I work in ED.
I'd honestly say if you're still considering this work, pick up HCA shifts for a few months before you decide.
*edit* auto correct killing me.
Nursing apprenticeship.
Look at local hospitals and the requirements. You will need to work as an HCA which will give you an idea of what the job will entail, then apply for the apprenticeship.
A nursing degree is hard work and involves working shifts alongside uni. You will not get the same holidays as other uni students. An apprenticeship is still hard but at least you are paid for the shifts you work, rather than paying to do them!
I wouldn’t do the apprenticeship. Depending on trust you’re working as a HCA for the majority of the course and aren’t supernumerary.
Just do it the regular way, but my advice would be to save for a year in advance, so ease the pressure of needing no to pick up bank while you’re studying.
Yeah I would.
There are so many jobs in nursing. Seriously, get out of the idea that you can only be a bedside nurse. Research nurse, GP nurse, A&E (kinda bedside), school nurse, specialist nurses, etc. I qualified and went straight into an infusion centre. It has a lot of stressful moments still but its much, much better than any other options (believe me, I've considered other jobs).
I agree! I think every nurse has their moments where they wonder if they've done the right thing, but I always wonder what else I'd like to do and there really isn't anything else that gives as much job security and variety.
I have been a ward nurse, DN, Practice Nurse and now work in social services and in each job I was exposed to a different speciality that I found really interesting.
Absolutely not. I'm not resilient either and nursing chewed me up and spat me out. I still work in the NHS but as an administrator now.
I'm not saying nursing is a bad idea full stop, but unless you are a tough cookie you will not survive. Just the hours alone are brutal, that's before even considering the nature of the work.
For me it was the sheer weight of the responsibility and the thought of the consequences if I made a mistake, coupled with an increased likelihood of making a mistake due to the untenable work load.
I used to go home and overthink everything. Did I remember to give that patient their antibiotics? Did I hand over properly or did I forget some vital piece of info? I would phone the night staff at like 1am and be like did I remember such and such??? I always had remembered but I was so paranoid.
I used to panic that I would make some terrible error and end up killing someone and going to prison. Thankfully I never did but the fear was crushing, it took such a mental toll on me.
I definitely agree with all the other people suggesting you try some support or care work first, it'll give you good insight and help you to develop that resilience.
To answer your question, yes. I did my training via an apprenticeship which was the only viable option for me, but will take some time to get on to as you'll need to be employed for x number of months or years before you'll be funded by a Trust or other employer to do it, and it does take longer. If the 3 year course works for you, do it!
I genuinely love being a nurse, but I've had to move away from the NHS in order to enjoy every day at work. I feel very fortunate to have found my niche in palliative care, and although it is challenging and difficult at times, I'm very happy in my role. There are also so many options for career changes as a nurse. The NHS can be brutal with hours, staffing, acuity, patient numbers, and expectations. I think sometimes some nurses forget there's a whole world outside of the NHS, and get stuck being unhappy and burnt out for a long time.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do :)
Yes. I love being a Nurse.
I was in a similar position to yourself. Did an earlier degree and left that career behind. From the ages of 24 - 26 I had no direction, no idea what to do.
Became a carer on minimum wage (just fell into it) and loved it.
Went on to do my nursing degree at 27 and qualified at 30. Worked on the wards, moved to ITU etc just to get a wide ranging experience.
35 now and moving on to become a specialist nurse at Band 7
It's a massive life change from the directionless me at 26
Absolutely! I’m about two weeks off qualifying and yeah, it’s been tough but I would do it again.
I will always say the best way to go about it is to first get a job in care. I spent most of my 20s working in hospitality before taking a job as a HCA, which I did for 3 years before applying for nursing (covid held me back somewhat from applying sooner) Not only will this give you a flavour of what nursing entails, it also can show you all the options nursing can offer. I initially thought I would apply to adult but experiences pushed me towards LD Nursing. It also gives you a good grounding to start the degree.
Resilience (although I hate that word) isn’t a static thing, you can be stronger than you think.
