Thinking of Nursing as a Second Career? Here’s What You Should Know

If you are thinking about nursing as a second career, you are not alone. In June 2023, former New York Jets star D’Brickashaw Ferguson announced he was attending nursing school in the fall. In 2018, Ferguson signed a $60 million six-year contract with the Jets. Some might speculate that earning extra income wasn’t the motivating factor behind the career shift.

“But even without football, I can still do my job with excellence, right? That’s something we learned as athletes,” he said. He went on to describe his nervousness since the last time he had taken a science class was in 2006.

If you’re switching careers, and considering nursing as a second career option, let’s explore tips to help you transition into the field.

Several factors influence the consistent and rising demand for nurses. The current nursing shortage has only grown since the COVID-19 pandemic, which drove higher burnout rates and numbers of nurses who left the profession.

An aging population and workforce have influenced the shortage in addition to the stress placed on the profession by the pandemic. Older adults typically have more than one illness, and more nurses are reaching retirement age. Interest in nursing school has increased, but qualified applicants are being turned away.

According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 91,938 applicants to bachelor’s and graduate programs were turned away in 2021 because there were not enough faculty, clinical sites, and classroom space.

Some nursing specialties are in particularly high demand. These include critical care, dialysis, case management, and the operating room. The shortage has not gone unnoticed by hospitals, nursing programs, and legislators. National nursing associations and state governments are developing programs to extend patient care ability while nursing schools create programs to raise admission rates.

Nursing can be a rewarding career for those who are passion-driven and looking for a means to an end. The profession can offer job stability, career advancement, a competitive salary, and the ability to work anywhere in the country or the world.

As you consider nursing as a second career, it’s helpful to understand the different roles nurses play in healthcare and the wide variety of specialties available. Let’s start with the different types of nurses.

The scope of clinical practice allowed in each state is determined by the state legislature — it is critical that APRNs are familiar with the practice allowed in their state. Many states allow a full scope of practice, which includes the legal capability of assessing a patient’s condition, ordering and interpreting tests, making clinical diagnoses, and prescribing medications and treatments.

Nursing is a unique profession that allows you to practice within several specialties during your career. As in other professions, some specialties make more than others. Some of the top APRN specialties based on salary include nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife, family nurse practitioner, and clinical nurse specialist.

High-paying RN specialties include travel nurses, dialysis nurses, neonatal nurses, and geriatric nurses. Check out this guide that explores the options available in more than 100 nursing fields.

You can choose from several degree options when considering nursing as a second career. Some pathways are not necessarily available to candidates applying directly out of high school. For example, second-degree nursing programs and direct-entry MSNs meet the needs of those who have a bachelor’s degree in another field.

Transitioning to practice from academia as a new graduate can be challenging. Many hospitals are integrating nurse residency programs to support this transition and improve employment longevity.

Some challenges that new graduates face include increasing stress, achieving clinical competence outside nursing school, transitioning into a new role, and developing skill proficiency in an increasingly complex healthcare system.

New nurses are caring for sicker patients, which increases the risk of poor safety practices and patient care errors. Increased stress can lead to practice errors, nursing burnout, and turnover.

One 2023 study on those entering nursing as a second career found that while participants may have left their first nursing job citing unmet needs, many remained in the nursing profession.

The researchers concluded that nurses in their second career were a unique subset that may require specific attention during their transition. Transition to practice programs, such as nurse residency programs, can help new second-career graduates successfully address these challenges.

A residency program combines classroom education with clinical experience in a specific nursing specialty. These programs help improve job satisfaction, patient outcomes, and staff communication. Hospitals find they improve staff retention, lower error rates, and lower levels of stress among new staff.

If you’re considering nursing as a second career, you will likely face challenges and many rewards. Personal fulfillment, job security, flexibility, and excellent pay can offset the challenges that come with changing your career.