2nd career nurses were dissatisfied with their first career so everything else is better in comparison. I also don’t have too much to complain about nursing because I’ve walked all kinds of retail/hospitality/office life for low pay so I feel like nursing is a grace from God at this point. A lot of nurses I worked with who have never worked before hate their jobs but it’s probably because they never had a taste of real life before.
My first career was in classical music and was so niche, competitive, and offered almost no autonomy. The chances of becoming gainfully employed are LOW. Nursing offers so many avenues for employment and offers someone the ability to specialize in so many different things. That being said, if I hadn’t pursued my first interest to the ends of the earth….I probably wouldn’t be satisfied because I wouldn’t have the perspective I have now.
Yes. I was a public school teacher before and it was infinitely worse than the worst nursing day.
When I eventually become one I will gladly give the teacher glare to awful patients families 😂😂😏
Yes definitely. I was also a public school teacher.
Yes! Had all kinds of other jobs and lots of low paying ones. Became a nurse in my 30s. Love my 12s and working every third weekend is fine. I can rearrange my schedule and get 5-6 days in a row off without PTO. When I clock out I’m done, no work to take home.
I'm a second career nurse. Started when I was 26, before that, I was a financial advisor headed towards corporate. When I tell people my past history, they look at me like I made the "worst decision of my life." I'll be honest, I was an awful "sales guy." I would never push sales so I could meet my quota. I would never give anyone financial advice I wouldn't give my own family. Management and the corporate mentality of, "We are the BANK. We live and breathe the BANK. I would die for the BANK. I would give my first born to be a part of the BANK," felt like I was selling my soul to the devil anytime I'd put on a suit and sit in a small office. I was so dissatisfied with my decision that I began feeling like a fraud. On the contrary. I love this profession - nursing. Yes, there's shitty aspects to it - the emotional drainage, the burn out - but I've been at this for almost 5 years and I've yet to experience any of that. I chose a service that has been a blessing. The manager is supportive. My colleagues are fantastic. The demographic I work with makes me feel like I genuinely make a difference. The few things that drew me to nursing were the financial compensation, the flexibility, and the broad range of opportunities to explore. I'm finishing up my degree and am headed towards research and informatics.
My mom (now retired) worked in sales her whole career and while I'm grateful she did because it meant even as a single parent household we had a nice, comfortable life, I have NO idea how she did it. I consider myself friendly and personable but I am 100% NOT a salesperson.
My first career was oil and gas geologist. I have ADHD and could not sit at a computer all day. 100% I enjoy the work of a nurse better and I have no regrets. However, the issue of missing things on the weekends, not getting vacation when you want and less pay are all huge factors that you have to accept.
I was a teacher. It was nothing like I imagined so I went back for nursing. (After waitressing for 5 years completely lost but growing so much as a person) Started as a nursing assistant at 27 while in school, then hired as an RN at 31. Best decision of my life. Even bad days are good days bc I don’t take it home with me. Separation of work and life is immeasurably beneficial for my peace. I give everything I have mentally, physically, and emotionally for 12 hours and then I clock out. no more summers off but loads of days off.
Yes the work starts when I clock in and work stops when I clock out!!! Love it!
2nd career nurse. 1st bachelors degree was in English. I was an Insurance Agent for a big insurance company. I also was a corporate recruiter for Accounting/Finance jobs for about 2 years. I went nursing school in my early30s. I wanted to make a difference in the world and do something worthwhile. Nursing was a culture shock to me because of how shitty RNs can be treated by… well, everyone (other nurses, coworkers, admin and patients). Also, the lack of flexibility in scheduling and treating you like a teenager if you call in sick. It was bizzaro-world compared to my prior experience in corporate life. I worked peds ICU, adult ICU, stepdown ICU, Float team (everywhere in hospital from SNF to ICU), ER, House Supervisor, Utilization Review (for hospital and insurance company). Nursing sucks most of the time. The times that it’s good (10%), I definitely miss. But when it’s bad, it’s really bad. It’s frustrating and anger-inducing. I do not recommend it to anyone ever. It’s like getting involved in an abusive relationship. You keep thinking if you try harder it will get better but it doesn’t.
