Navigating a Career Shift into Nursing: A Guide for Aspiring Registered Nurses

Understanding Work Environments for Registered Nurses

The nursing profession is unique in its breadth and depth, offering a diverse spectrum of healthcare settings that cater to various personal preferences and career goals. Each setting has its unique rhythm, responsibilities, and rewards, which influences how it fits into a career shift strategy.

Hospitals

Public, private, and state hospitals provide a dynamic, fast-paced environment and employ about 60 percent of registered nurses, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). With a diverse patient population and health issues, fast-paced hospitals offer invaluable learning opportunities. For those shifting from a high-pressure industry who’ve learned to stay cool in times of stress, a diverse, team-oriented hospital can be a strategic choice. 

Former teachers, childcare workers, and those who worked in customer experience/service likely possess the empathy, compassion, and supportive problem-solving soft skills working in a hospital requires. Those who led teams in management roles or who tracked projects across teams will have a leg up on the multitasking, prioritization, and communication skills needed to thrive in a hospital setting.

Not every hospital nursing job involves racing from one life-threatening emergency like they do in medical drama shows. Hospitals have multiple departments, so a typical day can differ widely depending on a nurse’s specialty. 

Pros: Nurses get their steps in during each shift! Once nurses get the hang of the volume of record-keeping and constant prioritizing required at work, they will start amassing memories of grateful patients and their families. “As a nurse, I often remember when a patient goes out of their way to say thank you,” says Steven Polega, RN and chief nursing officer at the University of Michigan Health-West.

Cons: Hospital jobs can be surprisingly competitive. Despite the ongoing nursing shortage, many hospitals have residency programs that only accept a set number of new grads, shares Ciji West, a registered nurse. 

Working in the ER or intensive care unit can also take its toll on a nurse’s mental and sometimes physical health.

“The unfortunate reality is that people come to us many times when they are scared, hurting or in crisis. During times like these, it is easy to be demanding and sometimes even rude and hurtful. As an RN in an emergency department, I rarely worked a shift where I wasn’t yelled at, threatened, or harassed,” shares Polega.

Ambulatory Healthcare Services

Ambulatory healthcare services comprise 18 percent of the 3.1 million nursing jobs in the U.S., says the BLS (2023), and include physicians’ offices, home healthcare, and outpatient care centers. Nurses who work in home health drive to patients’ houses, and public health nurses can travel to schools, community centers, and other sites. 

Ambulatory care nursing often includes registered nurses (RNs) caring for many patients in short periods. The patient issues they deal with daily can be unpredictable, but ambulatory care nurses partner with other healthcare professionals to address patients’ wellness, acute illnesses, chronic diseases, disabilities, and end-of-life needs.

Pros: “Being present during moments of healing, providing comfort, and advocating for patients’ well-being brings a sense of fulfillment like no other. The camaraderie and support among healthcare teams create a strong sense of belonging and purpose,” shares Stewart Parnacott, a certified registered nurse anesthetist. 

This diverse nursing landscape can appeal to career changers who are accustomed to shifting priorities quickly, consulting with others to make decisions on the fly, and can meet the unpredictable with a clear head.  

Cons: Ambulatory nurses need stamina and endurance, and burnout is real— particularly if for nurses who tend to work overtime. Ambulatory nurses may be exposed to less serious conditions than inpatient nursing (this can appeal to some), so they may not make as much dramatic impact on patients’ lives. 

Travel Nursing

The Covid-19 pandemic increased demand for traveling nurses, with job postings growing by 120 percent from January 2019 to January 2022, reported AllBusiness.com. “The pandemic accelerated the retirement of many nurses and caused many to leave the bedside altogether. This resulted in a proliferation of agency nursing to fill the staffing needs and resulted in some very large hourly and weekly compensation packages for travel RN staff,” shares Polega. 

For those open to working on a contract basis and potentially commuting far or relocating temporarily, travel nursing can provide a varied experience more quickly than a staff role—and it will likely pay better. This could be a great option for mid- or late career changers who are accustomed to earning a higher salary and have the flexibility to move around or be comfortable with contract work. Travel nurses can work in various healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinics, community health centers, and even in underserved centers in rural areas. 

Pros: Greater earning potential overall, and more opportunity to accumulate diverse nursing experience more quickly.

Cons: Travel nurses may need to pop from place to place every few months, and they’ll lack the stability of a more traditional staff position. Travel nurses could also encounter some resistance from in-house nurses who may not be a fan of the travel nurse setup. 

Nursing and residential Care Centers

These facilities, including nursing homes and assisted living centers, offer a slower pace and the opportunity to build long-term relationships with patients. Residential care nursing can offer a rewarding path for individuals shifting from careers where interpersonal relationships and continuity are key. Career changers whose soft skills include patience, excellent listening skills, and fostering meaningful interactions who seek work-life balance may find a home as a nurse in a retirement or residential care center.

Pros: Residential care nurses benefit from stability, security, and the opportunity to be involved in the day-to-day lives of their patients. This role also gives nurses the chance to build their pharmacology skills.

Cons: Nurses in this role may need to cope with the difficult temperament from some elderly patients who may suffer from chronic pain or dementia. The pay for this role may also be lower.

Educational Services

Most people remember going to the school nurse’s office when they weren’t feeling well or they fell on the playground. School nurses deal with illness and injuries during the school day, assess the need for urgent care, monitor students with chronic conditions, administer medication at the approved request of parents, maintain immunization records, and conduct screenings for illness. 

They played a vital part in testing, quarantining, and communicating with school administrators and parents during the Covid-19 pandemic.

School nurses can also work at colleges, universities, and vocational schools. Nurse educators teach classes, supervise clinical training, and prepare students for the National Council Licensure Examination for RNs (NCLEX-RN) and certification. They may also design courses, advise students, and work with faculty and administrators on programs and budgets.

Teachers and school administrators can transition well into working as a nurse in academia, and the predictable schedule and working with youth may also appeal to parents, childcare workers, and nannies. 

Pros: Can anybody find fault with summers off? School nurses also get every school holiday off, and can depend on a regular daytime schedule. 

Cons: Lower salaries, potential clashes with parents, and long preparation hours can be drawbacks for school nurses who teach or need to prepare programs or budgets.

Government

Government agencies employ nurses in various sectors. At federal agencies, nurses may conduct disease control and epidemiological research. Military nurses provide essential care at military bases, in war zones, and in disaster areas. Nurses can even treat imprisoned patients in correctional facilities.

Those transitioning from other government agencies, the armed forces, or the corporate world may be accustomed to the bureaucracy and structure that is typical when working for the government. These jobs also typically offer job security and stability that aspiring nurses may value. 

Pros: Government agencies typically offer good benefits, job security, and possibly a pension. 

Cons: Nurses working in government agencies may find that their salaries are capped, policy changes can take a long time, and they don’t have as much control in their decision-making. In a government role, there are also inevitably myriad rules and regulations to follow, which can be cumbersome. 

A nurse’s choice of work environment is pivotal in their career shift into nursing. When nurses align their chosen setting with their lifestyle, professional goals, and previous work experience, they can make a strategic decision that eases their transition and sets them up for a fulfilling nursing career.