Career options

[Poser]

That’s not necessarily true. Nurse practitioner are also in a lot of hospitals. There are a lot of hospitals that will pay for nurses to go back to school to advance to things like nurse practitioner or CRNA. If you really want to make some money advance to CRNA.

You can also work during Nurse practitioner school for most schools at least. It’s school dependent. I know some CRNA schools don’t allow you to work. Or it’s just not possible.

You can also advance into management, supervisor positions, case management etc. all of which increases the cap.

It also depends on the hospital system you work for. My mother in law has been doing the same RN job for over 20 years and is still getting raises.

I would say a lot of research is needed for this profession depending on how you want to go about it. My wife is an RN. She did months or research especially about the area we just moved to to figure out which hospital systems have better benefits and how they work, etc.


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My GF is a Nurse Practitioner with a PhD. She works about 45 hours a week on average and also teaches online classes for a nursing School (working nurses seeking their NP license). She makes good money, more than I do, however, her lifestyle does not have near the flexibility or freedom that I have. Her schedule is booked out up to 6 months in advance so vacation time has to be requested way in advance and taking a day off ad hoc or calling in sick is a HUGE pain in the ass for a lot of people so she feels too guilty to do that ever. Even though she has a weekday off most weeks, at least half of that day is often tied up with administrative work.
She also gets an incredible amount of texts and emails from patients at all hours of the day and night.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good job and she makes more than a nurse working 3 12s, but it’s not exactly an outdoorsman’s dream schedule. It’s hard to imagine doing that job unless you were super passionate about health care and treatment and philosophically desire to help people. If you’re looking for a good paying career where you can check out once you’re off the clock, I don’t think that’s it.

 

[Jacobo2012]

Get into a lineman or inside wireman apprenticeship in your area



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[AK Troutbum]

I’ve been in ICU nurse now for going on 24 years and don’t regret that decision one bit. If I were to change anything, it would’ve been that I should have started school right out of high school, (I didn’t go back to college until I was 24), and I should’ve continued on and became a nurse anesthetist (CRNA).
Once you get a couple years under your belt, you can pretty much write your own ticket. I’ve been working for the feds now for over 18 years but my whole career has been self scheduling, we get 208 hours per year annual leave, 104 hours per year sick leave, great medical benefits, great pension, and very decent pay. There is one drawback for me though, and that is the fact that I live in Alaska, and the majority of the people I work with hunt and fish fanatically, so everyone wants to take time off at the same time. That sad, I’ve been very fortunate in the fact that I’ve never had much of an issue getting time off when I wanted it.


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[brettdunn7]

My GF is a Nurse Practitioner with a PhD. She works about 45 hours a week on average and also teaches online classes for a nursing School (working nurses seeking their NP license). She makes good money, more than I do, however, her lifestyle does not have near the flexibility or freedom that I have. Her schedule is booked out up to 6 months in advance so vacation time has to be requested way in advance and taking a day off ad hoc or calling in sick is a HUGE pain in the ass for a lot of people so she feels too guilty to do that ever. Even though she has a weekday off most weeks, at least half of that day is often tied up with administrative work.
She also gets an incredible amount of texts and emails from patients at all hours of the day and night.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good job and she makes more than a nurse working 3 12s, but it’s not exactly an outdoorsman’s dream schedule. It’s hard to imagine doing that job unless you were super passionate about health care and treatment and philosophically desire to help people. If you’re looking for a good paying career where you can check out once you’re off the clock, I don’t think that’s it.

Can NPs do a flex or part time type schedule? I can’t remember. Might be dependent on hospital.

My wife is PRN actually so she makes her schedule and makes more money per hour, however doesn’t have benefits or anything. That’s the trade off.


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[Poser]

Can NPs do a flex or part time type schedule? I can’t remember. Might be dependent on hospital.

My wife is PRN actually so she makes her schedule and makes more money per hour, however doesn’t have benefits or anything. That’s the trade off.


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That’s probably an option in larger markets. In my GF’s case, however, she has appointments scheduled specifically with her and they are scheduled months in advance the same way a doctor’s schedule is booked.

 

[Teaman1]

CRNA was definitely a dream situation for me. Just quit taking classes when I got my most recent job. Will find out this winter if I start up again. Schedule at my new job looks great on paper but it’s a brand new plant and has some figuring out to do on our on call schedule

 

[Pigdog]

I quit construction and became a nurse at 40. I wish I would have done it sooner.

 

[Studd muffin]

CRNA was definitely a dream situation for me. Just quit taking classes when I got my most recent job. Will find out this winter if I start up again. Schedule at my new job looks great on paper but it’s a brand new plant and has some figuring out to do on our on call schedule

Extra curricular life might suck for a couple years while you do the CRNA school, but once you get out you will thank yourself 1 million times over. Job opportunities are endless throughout the country. My wife has had job offers from Seattle to Miami.

 

[wind gypsy]

In the trades I'd be a lineman or electrician in a heartbeat! I work in construction management on utility projects and often feel like it'd be nice to trade some of my salary and mental stress for a little more physical work as a lineman.