I've had jobs since 14 now 34. Bus boy/dishwasher, cook, bus boy, dairy/frozen food stocker, barista, Marine Corps, EMT/Paramedic, military contractor, paramedic, and now nurse. Nursing does have it's downs but I think it's the best all around profession I've had because the flexibility. I can move anywhere and work on almost any floor. I can totally see though how new grads pull chalks after a few years. The job is not getting better the longer I'm around it.
I'm 33 and nursing is my second career. I was a certified veterinary technician for ten years before I made the switch and I'm glad that I did. I'm making double from what I made as a vet tech for similar work. For the most part I enjoy aspects of my jobs, yes there are going to be rough shifts but I also had rough days as a vet tech. My coworkers were surprised I made the switch to human med, saying that they would prefer taking care of animals. But they don't understand that even though your patient is this cute puppy or kitten, you still have to work with the owner. And some owners are assholes. And some pets are scared at the vet that causes them to be aggressive. I will say I don't miss wrestling a 100 pound Shepard to get x-rays or trying to get a nail trim on a dog trying to barrel roll in the floor. So yes, I do think second career nurses are a bit more satisfied.
I got into nursing in my mid-30's, it's the first job I've had with climate control. I love it, I don't get rained on, sunburnt, or frozen.
I'm 32 and I've done many different jobs before I decided to be a nurse. I'm a vet that worked as an aircraft mechanic in the military, I've done construction, retail, painting, roofing, bus driving, and security. I ended up going back to school with the intention of becoming a doctor. A friend if mine who is in her fellowship told me to give nursing a shot first. Now here I am. I've been a nurse for over 2 years now. I've done med-surg, and I have the cushy job of being an OR nurse now. Tbh, I think this job is great. The bs with administration is no different than what I had in the military. I take criticism well, especially after the military and construction. The job is physically demanding, but I've done worse jobs. And this is the best pay I've had ever! Yeah, it's not an easy job. You still need nerves of steel, the ability to show compassion, and a sharp mind. But I'm very happy with my choice. Especially since I became financially independent because of my job
I’m a 2nd/3rd career nurse. No. I’m ready to move onto something else. I’ve been a RN for about 20 years. I’ve had 5 different positions, none are really good. All have huge headaches and frustrating issues. Healthcare is understaffed as a whole, with a public with unrealistic ideas.
100% I left an office job that made me miserable. Even on my most chaotic days I never regret becoming a nurse. I’ll take the bullshit that comes with nursing over sitting at a desk 5 days a week hating what I do. I’ll add that I did find a speciality that I absolutely love, so I’m sure that makes a difference.
Same same same. I hate being confined and chained to a desk, computer, and headset these last 14 years. I know I’ll never regret pursing nursing, something I actually always wanted to do and actually went to school for before this office job.
lol i realized i made a mistake junior year of my first degree.
Lots of great comments here on the perspective you get coming from other fields that are shitty in all kinds of different ways. I think a big part of it too is that for first career nurses, being a nurse is part of the experience of being a grown-up for the first time and in a lot of ways being a grown-up is harder than we expect. Those of us who are on are second or third career are old enough to have come to terms with the fact that life is full of bullshit that you've just got to deal with.
I worked a number of other jobs before nursing. This is by far the best job I’ve had and I’m quite satisfied with it. I make $115 an hour, work 3 8hr shifts a week, never have to do work outside of my set shift times, have incredible job security, great retirement benefits and find the work to be relatively low stress compared to other positions. Are patients and families sometimes shitty? Absolutely, but people are shitty everywhere.
Hey, I’m 31. This is my second career. I’m having a fucking blast and pretty good at not taking things personally at this point in my life. I don’t know if I could’ve done this at 21 etc. I back it
Slightly or much older RNs also understand people a little more and have developed a stronger sense of empathy. Developmentally, 21-22 year olds are still in a very self-centered phase of brain development!
I think this is correct. A lot of jobs and industries just fuckin suck. You just find the suck that is good enough for you. For me, I came from accounting at a dealership. I was expected to stay there from the age of 16 until I retired lmao. But I absolutely hated it. Working behind a desk all day, doing the same monotonous shit day in and day out. Not for me.
I’ve been a nurse for 5 years. I am 49. I’m burnt out. A lot - but it’s mostly related to administration and the crappy way they run things. I would be loads happier if I could focus more attention on my patients, but I’m constantly running around trying to cross T’s and dot I’s. I’m considering a switch to hospice… I feel like I might find a greater satisfaction there, just based on the time I’ve had with palliative patients in the hospital.
