Making a career change from nursing can feel overwhelming, but it is more common than you might think. Perhaps the long hours are catching up to you, the work no longer feels as meaningful as it once did, or maybe you are simply ready for a new challenge.
Whatever the reason, wanting a positive career change is reasonable; in fact, many former nurses have found success in roles that still require their special skills, just in a different way. This guide will walk you through your options if you are considering a career change from this profession and show you how to use Resume.co for making that switch.
Key Takeaways
Feeling emotionally and physically worn out, having a feeling that your work has lost its meaning, and frequently wondering if there is something else for you to do are key signs that it might be time to leave nursing.
Related healthcare roles, like pharmaceutical or medical sales and coaching or counselling, offer easier transitions.
Complete career pivots are possible in fields such as crisis management, project management, and human resources.
Entrepreneurial paths, like medical writing and editing or private care, use nursing experience creatively.
Additional certifications or degrees may be needed depending on your new career.
4 Signs It’s Time to Leave Your Nursing Career
There is a difference between having a tough week and realizing that your nursing job just does not fit you anymore. Here are some warning signs and reasons you should leave it.
#1. You Are Emotionally and Mentally Worn Out
Do you ever finish a shift and still feel heavy, as if you brought all the work burden home with you? If the stress sticks around long after work, or you wake up already dreading the day, that is not just a rough patch. It might be your mind telling you that you are starting to hate your job and that it is time for a change.
#2. Your Body Cannot Keep Up Anymore
When your feet and back are sore all the time, you move slower than you used to, and recovery takes far longer than it should, it’s your body sending you signals that it is exhausted. You should not have to push through pain just to make it through a shift, so it might be better to start considering other career options that might work out better.
#3. You No Longer Feel Connected to the Work
If helping patients does not give you the same satisfaction it once did, or you find yourself counting down the hours, do not ignore the disconnection. A loss of purpose is a strong sign that it is time to explore alternative careers to nursing.
#4. You Keep Wondering, “What Else Can I Do?”
Recurring thoughts about other passions, jobs, or side hustles are usually a sign that you have stopped enjoying your primary career as much. In fact, many people find the best career change from nursing only when they finally decide to act on those thoughts.
15+ Key Transferable Skills From Nursing
One of the biggest advantages you have when switching careers is your skill set, as you have real-world experience that can apply to many kinds of jobs. Therefore, knowing how to frame your transferable skills can open more doors.
Hard Skills That Transfer Well
Although it might not seem like it, many of the hard skills you have gained as a nurse are useful in other jobs. If you still want to stay within the healthcare field, for example, your ability to observe, identify, and evaluate conditions will be essential in roles such as health coaching, medical assisting, and case management.
Being able to chart patient information, write and update care plans, and use proper terminology without searching Google each time means you will do well in health informatics. The good news is that these clinical nursing skills make you a strong candidate for positions like clinical documentation specialist or EHR analyst.
In addition, your general understanding of medical systems and procedures gives you an edge in medical auditing, medical insurance reviewing, and even medical writing and editing. Additionally, you can bring these special skills to medical training and medical marketing.
Finally, if you have extensive knowledge of using medical equipment, there are many high-demand jobs in the medical device industry. Medical device sales, for instance, is a great fit if you are looking to switch from nursing to a more business-oriented role. Needless to say, your first-hand experience with medical equipment helps you stand out in a competitive market.
Soft Skills Developed in Nursing
Understanding what others are feeling and showing care and concern are perhaps the most transferable soft skills in nursing. These are hard to “train for” but incredibly important in roles like coaching and counseling.
Moreover, because you are used to not knowing what to expect in a hospital or clinic, you are quick on your feet. You can think of ways to solve problems quickly and adjust to new situations in a heartbeat. These skills translate well into fields such as emergency management, crisis communication, and project management.
Furthermore, as a nurse, you also know how to work in a team; after all, you coordinate with doctors, technicians, and other staff every day. The ability to communicate clearly, delegate tasks, and support others is something employers truly value, regardless of which industry you are in. So, if you are exploring alternative careers to nursing, these soft skills are often what help nurses succeed in new roles.
Quantifying Your Achievements
When writing a resume for your career change from nursing, having clear numbers and results is the way to go.
Start by thinking about your day-to-day. How many patients do you manage per shift? Do you help train new staff, or have you recently improved a process or solved a recurring issue? The answers to these questions should help you come up with some great achievements to put on your resume.
Here are a few examples:
Achievement Examples
Managed care for up to 10 patients per shift while maintaining accuracy and efficiency
Trained and mentored 6 new nurses during their onboarding
Helped reduce medication errors by improving double-checking protocols
Supported a unit that maintained a 95% patient satisfaction score over 6 months
These show the impact of what you do instead of simply listing out your tasks. Also, if you are thinking about switching from nursing to business, where numbers take the reign, employers will appreciate that you already speak their language.
Top Alternative Careers for Former Nurses
Here are some of the most common career changes for nurses:
Related Fields With Easier Transitions
If the nursing career leaves you feeling physically or mentally exhausted, but you do not want to leave the healthcare field altogether, there are still some options in the industry that might be more favorable.
