PAGING JUST BEE and Other Nurses

azureblue · ‎03-10-2010

Hi Just Bee,

Hoping to find you in this forum. Lulu mentioned that you recently switched careers to become a nurse? I would love to hear more about your experiences and your specialty. Do you have a private email where I can reach you?

For other readers of this thread: I am looking to make a career change and similarly would love to hear from current nurses about their experience(s) both past and present in the field. This would be my second degree as I already have one that is unrelated. I am interested in the specialty areas of Pediatrics and NICU. I would like to know:

1. How long have you been in the field and what is your specialty?

2. Did you take a traditional career path?

3. What do you love the most about your job?

4. What do you dislike the most about your job?

5. What is one thing you wish you knew that you did not know upon pursuing this field?

6. How is job growth/retention for you?

Thanks in advance for your help/feedback!

azureblue

just bee · ‎03-10-2010

Just a quick note to tell you that I posted on your original thread (Viewpoints).

~My philosophy: Dogs are God's most perfect creatures. Angels, here on Earth, who teach us to be better human beings.~

Mom in NY · ‎03-10-2010

Hi I am a NICU nurse now for 20 years since I finished school. This is the only area I have ever worked. I want back to school and this is my second career. It is the best and most fulfilling job you could ever have. I say go for it.

DL2843 · ‎06-18-2010

My best friend went back to school to become a nurse 10 years ago when she was 40. She regrets that choice. Please look at the whole picture. Do you need to loan money? She is over $50,000 in debt. She lives in a rural area that began laying off nurses while she was in school. There are few jobs in her area. She now earns $9.75 working in a group home. Entry level nursing jobs also turned out to be more physically challenging than she thought. She discovered that nurses around 50 begin transitioning to more administrative jobs, but she lacked the 20 year experience for those positions. If she had to do it all over she would have gone for a 2 year technical degree like surgical tech. Good luck with your decision.