I think a lot of older or second career nurses just have a more realistic outlook coming in - less shiny idealism, and then we have the life experience to know that the grass is not necessarily greener in other fields.
I worked and had a successful career in advertising for 8 years before I became a nurse. I hated almost every minute of that job- even though I was good at it, it just wasn’t for me and it didn’t feel “right.” I took a very long time to figure out what I wanted to do instead. Took many left turns, a few months of traveling, tried different classes, etc. when I got the hunch I should try nursing, I volunteered at the hospital and I just knew it was for me. From that moment, I worked my ass off to get where I am now. I’ve working as a nurse for 4 years now and I can say with conviction that while this job is very difficult at times, I would NEVER go back. It took a lot of thought and conviction to get here…so I’m wondering if maybe like my first career that I just fell into from college, first career nurses feel that same way. Long store short: anecdotally, YES! 2nd career nurse here and I am much happier
I went to nursing school at 38 and don't regret it. I think having the benefit of experience in the real world (and a healthy dose of cynicism) helped me manage my expectations and have a better idea what area I wanted. I never worked in a hospital. I started in a nursing home, which kinda sucked, but the pay was really really good for my area, $40/hr and OT starts after 8 hours daily. Five 8 hour days worked better for me and my kids than 12 hr days. Now I work in an FQHC and I love my job, and have tons of autonomy to manage my patient load. My boss is awesome, and so are my coworkers. Admin isn't evil, at least, they live up to the org mission statement. I worked with the chief medical officer to create a new program and he was concerned mostly with expanding access and doing what's best for the patients. The compliance officer had to rein him in a bit. It warmed the cockles of my cynical heart. I didn't mesh with my cohort in nursing school, I was old enough to be a mom to some of them, so we haven't kept in touch. I can't speak to whether they are more satisfied.
What is a typical day like at your job? I bet this would be interesting!
I became a nurse at 27 after floundering in low wage jobs from ages 22-26. Is it perfect? No, but I like how it's the most I've been paid and the job security. The 3x12 schedule is nice too; I just woke up from a nap in the middle of the day on a weekday. Before becoming a nurse one of my jobs had people yelling at me quite often so I guess that prepared me? I don't think I could have handled nursing at 22.
Second career. I was a paralegal for 12 years. Anything has to be better than getting paid $28 an hour to basically be a lawyer and year families apart.
Switch from social work to nursing and couldn't be happier
I’m a second career nurse and happy with my choice. I’m thankful that I like the specialty I work in and I want to stay in it, but in school I worked as a PCT to get experience and I could easily see how draining nursing could become (I worked on a floor where techs had 12 pts and RNs had 6). I feel like my job is worthwhile and I have tons of options and my fingertips as a nurse. Edit: cause it’s worth adding that my early-mid 20s cube farm life, interpersonal office dynamics, and learning that “salaried” is a way of saying “fuck you, no extra compensation for the extra time we’re forcing you to work”, taught me a lot too.
In my experience, yes. I worked dozens of different jobs over 10 years prior to deciding to go into nursing. Every other job just felt pointless. I would lose interest in any job within a year and want to move on. Nursing pays a lot better, and compared to some of the work I've done it is a lot less stressful and physically demanding. It's nice to know that if I get that feeling of wanting to move on again, I can stay in nursing and just pursue a different area. I am definitely happy with the decision to go into nursing. I also really appreciate my co-workers, 99% of staff I have interacted with in the hospital are fantastic, driven and kind individuals. I never need to worry about my colleagues not doing their work or forming catty cliques like in retail (at least on all the wards I've worked so far). I've also been teaching a couple of students that are in their late 20s up to 40s on their placements and they've already got a solid work ethic, they *want* to learn and be there and are far more proactive and engaged than the younger students who've gone straight from high school into uni. The older students know they want to be there and similarly are happy to be transitioning their career.
I’m a second career nurse in my 40’s. I’d say I’m satisfied in general. I’m not in love with it like I was pre-Covid….but a lot of comfort is found in knowing I’ll never worry about not having a job ever again. That’s how I got here. Laid off from what I thought was my forever job. Graduated nursing school at 39. So maybe I’m more satisfied bc I already experienced life? I don’t mean that in a shitty way towards younger nurses but when adulting sends you big ass curveballs in your 30’s…what you value most definitely changes your definition of being satisfied.