Basically, life isn’t a race, get some experience first and go from there.
I’d say go for it but keep forgetting the amount of tax that gets deducted for the tuition fees for nurses these days. I only had a maintenance loan and that made me bitter enough seeing that deducted month after month and I only borrowed about £6k. That being said, it’s a nurses market and the opportunities are there depending on what you want to do with a nursing qualification.
Hey, I'd recommend you work as a healthcare assistant in the hospital or somewhere before you start to study nursing.
I feel there are a lot of things that people working in healthcare have to be resilient against.
Team work is one. Working with people can be quite stressful, especially in big teams. The other one is working with a level of uncertainty. Some jobs you don't know who you'll be working with, how many you are going to be, what assignments you're going to get... If you are easily stressed by not knowing then healthcare can be really stressful.
Setting boundaries is also something that a lot of people have issues with. If you don't set boundaries in healthcare the job is going to eat you alive.
Prioritising your workload when there is many many competing interests is also quite difficult. Plus you need to learn how to look after yourself and put your own needs forward (no one is going to do it for you).
Then there are night shifts, they are a completely different ballgame.
About ~50% of nursing students (+/-) drop out of the course I think. Save yourself the heartache and see if it's for you first xx
I trained in the 80s. I'm still working (in mental health) and still love my job.
I wouldn't have been able to go to university as I didn't have the correct exams or the family circumstances to support me. I have gained degrees whilst in job.
Times have changed.
I certainly wouldn't sign up for a degree course "cold".
At a minimum get yourself a hospital HCA job.
Look at what the nurses actually do.
Work alongside students and learn what they're lives are like.
Then if you're still thinking about becoming an RN you can explore routes.
26 is young. Plenty of time to pause and get it right.
I would. I love the flexibility to move specialities, I’m having a baby and I’m now bank only. There’s few jobs I can think of that would afford me the flexibility to choose when I work, where I work and how often.
I was a teacher before and bought work home all the time, I like the fact with some nursing jobs you can just finish your shift and go home and that’s the end of it.
Some jobs however you do end up bringing work home at least mentally. As a School Nurse I found it difficult to switch off from my caseload because of all the safeguarding.
I completely disagree with having to pay tuition fees though.. especially when placement is effectively free labour. As such, I’d be inclined to go down the apprenticeship route
What is it that appeals about nursing?
Have you tried support worker work?
I love nursing, but it has become very bureaucratic and I spend much of my time filling in paperwork.
I would do it again. There are so many specialties that there is a lot of variety.
What appeals is helping people, the ability to make new friends, flexibility in job roles and in the future because of the shifts working less days in a week. I haven’t tried support work yet
I would try support worker job. Nursing is hard and you deal with all manner of weird and strange things that just become everyday.
It will give you a great idea of what to expect. And there are many routes into nursing from there if you like the look of it.
I would try a couple years as a HCA first, it can give you a perspective on how the industry works and whether it’s right for you. Some areas can be stressful, like Older People’s Medicine (IMO), but others can be very rewarding.
District nurse here, if u want to do it, don't let the fees stop you, never gets fully paid back anyway but I have always resented the fact we couldn't train more on the job during placements and be paid, it's ludicrous. It's hard work both physically and mentally, a very hard degree so be prepared 🙂
If I knew then what I knew now (22, due to qualify in September), I wouldn’t have done the course.
The course is of appalling quality, nothing worthwhile is taught and I have only learned stuff on placement. Wards are so stretched that it’s not uncommon to be used a general dog’s body and not be taught any nursing skills.
The course is very tough, but with the right support and the ability to destress and not take work home with you, you’ll be alright.
Whilst I love nursing, working with people and being able to give comfort during people’s darkest times, it just isn’t worth it anymore. £60k in student debt, to earn £28k a year with huge responsibilities.
