Most Common Career Change for Nurses: 5 Best Fulfilling Career Change Options for Nurses

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When told about the most common career change for nurses, who wouldn’t want to investigate other viable alternatives?

Ever heard of Individuals in the nursing profession who might pursue a variety of rewarding and challenging career options?

In fact, while nurses have satisfying occupations and significantly influence their patients’ lives, their jobs can be stressful due to the fast-paced workplace and long hours.

So, if you’re thinking about leaving nursing, you may pursue various other careers to feel happy and productive.

Here, we will explore the most frequent job transitions for nurses, why nurses could change occupations, and how to identify when it’s time to change.

What is the Most Common Career Change for Nurses?

The most common careers change to pursue after nursing are the ones that require you to apply your nursing skills in a new way.

For instance, nurse educators use their nursing abilities to train other nurses instead of working as a nurse.

Also, Your organizational, conflict resolution, soft skills, and nursing talents will help you qualify for your next career.

Meanwhile, while specific positions may need you to take classes to learn new skills and information, there are others where you may quickly transfer your nursing experience.

So, nurses conduct their duties using a combination of technical and non-technical abilities, including transferable talents that might help them thrive in other positions.

5 Best Fulfilling Career Change Options for Nurses

Here are some fulfilling career changes for nurses:

1] Health Educator

Average Salary: $45,495 Per Year

Guess what health educators do? These folks teach Individuals and communities about healthy behaviors. They create and lead seminars on health-related issues and provide their clients with instructional resources on healthy living.

Also, they undertake health promotion ads emphasizing the value of exercise, developing good eating habits, and cultivating healthy attitudes at various stages of life.

And yeah! Government agencies, hospitals, research institutes, schools, and professional groups employ them.

However, Before becoming a competent health educator, you may need to get a Certified Health Education Specialist credential.

Average salary: $61,010 per year

Hold on; let’s look at what these guys do, ready? A clinical social worker works directly with patients to diagnose and treat mental diseases, emotional concerns, and behavioral problems.

They frequently work in hospitals, community outreach programs, and mental health clinics and advocate for mental health resources for people of all ages.

It might also interest you to know that Clinical social workers handle a wide range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, low self-esteem, interpersonal difficulties, and stress.

Meanwhile, if you want to be a clinical social worker, you presumably already have some medical expertise. You know, right?

So, Before you practice, you may need further qualifications, such as a master’s degree and the necessary license.

3] Nutritionist

Average Salary: $63,087 per year

Guess who does nutritional exams and creates tailored food plans? A nutritionist, of course. And, yes, they also counsel their clients and help them develop healthy eating habits and lifestyles.

Interestingly, they work with patients directly in a private clinic, their practice, or a hospital environment.

You are already familiar with most of a nutritionist’s work surroundings as a nurse. You may also be familiar with specific patient evaluations and record documentation processes.

So, if you aspire to become a nutritionist, you may need additional training before applying for positions.

4] Physical Therapist

Average Salary: $66,818 per year

As a nurse, what do you presume could be the job roles of a physical therapist? Do you think you can successfully change to this career path? Well, Before you conclude, let’s hear about them.

A physical therapist assists patients who are ill or disabled in regaining mobility, improving their range of motion, and managing physical discomfort.

They often work in hospitals, long-term care homes, and private clinics, providing and implementing tailored treatment regimens for patients.

If you choose this career path, you should be ready to play a vital role in preventing, rehabilitating, and treating the musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiac, and integumentary systems.

In fact, according to federal and provincial rules, nurses who desire to become physical therapists often need the required degree and certification.

5] Pharmaceutical Sales Representative

Average salary: $79,638 per year

To offer new pharmaceutical goods to the market, pharmaceutical sales professionals engage directly with doctors, hospitals, private clinics, and healthcare specialists.

Sales personnel thoroughly grasp pharmacology, including medication and chemical adverse effects.

However, nurses who want to work as pharmaceutical sales representatives are already familiar with medical language and drug administration. They also understand hospital and clinical communication norms, which allows them to be good marketers in the healthcare business.

So, as a nurse, you may have a basic sense of what new medications patients and physicians require.

Why Would a Nurse Change Careers?

Looking at the profitability of the excellent career path, one will be drawn to a great curiosity as to why a nurse will want to change careers.

While nurses may appreciate their work and interactions with patients, they may take a new route for personal or professional reasons.

Of course, a career change for nurses can be complex since it requires a life shift and adjustment to a new schedule.

Although some nurses may transition to a comparable profession with many transferable abilities, others may pursue extra schooling to apply for healthcare roles unrelated to nursing.

