There are many compelling reasons to switch from teaching to nursing, like higher earning potential, opportunities for advancement and meaningful work. Your career transition can start with an ABSN program, allowing you to earn a nursing degree in as few as 16 months.
You might have become a teacher because you have a passion for inspiring students to reach their potential. You love to help people and explain things. Whether you have discovered teaching is not the right fit for you or you are seeking a second career, you are considering a different role where you can put those skills to use.
Choosing Utica University’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program allows you to leverage your previous education to avoid unnecessary courses and smoothly transition from teaching to nursing.
No matter your reasons, if you’re considering changing professional paths but still want to educate and make a difference in the lives of others, committing to a teacher-to-nurse career change might be a good move for you. Here’s why and how to switch from teacher to nurse.
Why Consider a Career Change From Teaching to Nursing?
Many factors must be considered when weighing a career between teacher or nurse. Here are a few reasons you might be ready to start switching from teaching to nursing.
Fulfilling Your Passion for Helping Others
You may have decided to become a teacher because of a desire to help others and a passion for working with children. Being a nurse can allow you to fulfill both while leaving the classroom. For example, pursuing a nursing position with a pediatric or obstetric specialty are two options, or if you still want to work in a school setting, you might become a school nurse.
Either way, your previous background of working with children as a teacher will benefit any future nursing career you may choose. Devising treatment plans is somewhat similar to lesson planning, and noting students’ academic and developmental progress is a bit like monitoring a patient’s health status. And no matter your specialty, your nursing career can make a positive difference for others.
Explore ten alternative careers for nurses that take you outside the hospital.
Transferable Skills from Teaching to Nursing
Although teaching and nursing have many differences, both share many critical soft skills, including compassion, problem-solving, and patience. Of course, you are likely well-versed in these skills if you’ve worked as a teacher. They are just as vital for a successful nursing career.
Equal in importance is the ability to communicate and educate effectively. An essential nursing skill is educating patients and their families on their condition/diagnosis, medications, prescribed lifestyle changes, and overall health. For example, you could teach a patient about the home management of diabetes one day and the importance of hand hygiene the next. It requires someone who can explain concepts in a manner that is easy to understand.
Growing Need for Nurses
The nursing profession is expected to grow 6% from 2023 through 2033 to meet a demand for more healthcare professionals, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Making a teacher-to-nurse career change empowers you to do your part to alleviate this need while entering a stable career path.
In addition, nurses can find work in various settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, schools, non-healthcare-related companies, insurance companies, and more. No matter your interests and strengths, you’ll be able to find a position that suits you, and you’ll always have the option of adjusting while still staying in the nursing profession.
Is Nursing as Stressful as Teaching?
Both career choices can be stressful at times. Teachers must deal with misbehaving kids, missed assignment due dates, and parents who are either disengaged or overbearing. Nurses must cope with long shifts, complex patients, and the reality that not all patients will survive. Both can be stressful but in different ways.
The good news is that individuals with a teaching background have already developed some emotional resilience. As a nurse, you can apply the same stress management techniques you used as a teacher. Plus, nurses work as team members with fellow nurses and other healthcare providers, and that team support can make all the difference.
Teacher vs. Nurse Salary: Which Career Pays More?
Most teachers do not choose their careers based on salary. Teaching can be a rewarding career for personal fulfillment; however, if you’re making a career change, you might want to choose something that can also give you additional financial security. While the primary motivation for changing your career to nursing may not be salary, it certainly is a perk of the job.
According to the BLS, high school teachers made a median annual salary of $65,220 as of May 2023, and registered nurses made a median annual salary of $86,070 during that same time. There are also advancement opportunities within the nursing field.
For example, you might pursue an advanced nursing degree to become an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). There are four main types of APRNs:
- Clinical nurse specialist
- Nurse practitioner
- Certified registered nurse anesthetist
- Certified nurse-midwife
According to the BLS, the median annual salary for most APRNs was $129,480 as of May 2023.
How to Switch Careers from Teaching to Nursing
Now that you’re familiar with some of the most compelling reasons to make a career change from teaching to nursing, how does one go about it? Consider the following steps.
1. Research Nursing Programs
The first step to going from a teacher to a nurse is researching nursing degree programs. Since you already have a teaching degree, you won’t have to return to school for another four years to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
Instead, you could be eligible to enroll in an ABSN program, such as the one Utica University offers in Central New York and Albany, New York. Accelerated programs allow you to earn your nursing degree in as few as 16 months.
Learn more about nursing school requirements and why they are important.
The first step is to contact an admission representative at Utica University to discuss switching from teaching to nursing. Your admission rep will review your eligibility and help you navigate the process, such as by checking whether you need to complete any degree requirement courses.
2. Complete the Degree Requirement Courses
ABSN programs, such as the one at Utica University, typically have specific degree requirement courses. They are intended to ensure you have the academic foundation to succeed in a fast-paced ABSN program.
However, if the focus of your teaching degree was science-related, you may already have completed many of the degree requirement courses needed to enter Utica University’s accelerated nursing program. Don’t fret if you don’t have them all done, though. Utica University offers all ABSN prerequisites via our Prerequisite Priority Program (PREP), which provides these courses 100% online (even those with lab components). Additionally, enrolling in PREP reserves your spot in the Utica University ABSN program.
3. Complete the Program
After completing the admission process and receiving your acceptance notice, the next step is to earn your B.S. in Nursing. Utica University’s ABSN program has three main components that you’ll work through:
- Online coursework: You’ll learn nursing theories and concepts in online courses.
- In-person labs: You’ll log about 225 hours in nursing skills and simulation labs, where you’ll learn crucial nursing skills and develop clinical judgment as you work through realistic patient care scenarios.
- Clinical rotations: Clinicals are a crucial part of nursing school, during which you’ll be placed at local healthcare facilities to practice providing direct patient care under supervision. You’ll complete 588 hours of clinical practice in various nursing specialties, which may include pediatrics, community health and acute care.
4. Pass the NCLEX-RN
After graduating with your B.S. in Nursing, you’ll be ready to sit for the NCLEX-RN® exam. As a teacher, you’re likely already familiar with the process of meeting certification or licensure requirements. Nursing is similar. Passing the NCLEX test will allow you to obtain a state nursing license.
Note that the NCLEX is rigorous, as it tests your nursing knowledge and ability to form appropriate clinical responses to patient care situations. However, Utica University’s comprehensive curriculum will help you prepare so you can confidently enter the testing site. You can begin looking for your first nursing job once you have your license, and your teacher-to-nurse career change will be complete.
Get Started With Your Teacher to Nurse Career Change
If nursing sounds like a promising career fit for you, Utica University can help. With three start dates each year and no current waitlist, we may have a spot for you in our Accelerated B.S. in Nursing program. Blending the convenience of online coursework with hands-on practice in high-tech skills and simulation labs and real-life clinical experience, the Utica University ABSN program is perfect for career changers.
To find out how to make a career change from teaching to nursing in as few as 16 months with Utica University’s ABSN program, fill out the form to have an admission representative reach out to you.