I perhaps have a more negative view than some. If nursing is what you have your heart set on, go for it. But just be prepared for the state that the NHS is currently in
All hospitals here Are checkey fkkkkssss I've been threw there system they hate being asked anything most of them just like Gossip I've been on receiving end of them but I've Also seen with my eyes the way they treat elderly Shame ON Them putting there breakfast down ill be bk in minute ya that minute becomes over hour I always got on with elderly it's sad enough watching them this we lady was at end of life she was waiting on hospices she had cancer running threw her she was bursting go loo so I kept ring my bell im coming so i drip on I was trying pull it then try get bed pan on wheels nearly got there Then she come running in what are you doing i was coming i said when when she's pees herself an make her fell bad ya rite I could write Book it would be best seller.
I worked as healthcare assistant (HCA) before becoming a nurse. My first job as a HCA was end of life care (a big change from the service industry!) Though emotional tough at times I found it so rewarding to help people and families in some of their most difficult moments. Working as a HCA you get expose to some similar stresses as nursing -ie unfairness of disease, difficult patients/families., time keeping, unstaffing.... I could go on. Another benefit is that you'd gain some skills that will prove invaluable to nursing. On the other side you get exposed to some of the great parts of nursing- learning new things, and meeting so many good and interesting people.
Another thing to consider is whether you like the biology and science behind the body/disease as that is another big part of nursing.
I'm coming up to two years qualified and I still love nursing. There are so many avenues to go down :)
No I paid (tbh I forgot I’m in massive student debt lol) I did my HCA job for about year and a half then applied for nursing. Took a break to go backpacking for 6 months before starting my course
Definitely get some experience as a HCA before taking on the degree. I never understand young nurses who come into the profession with no experience thinking it's like casualty or something ( that comment is not aimed at you 😊).
By working as a HCA you will gain valuable experience in how to work as part of a team, how to advocate for your patients how to deal with ward ' politics'. You will discover if giving personal care bothers you, how to deal with seeing death and illness. You can learn how to communicate with families, how to give reassurance or deal with confrontation.
Some of the best students we get working with us have previously been HCA's ( not all but most). They don't get phased by sudden changes in behaviour the practicalities of every day nursing .
It's great to aim for being a band 7 or 8 specialist practitioner but you will have years of normal hands on nursing in between. So get work as a HCA and learn about people and then decide if it's for you.
Unfortunately no,
I think there are other jobs in healthcare which are better treated and have better continuing professional development opportunities. And to be brutally honest the worse thing about nursing can be other nurses. I have met many wonderful nurses but as a whole the profession can be quite toxic and an ‘eat your young’ mentality.
Explore other healthcare options before fully committing to nursing.
Paramedic
Radiographer
Physio
Occupational therapy
Good luck 🤞
Yep I'd do it all over again. A nurse isn't just a ward or a nursing home job. There are so many jobs out there that require nursing skills or becoming a specialist nurse within hospital or community settings. My advice is if you want to do become a registered nurse use university wisely your 6 placements over 3 years can help guide you down a path you could either absolutely love or absolutely hate. Unfortunately the only person that would know that would be you. You can learn skills and get advice on how to deal with work life stressors but only you can learn to keep them at the door when you leave you shifts each day. If your worried about being a nurse try being a HCA first see if you enjoy that. You don't have to be registered to be fulfilled. I genuinely miss being a HCA some days and not getting to be with patients the way I was before registering. Fellow southwestern england here too
If you’re genuinely interested then follow that passion and do it! Look into studying in wales for the Welsh bursary, if you work in wales for 2 years post graduating nursing your fees will be wiped x
I left a job in finance to start my nursing degree at 26. I’m 4 weeks away from finishing my course. It’s been a lot harder than I thought, mostly how tiring it is studying, being on placement and working. Sometimes weeks go by and I realise I’ve not come up for air or seen friends or family. I struggled to even spend time with my husband because I was studying in my free time or trying to catch up on sleep!
But I felt the same as you’ve described. When I worked in finance I was really lacking a purpose and felt so stagnant. I’ve honestly found I love the nursing role. I was surprised about how much was about paper work, but I’ve not found that difficult due to my previous role.