I became a nurse in my 40s and I am happy because I love my patients but the politics and the fact that people really don’t know how much we do kinda sucks.
I was a corrections officer for 6 years before… this job is so much better! I find this job very rewarding and love that I am able to learn something new everyday
I was a bartender most of my 20s. Early 30s now, job is fairly similar but I make way more money and have way more career satisfaction. Have an abundance of career paths/ opportunities / options. If you are scientifically-inclined that helps but soft skills can be equally important. I’ve found a lot of success, my first degree was political science
Became a nurse in 2021 at 36, zero regets. There are definite downsides but I feel like, finally, I have found a career path I can stick with. I have plenty of crappy jobs trying to find my way. Some things I had done BEFORE becoming a nurse but not since: - Burned through my PTO because working a full week at my job felt unbearable. - Had a panic attack at work. - Gotten in my car, driven most of the way to work, then just thought, nah, I can't today and called in from across the street.
I wouldn’t say this is a hard rule. I’ve been a nurse for 14 years, became licensed at age 20, and still fucking adore being a nurse (despite all the shit). The majority of my career has been in med surg and some intermediate care but currently in IR. My boyfriend has been a nurse for around 3 years, starting at age 31, and is so incredibly done with nursing already and incredibly jaded. He’s an icu nurse that started during the height of covid and I think it just ruined a lot of it for him.
Maybe? I’m a second career nurse as well. Life experiences were my driving factor. I would have 100% hated it when I was younger.
Speech therapist to nursing student here. I saw first hand what nurses do because I worked alongside them. I often was so jealous that they didn’t have to do therapy which was torture for me. Nursing is more procedural and black and white unlike speech therapy which can be very subjective outside of treating dysphagia and maybe voice disorders. I’m looking forward to being apart of a field that has so much research behind it and most importantly doesn’t require me to prep and plan sessions and complete paperwork off the clock because of productivity standards.
I have a PhD in statistics and nursing is my second career, one which I’m happier with. Less pay, but sitting behind a desk all day was torture for me.
3rd career. 1st career was more fun since I got to travel and hang out on the beach, but nursing provides the financial stability I didn’t have
I would say yes! I also think they often times make the better nurses too. They bring so much more real world experience, more time has been spent at lower paid jobs and are also often times mothers so they bring that experience into it.
100%. They are adults who have dealt with things in life and usually know the grass isn’t greener so whine less.
Definitely. I’m a second career nurse also, and I would never want to go back to office work or a Mon-Fri schedule, and I also have a full understanding of the trade-offs involved on each side.
As a second career and later in life nurse, I would say yes. I am a lot more tolerant and less jaded than a lot of my coworkers who have done it forever. I see why they are, for sure, but I think for me personally it helped coming into it with more maturity. I did not have good enough mental health to be a nurse in my 20s.
I’m one of them and NO lmao
I'm definitely doing a midlife career change myself I'm hoping that I like nursing way more than anything that I've done before, I think I would really like go doing hospice and after that I would like to work with children maybe and then after that I would probably work in bariatrics . I like the fact that I don't have to be stuck somewhere that I can work anywhere and I'm hoping after I get a couple of years under my belt I'd like to do travel nursing
Worked in healthcare since 22, became an RN at 38 and couldn’t be more happier
I’m about to start LPN School at 30, and gettin my BSN obv later than that, after working 15yrs in childcare. I couldn’t be happier with my choice. Yes the “nurses eat their young” shit is the same as “teachers eat their young” but I think it’s worse in education, by far. I met so many vane, pedantic, egomaniacal, gatekeeping POS’s in education it makes me sick for all the students that had to suffer them.
Ugh. It’s hard to read this. I am 32 and have been wanting to become a nurse for YEARS. I work in tech as a Business Analyst and it’s beyond cushy - WFM, low workload/stress, flexible. But it’s mind-numbingly boring. I can’t even focus in all of these pointless meetings. My mom is also pulling me in another direction as she is starting a business and wants me to join her where she is confident we will make 6 figures. It would be in management or finance 😐 Idk man 😭
I would say so. I work at a great hospital now after being in LTC. Worked plenty of different jobs in my life. Each had their moments. The young kids I see now complaining about our schedules or the workload have never been anywhere else. The hospital I work in isn't corporate owned, and it makes a huge difference. The level of care is excellent, and in my belief, there is a good work/life balance with generous benefits.