Here’s what the best jobs for burnout nurses are:
Best Jobs for Former Nurses
Pharmaceutical or medical sales. This is a great option for nurses who are comfortable with communicating with clinicians and understand how medications or devices work. Your first-hand experience will give you added credibility.
Nurse educator or nurse consultant. As an educator, you can train future nurses or deliver staff development programs. As a consultant, on the other hand, you can advise hospitals, clinics, companies, or legal teams on patient care and compliance.
Nurse administrator or case manager. For the former, you can manage nursing departments or facilities and focus on improving efficiency using your administrative skills. For the latter, you will oversee long-term care plans, work with multi-disciplinary teams, and help patients navigate the healthcare system.
Telemedicine nurse. This has emerged as a particularly attractive remote work option following COVID-19 and is one of the closest careers to nursing. You can deliver patient care virtually using your clinical knowledge, but without being on your feet all day.
Health coaching or counseling. You will work 1-1 with patients or clients to help them achieve their lifestyle goals, manage chronic conditions, or recover after an illness. Moreover, your “people skills” will make a real impact, but in a calmer and more controlled setting.
Clinical researcher. You will support or lead medical studies and contribute to innovations in treatment. Here, your experience on the floor gives you practical insight that is rather valuable in designing and implementing research protocols.
Complete Career Pivots
If you are ready to step away from healthcare entirely, there are still plenty of good jobs for ex-nurses that do not require you to start learning everything from scratch. Here are some of them:
Career Paths Beyond Healthcare
Crisis management specialist. With your ability to stay calm under pressure, make rapid decisions, and manage unpredictable situations, you are well-equipped for a career in crisis management. This way, you might help navigate corporate emergencies, public safety incidents, or other reputational risks.
Risk management analyst. Your clinical judgment and understanding of medical systems can be applied to evaluating operational, legal, or financial risks in non-healthcare industries.
Project manager. With some additional training, you can further develop your project management skills and combine them with soft skills you gained from nursing to lead cross-functional teams, manage timelines, and deliver projects in other sectors.
Corporate wellness program manager. Your experience puts you in a strong position to design and oversee wellness initiatives, as companies nowadays are increasingly investing in employee health. This way, you might run programs related to stress management, nutrition, or fitness, for example.
Human resources specialist. With communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution as part of your nursing skill set, you are set for a good career in HR with a complementary course or certification. The fact that you meet people from all walks of life as a nurse and work with them will likely also help you excel in this field.
Workplace health and safety consultant. Your deep understanding of health protocols, infection control, and patient safety can be leveraged to advise companies on workplace safety. This also includes contributing to ergonomics and emergency response plans, for instance.
Entrepreneurial Opportunities
If you are a nurse feeling burned out, sometimes the best next step is to start your own business. These paths let you use your background while having more freedom:
Business Ideas for Former Nurses
Medical writer or editor, which includes writing and editing articles, blogs, or patient educational materials
Medical course creator, who teaches others about medical skills, procedures, or concepts
Private care business owner offering in-home support or caregiver coordination
Product-based business owner, which may include creating and selling health-related products or tools
Education and Upskilling Considerations
Depending on the field you want to transition to from nursing, you might already have most of the skills required, and a course or certification is all you need to fill in the gaps.
Do You Need Additional Degrees or Certifications?
Whether you need additional degrees or certification depends on the industry to which you want to transfer. For example, jobs like case management, medical writing, or health coaching often only require a short course or certificate. However, to become a teacher or transition into public health, you may need a degree.
The best way to know if you need a degree or certification is to check real job listings. Look at the qualifications employers are asking for, not just what a program provider says you need. Even if you find a course closest to nursing, do not commit right away; take a trial class to get a better feel before deciding if it is worth going further.
Self-Directed Learning Approaches
Podcasts, YouTube channels, online articles, and free webinars can give you insight into what a job you want to transition to actually looks like on a daily basis.
You can also follow some notable people in the field on social media or join professional groups to learn from others. Sites like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, and edX offer affordable courses on a wide range of topics; many let you go at your own pace and even earn certificates that you can add to your resume or LinkedIn profile.
Use Our Resume Builder and Templates for Career Changers
One of the most important steps to take during a career change from nursing is putting together a powerful resume. If you have only ever written a nurse resume and are worried about not knowing how to start one, Resume.co can help.
We offer plenty of resume templates you can edit and tailor to your needs. All you need to do is pick the one you like the most, enter all the details related to your skills, education, and work experience, and we will make a job-winning resume for you in minutes.
Additionally, we also provide amazing cover letter templates that will complement your resume, designed to help you make a professional first impression.
Final Thoughts
Making a career change from nursing is a great opportunity to find something that suits you better, even if it feels bleak right now. The skills you have built as a nurse are valuable and transferable; you just need to present them in the right way.
Spend time crafting a resume and cover letter that highlight your strengths and how they apply to your new career goals. With the help of Resume.co, a little effort now will significantly boost your chances of securing interviews!