 

[Lawnboi]

Fire/ems, if you don’t mind the pay, area dependent.

Not getting rich by any means, but the 48/96 schedule kicks ass for maximizing time off.

Between vacation and trades Iv got off most of October and November. Iv been on my current job 3 years.

Depending where you are jobs could be plentiful. Here a job that was hard to come by, now is struggling to find educated candidates.

 

[Mattt]

If you are compassionate then linework is probably not for you.

 

[Teaman1]

Can’t be a lineman and a nice guy? Haha I worked for a guy burying power lines for a little while and got to see a good bit of what they do

 

[Forestryguy]

OP if you are not ok with my piggy backing on your thread let me know.

Any advice for a 40 yr old wanting to change careers. Left working a state DNR (10yrs in forestry) and went to the railroad, to be closer to family. Schedule and getting time off suck. Was a volunteer fire fighter and EMT for the time I was with the DNR.

What is the likely hood of an older guy getting onto a fire department, or enough time to get a retirement out of it or the medical field?

 

[brettdunn7]

OP if you are not ok with my piggy backing on your thread let me know.

Any advice for a 40 yr old wanting to change careers. Left working a state DNR (10yrs in forestry) and went to the railroad, to be closer to family. Schedule and getting time off suck. Was a volunteer fire fighter and EMT for the time I was with the DNR.

What is the likely hood of an older guy getting onto a fire department, or enough time to get a retirement out of it or the medical field?

You should have a state retirement although it won’t be much and can’t draw until qualify, but can either leave it there or may be able to roll it over into your new job 401. Same thing with railroad if you have saved up anything there. Plus if you did any extra deferred comp thru state if they have such a thing. What medical are you referring to specifically, RN, EMT or something higher. If RN and your good just staying RN you can get an ASN (associates) in nursing and become and RN. Reduces the amount of school a bunch which means less money, all for the same title, job, and pay
Even that is easy though you can work a while, get experience, save some money and then an online ASN to BSN or NP, while still working.

For retirement (I’m no expert) to increase it and still retire maybe early or on time you can always look at another 401 or investment on top of what the hospital offers. I’m in the military and trying I make 20. I also contribute to a TSP to boost my retirement from them.


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[ctowntex]

Skimmed the thread. Lots of conventional/average advice IMHO.

Here’s mine:

Google certifications in SEM and Display and an understanding of digital marketing as a whole. Land a job with a forward thinking digital agency and you get unlimited PTO (that’s the trend as of present). Working remote and/or independently is also an option in this field. Also, every outdoor brand including hunting brands of all sizes employ and/or contract digital marketers of all experience levels so you could work exclusively in the hunting industry if you wanted

I'll second this recommendation. Even though you might be working in the "corporate world" the trend in the digital space is for companies to be more progressive to attract younger talent. I currently work in offline & online marketing and I work from home. The work life balance is pretty good and the vacation policy is okay. I wish I wasn't handcuffed to my computer, but I do get to work from anywhere I want.

Just a heads up from experience, I've worked at a company that claimed to have an unlimited vacation policy. Turned out that wasn't the case as they strongly recommended you take no more than 4 weeks of vacation. Basically they were trying to look good for recruiting purposes, but once you got in the door they'd look down on you if you took more than 4 weeks of vacation.

 

[Poser]

I'll second this recommendation. Even though you might be working in the "corporate world" the trend in the digital space is for companies to be more progressive to attract younger talent. I currently work in offline & online marketing and I work from home. The work life balance is pretty good and the vacation policy is okay. I wish I wasn't handcuffed to my computer, but I do get to work from anywhere I want.

Just a heads up from experience, I've worked at a company that claimed to have an unlimited vacation policy. Turned out that wasn't the case as they strongly recommended you take no more than 4 weeks of vacation. Basically they were trying to look good for recruiting purposes, but once you got in the door they'd look down on you if you took more than 4 weeks of vacation.

Still, 4 weeks is pretty good assuming that is 4 weeks of actual vacation and not a week of paid holidays.

 

[macdaddy]

I second the RN recommendation. I would also go further and recommend becoming a Nurse Anesthetist. Pay is good, hours are favorable. I am a surgeon and I work with these people daily. They get out hunting a lot more than I....


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[mpodkolzin]

Software engineering! you can even work while hunting in fall

 

[Corey Paulsen (teamkabob)]

I second the RN recommendation. I would also go further and recommend becoming a Nurse Anesthetist. Pay is good, hours are favorable. I am a surgeon and I work with these people daily. They get out hunting a lot more than I....


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Pick your top three jobs! Go shadow them, you will figure out what fits you.

I’m a respiratory therapist on a flight crew! Love my job! I just took 5 days of pto and worked with my coworkers to get 2 weeks to hunt Alaska.

I say RN, get your experience, than Travel as a RN (Must hit Alaska) once, and apply for CRNA school when on the road. You meet some of the greatest people on the road traveling. Did it as a RT for 7 years with the wife. Lived for the season and found some friends for life.

Do the jump now!


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[Mosby]

My oldest son is becoming a Pharmacist. They start above 6 figures, work 3-4 days a week and get 5 weeks PTO.