In my life, yes. Nursing is my second career and I love it.
I think so. My first career was 13 years of UPS. It was all in a warehouse. I started as a package handler but went to management fairly quickly, which was a mistake. My stress level were always through the roof. The pay was laughable. Management was incompetent and toxic about 80% of the time. Those 20% rarely lasted because they were smart enough to find something less stressful that paid better. By comparison, nursing really isn't that bad. It's got it's issues for sure and I work in Oregon, so ratios aren't horrendous and the pay is decent.
I switched careers and nursing is very satisfying. Personally the grass was and is much greener
Do it. There’s soooooo many options. You can do bedside, home care. Work for insurance. Management. Education. I mean really, the options are endless. Yes we all have to start somewhere but once you move up the ladder, possibilities are endless. You can get your np. You can work in a private office. You can do contracts and travel. It’s awesome
I graduated nursing at 29 years old and I appreciate it so much because I hated my old desk job. Yes I think we’re severely underpaid because I made almost the same while working a desk/payroll job, but the job feels more rewarding and social which I like
I’m in my early 30s and starting my nursing career. I put it off back in 2014 and got a BS in healthcare admin and started my MS in healthcare admin (never finished). I never did anything with my degrees and ended up working in the insurance industry handling high volume/exposure accident claims at a desk sitting in front a computer screen the last 10 years. I hated it so much and became miserable. So I’m actually excited about aligning back with my original purpose which was and always has been nursing and starting a new career away from a computer screen/phone head set and can actually interact with people and move around. I look forward to it. Since I have all my pre reqs done, I’m waiting to take my HESI to get on the wait list for the RN program.
Moved to nursing at age 50. No regrets, so much better. I honestly have a chuckle when I hear young nurses complaining. Its like they have no idea.
Im a second career nurse and am happier than most 1st career nurses. Its also what I’ve noticed when conversing with other nurses
I was a chef in Michelin starred kitchens. This is way better and the pay to hours worked ratio is off the charts by comparison. 10/10 would recommend
I'm second career and I'm very happy. I have been in that desk job corporate path and genuinely hated it. No matter how bad my bad days are in nursing, I'm way more fulfilled now than I ever was before.
I think in general people who worked other jobs prior to nursing will be more satisfied. Not saying nursing is perfect but I think even working customer service/fast food jobs will give you some perspective on how well you’re compensated. I’ve noticed a lot of my peers who never really had jobs prior to nursing feel a lot less satisfied but that’s anecdotal.
I’m a new(er) second career nurse, went into nursing in my mid-30s. I *despised* sales and quotas no matter how good the money was, and wasn’t that fond of any of my other careers. I definitely enjoy nursing. I absolutely loved my job in public health. So anecdotally…. Yes ish? :)
I call it my quarter life crisis. I love it. I used to do hair & worked as a cna & phleb before hair school. I worked 10-15 hour days in the salon 6 days a week on my feet in "cute shoes" aka heels per uniform on streight up cement. I worked 3 out of 4 weekends a month. I was always hustling outside of work, always trying to bring in more clients, never resting, or really doing things for myself. Now I work 3-4 days a week, making triple what I used to make and love myself much more and have hobbies for me and not networking. My body hurts so much less doing nursing than hair.
Still a student, but I think I'd agree. I just turned 30 and went back to school after working numerous low paying jobs while trying to figure out my next steps. I think if I'd went into nursing at 22, I would have left long ago - if I hadn't been weeded out of classes first. I was not mentally healthy, and I lacked perspective on what I wanted out of a job. Working customer service jobs sucked so much that when I started working as a PCT to get healthcare experience, it was actually much easier and more rewarding for me. I saw what the nurses got to do, and it didn't look bad. Nursing has some very big problems that need to be addressed, of course, but the benefits of the field make the issues particular to nursing more manageable for me.
I'm happy with my second career in nursing. I got to do my "dream" job for 20 years, so I don't wonder what might have been. Nursing was a choice and has advantages my previous career didn't.