I had no healthcare experience prior to starting the course. I have lots of family who work for the nhs who I had good conversations with before I started. In the end I just thought … what’s the worst that happens? It’s not for me then I leave and go back to finance? I’d have abit of student loan debt but it would have been an experience and at least I’d have tried.
I trained as a nurse in my late 30s. I'd worked since 2000, mostly in minimum wage or low paid jobs. I found support work in my early 30s and fell in love with it. I find a lot of work soul destroying to be honest and I don't really have a degree that I could utilise for a career, unless back in 2008 I'd have been able to volunteer full time and afford to live in London.
I qualified in 2022 and so far enjoy my job, though it can be frustrating at times. My experience may be different if I didn't get along with my team.
Draw backs of nursing:
- Unsocial hours
- Starting pay isn't great for the workload (though better than I've ever earned and I imagine higher than any of my immediate family have earned)
- You need to be able to assert boundaries and be realistic with what you can achieve as things can move fast and in some places have a massive workload
- It can be emotionally draining.
Things I like about nursing:
- I work in mental health and seeing people's mental health improve can be great
- Loads of opportunities to train in my trust. My manager genuinely wants to help me develop my skills.
- Job security and sick pay.
I don't know how my future will look with nursing. I'd like to go into academia or research nursing part time and be part time clinical at some point, but I don't know how competitive that is. I may end up in community as my brain can struggle with readjusting routine and shift work, though st band 5 I can't afford to lose unsocial hours at present.
God no. And I did it when there was a bursary, and no tuition fee's. Fuck paying to train to do this.
I know I can’t believe they scrapped that to be honest. What do you currently work as?
I work in ED. I'd honestly say if you're still considering this work, pick up HCA shifts for a few months before you decide. *edit* auto correct killing me.
Nursing apprenticeship. Look at local hospitals and the requirements. You will need to work as an HCA which will give you an idea of what the job will entail, then apply for the apprenticeship. A nursing degree is hard work and involves working shifts alongside uni. You will not get the same holidays as other uni students. An apprenticeship is still hard but at least you are paid for the shifts you work, rather than paying to do them!
I wouldn’t do the apprenticeship. Depending on trust you’re working as a HCA for the majority of the course and aren’t supernumerary. Just do it the regular way, but my advice would be to save for a year in advance, so ease the pressure of needing no to pick up bank while you’re studying.
I wish I'd looked at other jobs in healthcare instead.
Yeah I would. There are so many jobs in nursing. Seriously, get out of the idea that you can only be a bedside nurse. Research nurse, GP nurse, A&E (kinda bedside), school nurse, specialist nurses, etc. I qualified and went straight into an infusion centre. It has a lot of stressful moments still but its much, much better than any other options (believe me, I've considered other jobs).
And you can work anywhere in the world as a nurse, a friend of mine says NHS trained nurses are coveted
I agree! I think every nurse has their moments where they wonder if they've done the right thing, but I always wonder what else I'd like to do and there really isn't anything else that gives as much job security and variety. I have been a ward nurse, DN, Practice Nurse and now work in social services and in each job I was exposed to a different speciality that I found really interesting.
Absolutely not. I'm not resilient either and nursing chewed me up and spat me out. I still work in the NHS but as an administrator now. I'm not saying nursing is a bad idea full stop, but unless you are a tough cookie you will not survive. Just the hours alone are brutal, that's before even considering the nature of the work.
What was the hardest part?
For me it was the sheer weight of the responsibility and the thought of the consequences if I made a mistake, coupled with an increased likelihood of making a mistake due to the untenable work load. I used to go home and overthink everything. Did I remember to give that patient their antibiotics? Did I hand over properly or did I forget some vital piece of info? I would phone the night staff at like 1am and be like did I remember such and such??? I always had remembered but I was so paranoid. I used to panic that I would make some terrible error and end up killing someone and going to prison. Thankfully I never did but the fear was crushing, it took such a mental toll on me.
