I've been a hospital based registered nurse for 25 years and I want out! Any ideas for a new career?

My background is in endoscopy lab and intensive care. Just burned out on the whole hospital thing. Time to brach out but nursing is all I know. Still need to make a decent income.

My background was in laboratory management and I got burned out several years ago. I started a home-based embroidery business. I have always loved sewing and was good at it, so I didn't have as great a learning curve as most other people might have had. Sewing and embroidery is nothing more than applied math, so it fit in well with my math/science mentality. My income dropped quite a bit, but I am much happier. However, to pick up some extra income, I have done the following, using my laboratory management skills:

1. I am a technical consultant for a doctor's office laboratory. I set up the lab, wrote all the policies and procedures, set up the paper trails, implemented QM, QC, safety program, etc. to ensure the laboratory met all federal guidelines. I visit the lab once a month to review all records and to advise the practice manager. I also help prepare for inspections and I am the contact person during inspections.

2. I work part time for the local hospital laboratory (I do most of my work at home). My job is to assist the lab manager with any projects she needs. Since I have a strong lab management background, she doesn't have to over-explain what needs to be done. I spend most of my time helping to prepare for upcoming inspections, writing procedures, and helping to set up new satellite labs. In other words, I get to put to use all of my lab management skills without being responsible for anyone else.

I recommend you think long and hard about what you don't like about nursing and what you do like about it. Then, design a job for yourself. You may have to become self-employed or you could go to work for a company that provides healthcare-related services. For instance, with your ICU background, you might be a great consultant to an architectural firm that designs intensive care units - you would be an expert on efficient layouts. How about becoming a consultant for an insurance company or for a malpractice attorney? Have you considered becoming a state licensure inspector? Open up your mind to all possibilities and design a job that appeals to you and fulfills a need (so you can get paid! LOL!).

there are thousands of senior citizens out there who are trying to live in there homes on their own, you could name your hours, your rate of pay, as the different agencies are priced out of the realm of reality for most on a limited income, and the days you want to work, check it out with your local area aging office.

You could look into becoming an EMT. Training for an EMT-Basic is only about a semester long, and all EMT's are Nationally registered, so you can work your trade through out the entire country without major hurtles to jump. Becoming an I-Tech after a Basic, takes a bit less time (100 hours as opposed to the initial 120 hour course), and then if you find you want to really raise the bar, becoming a Paramedic is a 6 month course (I believe.....I am 100% sure about EMT-B's and I-Techs, having a B cert myself)....Having a nursing background, you shouldn't have any trouble at all navigating the class

Medical Officer for a private company.

They are always needing RN's in the Home Health Care field and there are Nursing homes, traveling nurses association. You have a lot of choices and some of these positions you can almost make your own hours. Maybe upgrade a bit and teach the RN classes.

Check out this site http://www.naawashington.com We specialize in helping families keep their homes and lifestyles in case of death or disability. We also offer clients way to grow their retirement or college funds without taxation or loss due to market volatility. Great income opportunity and you determine when you work. Contact me if you are interested, I will gladly answer any questions you may have and show you how to get started. Good Luck!

In all honesty, if you would like to stay in the medical field but get out of the nursing aspect of it, certified medical coder would be an excellant move for you.

I know several certified coders that started out as nurses and only switched after getting burned out.

I got tired of hospital work as well, after seven years. I then worked for six years in hospice homecare, which I really loved. Be out in the sunshine in your own car, seeing people at home, actually knowing their names. I could set my own schedule and if I needed to stop by the bank or post office, I just went. I left that area only because of some management issues and am now working in a small residential treatment facility for people with eating disordes, chemical dependency, and pain issues. It's pretty laid back. There are lots of other areas, including working as a lifecare planner for a law firm, corrections nursing, travel nursing, aesthetics (botox, laser hair removal), working with a plastic surgeon, school nurse, and so on. Nursing is a wide field, even for "Type B" people like me.

After working in Medicine for 13 years and all aspects of the Medical Profession, and all the legality and red tape they make us jump threw, I made a very drastic change, I became a Truck Driver (I know I know big change).

Money is good, I got to travel etc. But if I had an option to "do over" I would have done some sort of traveling in the medical field.

I guess what I'm trying to say is EXPLORE your options in medicine before leaping, there are so many options for an RN it's not even funny. I just was really really really burned out and needed a complete change of pace.

You could be a teacher-college level for RN's and LPN's or even in elementary,middle, and high schools teaching school children maybe health, biology,etc. You would have to check with the school district. You could be a nurse educator for hospitals, schools, etc. There are many jobs for registered nurses who don't want to work in the hospitals anymore, you could be a nurse paralegal, a nurse consultant, or a pharmaceutical-if I spelled it right- pharmaceutical sales representative. Maybe you could talk to a college career advisor or someone into nursing that knows more. I hope I have helped. Good Luck