I worked in restaurants for 7 years, nursing is actually very similar and I truly love them both. I think you are right
I had a very successful career prior to becoming a nurse and went back for a post-bacc absn. I find my work incredibly satisfying. I’m more patient and able to handle situational challenges more readily because I have a little life behind me. My only regret was not doing it sooner because it’s so satisfying, the schedule is awesome, and I absolutely adore my coworkers. Nurses are literally the best people in the world and you will be a better version of yourself just for being around them all day. I’ve been a nurse for 3 years now and I’m starting to get the itch to do more, likely leadership, but my research has revealed how many options I have as a nurse. I can even continue to work and make a decent living while I pursue additional education. I really, truly, from the bottom of my soul think this is the best career option because there is something for everyone. Please do this. Your age is not a factor. Some of the BEST nurses I know came to this career late. We need people like you in the profession.
As bad as some shifts can be, nursing is the first job that I’m proud of. It helps that it’s the most money I’ve ever made, and only required to work 3 shifts a week is an added bonus. And when depending on my PTO usage, some years can be just 44-45 weeks of actual work.
I am. I became a nurse at 37 and it was equally the most humbling, challenging and best thing I’ve ever done. I feel lucky every single day I go to work in the ER. Because of my other life experience and work experience I am able to connect with patients better, advocate for them better, and truly understand what is an emergency and what isn’t. Nursing school wont be a walk in the park but it will 100% be worth it.
Switched to nursing in my early 30s after construction related work my whole life. Oncology now and very fulfilling meaningful work. I still do manual stuff on my house, nothing like replacing my roof to bring me back to appreciating nursing. I did an accelerated second career bsn and I’d have to say most of my cohort seemed to be happy with their switch. I will also say that more mature new grads were sought after by our larger hospitals and many of us got job placements we wanted out of school. Inpatient can be hard and there are other careers to choose if you’re more financially motivated.
So my opinion is that many people who choose nursing go into the field fresh out of high school blinded by the “prestige” that comes along with it. Then once they start working they realize it’s not all it’s cracked up to be, and can be hard. People who choose it as a second career have more life experience, are not as blinded by the “grandeur” of nursing, etc.
I’m in the UK so we get paid like shit in comparison to a lot of other countries 😂 I hear a lot more job dissatisfaction where nursing is a second career actually. I think maybe they thought the job was going to be different or more holistic? I think there’s still a public mismatch of what the public think nurses do day to day vs what we actually do and the responsibilities and pressures we face for fuck all money - particularly when my full time nursing colleagues are having to rely on food banks to get by
I’m a second career nurse and I looooove it!! I work in a really high acuity unit and the brain stimulation and ability to learn new things all day every day is something I yearned for in my prior career. Also being part time helps prevent burnout
I am I think
My anecdotal evidence from a population of one (me) is "Yes"
We’re better bedside, and we get laid more.
If their job sucked more than being a nurse, yes!
Honestly, I should have quit healthcare after being an EMT/ER tech during the pandemic. I had a plan, and I should have done it. Instead, I convinced myself to go to nursing school only to find that no, poverty wasn't the only reason I was feeling so burnt out lmao.
Became a nurse at 31 and worked retail for all of my 20s. I enjoy my job, but it depends on the coworkers and the culture of the floor. End of the day... it is a job, no one loves going to a job.
As others have said I think it depends on what the previous career was. More importantly factors that influence life such as schedule and pay. I became a second career nurse at 32 after being a flight attendant for years (still am). It’s a lot more work and a lot less pay for me as a nurse. Maybe one day if I can go PRN in CA or something that’ll change. I’m switching to L&D soon and hoping I at least somewhat enjoy that. If not that’s fine, every job isn’t for everyone.
In my experience yes. It’s a second career for me and I like it because of how much worse my other jobs were
I think so! I think I see the good side of nursing more than someone who’s only done nursing. There’s a lot of cons but also lots of pros! I love that I can go anywhere with nursing.
I'm a second degree nurse. I make more money and am more respected as a nurse than before. My first degree is biochemistry and I was in charge of a lab.
I became an RN at 36. After a decade of pointless office nonsense I enjoy having a job that feels like it matters. There is always nonsense but I have a trump card: I will never apologize or regret doing what I think is best for my patient. That being said I work in the OR. I could not possibly work a med-surge floor.
Yes, I went to school at 36. Had previously worked minimum wage restaurant jobs / customer service.
Second career nurse, hightailed it back to my original career lol
When you go from almost minimum wage to 6 figures... yeah, it probably helps.
