Ask the Recruiter

My sympathies--nursing is one of the most important professions there is, yet the working conditions are often far from ideal, and the nature of the job is emotionally wearing. So where do you go from here? I can think of two suggestions, given your preference for getting some benefit out of your nursing experience to this point.

First, you could take some management and/or human resources course work and try to position yourself for an opportunity as a nursing supervisor. This might take some patience, however, because your best chance might be to work your way up from the staff level.

The second course is more ambitious--earning a bachelor's degree or even a master's degree in health administration. Your practical experience as a nurse would be an attractive complement to a degree in health administration, which could give you an edge in the job market. As a health administrator, you would still be involved in the health care industry, but further removed from the front lines of dealing with patients, and more likely to work a schedule of regular business hours. At the same time, health administrators out-earn nurses on average, so there could be a financial reward as well.

With either of these approaches, you'd still be positioned to participate in an industry that is expected to see above-average growth in the years ahead, but perhaps in a less stressful role than the one you now play.