That said, here are some reasons why as a nurse, you might desire to change careers:

You wish to expand your knowledge and gain new abilities in a different healthcare field.
You are curious about another area or specialty.
Your current workplace no longer reflects your fundamental beliefs or professional objectives.
You wish to achieve a better work-life balance.
You’re unhappy with your existing duties, work hours, and workload.
You are no longer interested in your work.

How Do I know When it’s Time to Change Careers?

Knowing the exact time to change careers as a nurse mainly depends on you.

However, while some factors that motivate you to change careers may be minor and take more thought, others may be big and force you to make an urgent choice.

Therefore, in a bid to help you ascertain when to change your career, here are some measures you may take to decide whether a career move is good for you:

#Examine Your Present Position

I’ll love to say that one reason most nurses change careers is that they are unhappy in their current position. Oh yeah! You get drained while on this career, true, right?

For example, let’s give an instance: you may be dissatisfied with the work environment, your relationships with coworkers, work hours, burden, and particular field procedures and rules. Huh!

Moreover, to move forward, take some time to consider what you enjoy and dislike about your present position and make a list of the benefits and drawbacks.

Consider if you are receiving the support and progress that you desire. Consider each disadvantage and decide if it is a primary or minor issue. Ensure you involve in this decision before changing careers.

#List the Benefits and Drawbacks of Pursuing a New Career

Hey! Every career has benefits and drawbacks. Know right? So, while you may wish to change careers because you are unhappy in your present position, you must also weigh the benefits and drawbacks of doing so.

Hence, if you wish to pursue a particular career path, examine the pros and drawbacks of the opportunities available in that industry.

Suppose you determine that the benefits of looking for a new career and working in a different industry outweigh the drawbacks. In that case, it may be time to apply for alternative positions.

#Consider How You Feel About Your Current Position

Buddy! You might need to know that every job has its ups and downs, as incredibly demanding as nursing. You have both successes and setbacks.

While a few bad days may not be a big deal, you may consider changing jobs if you’re often worried and overworked.

So, consider your feelings while you do your daily tasks at work, and consider if you are most often joyful or overwhelmed at work and home.

However, if you believe your job harms your work-life balance and mental and emotional health, you should consider changing jobs.

#Consider Your Evaluation

Guess you should have enough information to decide now that you’ve assessed your professional objectives and goals and considered the advantages and drawbacks of changing careers.

While it is challenging to have everything you desire regarding work-life balance, general job happiness, and professional advancement, a career shift may be an intelligent decision if you are unsatisfied with your present nursing position.

Alternatively, if there are more benefits to staying in your present position than transferring employment, it may be preferable to seek promotion prospects or departmental transfers instead.

Conclusion

As a nurse who chooses to change career, you must draw massive points to your ability to upgrade your certifications. Trust me; you won’t get that satisfaction with your already signed certificate.

So, buddy! Get an upgrade, get soft skills, and grab that cert. In the meantime, drop your take in the comment section; I’m waiting!

Frequently Asked Questions About Most Common Career Change for Nurses

What is the Biggest Change in Your Understanding of the Nursing Profession?

Formalized education is one notable shift in the evolution of the nursing profession. The earliest training programs were established at hospitals in the late nineteenth century. In return for patient care, student nurses got clinical training. ADD IMAGE

What is a Good Career After Nursing?

Nurses experiencing burnout in the profession may choose the following career paths: health educator, social worker, physical therapist, online nurse practitioner, clinical documentation expert, and medical and health service management.

What is the Closest Job to a Nurse?

Nurse assistants, also known as certified nursing assistants (CNAs), are the closest to nurses. They operate in long-term care institutions and support therapy like registered nurses do. Overall, this position necessitates less responsibility and less education. CNAs are in charge of direct patient care.

Why Do Nurses Quit Their Jobs?

According to the study, the main reason nurses planned to leave their positions was a lack of staffing, followed by a desire for a better work-life balance. Nurses also stated that they intended to leave their jobs because their mental health was jeopardized and felt underappreciated.

Where Do the Happiest Nurses Work?

An office nurse role is one of the happiest nursing careers. Nurses working in a physician’s office or another outpatient setting immediately treat patients with chronic or non-urgent diseases.

FAQs

What is the biggest change in your understanding of the nursing profession?

What is a good career after nursing?

What is the closest job to a nurse?

Why do nurses quit their jobs?

Where do the happiest nurses work?

An office nurse role is one of the happiest nursing careers. Nurses working in a physician’s office or another outpatient setting immediately treat patients with chronic or non-urgent diseases.