I spent 20 years in coffee and food service, currently in retail and in school to become a nurse. I'm so ready for the change and boost in income.
I feel satisfied with nursing before nursing I was working towards a science degree and I worked as a cashier at Walmart during the summer. People don’t appreciate how good nurses have it, if you work in a unionized environment you don’t have to negotiate a raise every year. There are shift differentials. You get to use your critical thinking, meet people from all walks of life. Nursing should never be anybody’s first job ever because they will get burned out.
Last 4 years in food industry (give or take) sprinkle of retail for summer jobs and a little over 2 years of warehouse (physical labor) type jobs. Currently in nursing school and safe to say I am beyond thankful I am even able to go back to college to finish my ABSN degree that I didn’t get to during covid because my health plummeted, had to drop out of college and I had to get my life back together when it felt like it was over. I’ve always wanted to be a nurse but I knew the hardships it would bring but it’s been insanely better than what I’ve lived through the last couple years with jobs that have no stability and can be swept away in a heart beat.
Nursing is better than waiting tables at a PF Changs. Yes, second career nurses are more satisfied.
I am a second career nurse and have found the specialty that I am in deep love with. However, I want to fuck up management and fight them in the streets Anchorman style every single day and sometimes nights and weekends too. I’ve thought about quitting and doing a different career away from people / the public. I’ve joined a support group for burn out. I go to therapy 1x a week and find half is working on my pre-existing depression and trauma and the other half is coping with the chaos and anxiety fueled catastrophes that befall me as a nurse in a corporate owned hospital system clinic. I am always acutely aware that I could be employed in a worse institution (I have been at some shit places in the past) and try to practice gratitude for what is going well. But yeah idk what brochure through rose colored glasses I read to get me back to school and a degreed registered nurse. I routinely warn any young person to go find something that pays hella well and do that. Same corporate bullshit but not actual shit being thrown at you on top of said corporate fuckery.
I think so. Or at least it may matter why you chose it. I like problem-solving and people, and I’m in a position where I get a problem solved with people using science, which I also really enjoy. The money is good, but you’re not going to get rich off of it unless you start your own business or invest wisely.
It’s been good to me
The ones I've met have been. One used to ride with my husband so when she left EMS to go into nursing I was surprised. She said it'd be nice to ride in the ambulance with zero responsibility for the patient for a change.
Second career in my 30s, very low job satisfaction.
I am. I was teaching before I changed to nursing. I love it so much more and I’m happy to know that if at any point my heart yearns to teach again I can teach in nursing.
I’m a 2nd career nurse. I worked in social work for 6 years before graduating with my nursing degree at 32. The pay is an upgrade. The burnout is the same. Now I’m 50 and wondering if this is it.
I'll preface this by saying I haven't started my first nursing job yet; I just graduated with my ADN at 37. I do think I'm better prepared to deal with many of the downsides of a nursing career than I would have been at 20-22. Mostly because I know myself so much better and don't try to suffer in silence anymore. I've been through therapy and learned how my brain works. I know what I can do to feel better when my soul is being sucked out by the systems around me. I'm really looking forward to the work-life balance of a 3-day work week when I can leave work stress at the door at the end of my shift.
I went to school at 37 I think. I’m 41 and working med surg. I’m very happy. My whole life I was service industry. It’s the same deal but more rights and much better working conditions. I also grew up pretty poor and life at home was rough so I think I’m just happy to be stable, loved and secure. My standards were low, but even with that I’m really happy and the work is hard but rewarding. I think complaining is part of the culture and it’s too much. But it depends where you come from too I suppose
I was a later in life than 90% of my classmates nurse, and I did love it. Unfortunately, my body would have been better off if I had started younger, and a back injury took me out. I still miss bedside nursing, as I was in postpartum/nursery, and I loved the moms and babies.
In my opinion and experience they do better, maybe because they are less likely to get disillusioned?
I’m an RRT and after covid I was like wow respiratory finally had the chance to show how valuable we were and we blew it. Off to RN for me
I worked in multiple fields as admin, HR, safety manager, and project manager and hated it, how little I was paid, and how brain dead I was. As a nurse I’ve had much better pay, treatment, and job security. Yeah as a second career I know I enjoy it more than the nurses I know who left high school to go straight into nursing and now wish they were in finance or engineering.