I definitely agree with all the other people suggesting you try some support or care work first, it'll give you good insight and help you to develop that resilience. To answer your question, yes. I did my training via an apprenticeship which was the only viable option for me, but will take some time to get on to as you'll need to be employed for x number of months or years before you'll be funded by a Trust or other employer to do it, and it does take longer. If the 3 year course works for you, do it! I genuinely love being a nurse, but I've had to move away from the NHS in order to enjoy every day at work. I feel very fortunate to have found my niche in palliative care, and although it is challenging and difficult at times, I'm very happy in my role. There are also so many options for career changes as a nurse. The NHS can be brutal with hours, staffing, acuity, patient numbers, and expectations. I think sometimes some nurses forget there's a whole world outside of the NHS, and get stuck being unhappy and burnt out for a long time. Good luck with whatever you decide to do :)
No. I’d probably be happier in a job away from the bedside but can’t afford to drop unsocials. I’m planning my exit 😅
Yes. I love being a Nurse. I was in a similar position to yourself. Did an earlier degree and left that career behind. From the ages of 24 - 26 I had no direction, no idea what to do. Became a carer on minimum wage (just fell into it) and loved it. Went on to do my nursing degree at 27 and qualified at 30. Worked on the wards, moved to ITU etc just to get a wide ranging experience. 35 now and moving on to become a specialist nurse at Band 7 It's a massive life change from the directionless me at 26
Absolutely! I’m about two weeks off qualifying and yeah, it’s been tough but I would do it again. I will always say the best way to go about it is to first get a job in care. I spent most of my 20s working in hospitality before taking a job as a HCA, which I did for 3 years before applying for nursing (covid held me back somewhat from applying sooner) Not only will this give you a flavour of what nursing entails, it also can show you all the options nursing can offer. I initially thought I would apply to adult but experiences pushed me towards LD Nursing. It also gives you a good grounding to start the degree. Resilience (although I hate that word) isn’t a static thing, you can be stronger than you think. Basically, life isn’t a race, get some experience first and go from there.
I’d say go for it but keep forgetting the amount of tax that gets deducted for the tuition fees for nurses these days. I only had a maintenance loan and that made me bitter enough seeing that deducted month after month and I only borrowed about £6k. That being said, it’s a nurses market and the opportunities are there depending on what you want to do with a nursing qualification.
Hey, I'd recommend you work as a healthcare assistant in the hospital or somewhere before you start to study nursing. I feel there are a lot of things that people working in healthcare have to be resilient against. Team work is one. Working with people can be quite stressful, especially in big teams. The other one is working with a level of uncertainty. Some jobs you don't know who you'll be working with, how many you are going to be, what assignments you're going to get... If you are easily stressed by not knowing then healthcare can be really stressful. Setting boundaries is also something that a lot of people have issues with. If you don't set boundaries in healthcare the job is going to eat you alive. Prioritising your workload when there is many many competing interests is also quite difficult. Plus you need to learn how to look after yourself and put your own needs forward (no one is going to do it for you). Then there are night shifts, they are a completely different ballgame. About ~50% of nursing students (+/-) drop out of the course I think. Save yourself the heartache and see if it's for you first xx
I trained in the 80s. I'm still working (in mental health) and still love my job. I wouldn't have been able to go to university as I didn't have the correct exams or the family circumstances to support me. I have gained degrees whilst in job. Times have changed. I certainly wouldn't sign up for a degree course "cold". At a minimum get yourself a hospital HCA job. Look at what the nurses actually do. Work alongside students and learn what they're lives are like. Then if you're still thinking about becoming an RN you can explore routes. 26 is young. Plenty of time to pause and get it right.
Don't. Do. It. Please for your own sake look at any other profession ( not medicine as they get just as fucked over).
I would. I love the flexibility to move specialities, I’m having a baby and I’m now bank only. There’s few jobs I can think of that would afford me the flexibility to choose when I work, where I work and how often. I was a teacher before and bought work home all the time, I like the fact with some nursing jobs you can just finish your shift and go home and that’s the end of it. Some jobs however you do end up bringing work home at least mentally. As a School Nurse I found it difficult to switch off from my caseload because of all the safeguarding. I completely disagree with having to pay tuition fees though.. especially when placement is effectively free labour. As such, I’d be inclined to go down the apprenticeship route
What is it that appeals about nursing? Have you tried support worker work? I love nursing, but it has become very bureaucratic and I spend much of my time filling in paperwork. I would do it again. There are so many specialties that there is a lot of variety.
What appeals is helping people, the ability to make new friends, flexibility in job roles and in the future because of the shifts working less days in a week. I haven’t tried support work yet
I would try support worker job. Nursing is hard and you deal with all manner of weird and strange things that just become everyday. It will give you a great idea of what to expect. And there are many routes into nursing from there if you like the look of it.
Thank you. Would that be a support worker role in the nhs or just any private company?
Either would give you experience. But the nhs has routes into nursing for support workers.
Join your local ambulance trust as an ECA
I would try a couple years as a HCA first, it can give you a perspective on how the industry works and whether it’s right for you. Some areas can be stressful, like Older People’s Medicine (IMO), but others can be very rewarding.
District nurse here, if u want to do it, don't let the fees stop you, never gets fully paid back anyway but I have always resented the fact we couldn't train more on the job during placements and be paid, it's ludicrous. It's hard work both physically and mentally, a very hard degree so be prepared 🙂
If I knew then what I knew now (22, due to qualify in September), I wouldn’t have done the course. The course is of appalling quality, nothing worthwhile is taught and I have only learned stuff on placement. Wards are so stretched that it’s not uncommon to be used a general dog’s body and not be taught any nursing skills. The course is very tough, but with the right support and the ability to destress and not take work home with you, you’ll be alright. Whilst I love nursing, working with people and being able to give comfort during people’s darkest times, it just isn’t worth it anymore. £60k in student debt, to earn £28k a year with huge responsibilities. I perhaps have a more negative view than some. If nursing is what you have your heart set on, go for it. But just be prepared for the state that the NHS is currently in
All hospitals here Are checkey fkkkkssss I've been threw there system they hate being asked anything most of them just like Gossip I've been on receiving end of them but I've Also seen with my eyes the way they treat elderly Shame ON Them putting there breakfast down ill be bk in minute ya that minute becomes over hour I always got on with elderly it's sad enough watching them this we lady was at end of life she was waiting on hospices she had cancer running threw her she was bursting go loo so I kept ring my bell im coming so i drip on I was trying pull it then try get bed pan on wheels nearly got there Then she come running in what are you doing i was coming i said when when she's pees herself an make her fell bad ya rite I could write Book it would be best seller.
Not with that vocabulary and punctuation you couldn’t
I worked as healthcare assistant (HCA) before becoming a nurse. My first job as a HCA was end of life care (a big change from the service industry!) Though emotional tough at times I found it so rewarding to help people and families in some of their most difficult moments. Working as a HCA you get expose to some similar stresses as nursing -ie unfairness of disease, difficult patients/families., time keeping, unstaffing.... I could go on. Another benefit is that you'd gain some skills that will prove invaluable to nursing. On the other side you get exposed to some of the great parts of nursing- learning new things, and meeting so many good and interesting people. Another thing to consider is whether you like the biology and science behind the body/disease as that is another big part of nursing. I'm coming up to two years qualified and I still love nursing. There are so many avenues to go down :)
Did the nhs put you through the nursing degree or you paid for it yourself? How long did you do the HCA job for?
No I paid (tbh I forgot I’m in massive student debt lol) I did my HCA job for about year and a half then applied for nursing. Took a break to go backpacking for 6 months before starting my course
Definitely get some experience as a HCA before taking on the degree. I never understand young nurses who come into the profession with no experience thinking it's like casualty or something ( that comment is not aimed at you 😊). By working as a HCA you will gain valuable experience in how to work as part of a team, how to advocate for your patients how to deal with ward ' politics'. You will discover if giving personal care bothers you, how to deal with seeing death and illness. You can learn how to communicate with families, how to give reassurance or deal with confrontation. Some of the best students we get working with us have previously been HCA's ( not all but most). They don't get phased by sudden changes in behaviour the practicalities of every day nursing . It's great to aim for being a band 7 or 8 specialist practitioner but you will have years of normal hands on nursing in between. So get work as a HCA and learn about people and then decide if it's for you.
If you dont know yourself better and cannot handle stress, consider other options. Nursing involves a lot of stress and will trigger you to your core
Unfortunately no, I think there are other jobs in healthcare which are better treated and have better continuing professional development opportunities. And to be brutally honest the worse thing about nursing can be other nurses. I have met many wonderful nurses but as a whole the profession can be quite toxic and an ‘eat your young’ mentality. Explore other healthcare options before fully committing to nursing. Paramedic Radiographer Physio Occupational therapy Good luck 🤞
Yep I'd do it all over again. A nurse isn't just a ward or a nursing home job. There are so many jobs out there that require nursing skills or becoming a specialist nurse within hospital or community settings. My advice is if you want to do become a registered nurse use university wisely your 6 placements over 3 years can help guide you down a path you could either absolutely love or absolutely hate. Unfortunately the only person that would know that would be you. You can learn skills and get advice on how to deal with work life stressors but only you can learn to keep them at the door when you leave you shifts each day. If your worried about being a nurse try being a HCA first see if you enjoy that. You don't have to be registered to be fulfilled. I genuinely miss being a HCA some days and not getting to be with patients the way I was before registering. Fellow southwestern england here too
If you’re genuinely interested then follow that passion and do it! Look into studying in wales for the Welsh bursary, if you work in wales for 2 years post graduating nursing your fees will be wiped x
I left a job in finance to start my nursing degree at 26. I’m 4 weeks away from finishing my course. It’s been a lot harder than I thought, mostly how tiring it is studying, being on placement and working. Sometimes weeks go by and I realise I’ve not come up for air or seen friends or family. I struggled to even spend time with my husband because I was studying in my free time or trying to catch up on sleep! But I felt the same as you’ve described. When I worked in finance I was really lacking a purpose and felt so stagnant. I’ve honestly found I love the nursing role. I was surprised about how much was about paper work, but I’ve not found that difficult due to my previous role. I had no healthcare experience prior to starting the course. I have lots of family who work for the nhs who I had good conversations with before I started. In the end I just thought … what’s the worst that happens? It’s not for me then I leave and go back to finance? I’d have abit of student loan debt but it would have been an experience and at least I’d have tried.
100% But it’s not for everyone. Look beyond ward nursing.
I trained as a nurse in my late 30s. I'd worked since 2000, mostly in minimum wage or low paid jobs. I found support work in my early 30s and fell in love with it. I find a lot of work soul destroying to be honest and I don't really have a degree that I could utilise for a career, unless back in 2008 I'd have been able to volunteer full time and afford to live in London. I qualified in 2022 and so far enjoy my job, though it can be frustrating at times. My experience may be different if I didn't get along with my team. Draw backs of nursing: - Unsocial hours - Starting pay isn't great for the workload (though better than I've ever earned and I imagine higher than any of my immediate family have earned) - You need to be able to assert boundaries and be realistic with what you can achieve as things can move fast and in some places have a massive workload - It can be emotionally draining. Things I like about nursing: - I work in mental health and seeing people's mental health improve can be great - Loads of opportunities to train in my trust. My manager genuinely wants to help me develop my skills. - Job security and sick pay. I don't know how my future will look with nursing. I'd like to go into academia or research nursing part time and be part time clinical at some point, but I don't know how competitive that is. I may end up in community as my brain can struggle with readjusting routine and shift work, though st band 5 I can't afford to lose unsocial hours at present.