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Between the internet and robotics I think retail is going to be phased out in the next five to ten years. Malls are dying and some chains are gradually dying (sears and radio shack).
Are you in a union?
I'd hate to say it but much of the time someones life is in everyones hands all the time. When I worked in retail we were shown a number of safety videos because people DID die in our competitors. Accidents happen. At one point someone put pool chemicals right above fertilizer. It leaked creating an explosion and fire in a store down south.
Perhaps you could learn medical coding and work for one of the companies of it (Epic or Meditech)
EPIC trainer would be a great job! You get to travel to client sites, teach classes or, work as a concierge type trainer. Of course that's still the med field but not pt. responsibility. But if you are not tech savvy or have not been using an EMR system, then it's doubtful you could enter the field. I do get why you'd want out of the field. Since ACA, it has changed medicine.
My friend's daughter in law who was a corporate HR mgr had a p/t job at Nordstrom's in the shoe dept. She made great commission and loved the work and the company. Is there one near you?
I already have dialysis skills, so it wouldn't be as stressful as other types of nursing for me, and I could work 30 hours a week and still make a lot more than I would at JCPenney working 40 hours a week. But...it's a nursing job again, albeit it an outpatient one with set hours, no Sundays, and closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas...what to do, what to do????
I think you would like that option a lot more than retail.
Otherwise, you could look at being a pharma rep. Better pay than retail, better schedule, similar stress levels.
The point is, though, that the mental and emotional gain of getting out of acute care nursing will more than make up for it.
My wife got a super well paying job at a (unbeknownst at the time) sketchy mortgage lender. She was making BANK for awhile. But she was miserable. Crying a lot over the BS she had to deal with. One day, she comes home and tells me her previous job wanted her back but that it would be a substantial pay cut.
She asked if we could afford that. I said "I cannot afford to have you crying over your job anymore, you call them right now and TAKE THAT JOB!".
She did and was so much happier.
So I say go for it. You can easily find work in retail. The #1 thing retailers want in an employee is someone that is good with people. Being an RN I'd hire you in a second for my retail shop.
I think you have other alternatives, but I also think any retail store would be more than happy to have you on its staff. With your experience juggling responsibilities, you would probably be made a manager very quickly.
Here are some Nursing jobs to look into that are not clinical.
We have a designer that works with our hospital. She was an RN at another hospital that was going thru a remodel. They asked her to be part of a team that would pick out the design for many of the rooms. She loved it so much that she started her own business. It turns out that hospitals like having her as a consultant because she has been in the Nursing trenches and knows her way around a hospital.
Construction companies that build medical facilities will hire an RN to work with them. Same as above, they want someone to consult mostly.
We have a team hear made up of mostly RN's that work to bring money into the hospital thru reimbursements. Under the ACA many patients become observation only and the pay out is 25% of what it would be for an actual patient, with the healthcare workers providing the same level of care. These RN's work to show medicare and other insurance providers why the care was justified, so we can get the rest of the money.
I know of RN's that have left to work with drug companies or other medical related products companies. More of a consultant basis, using what you know to make money.
We have several programs that they started here at the hospital that are non clinical but require an RN. Our Health aware program has three RN's working there that are more for educational purposes than clinical work. We have maybe 6 non clinical groups here that are run by RN's without the clinical component.
I would be looking around first before jumping ship completly.
With so many opportunites out there for someone that is an RN I would be looking into something non clinical
I completely agree with all of the previous poster's about looking around before completely resigning from Nursing. I'm an RN, I completely get it. You have many years of experience under your belt, use that to your advantage. Retail is not easy work, you're still dealing with the public and corporate paper pushers which can be frustrating, regardless if it's nursing, retail, etc. I know many of the jobs people have mentioned transitioning into require BSN's, and if your burnt out, the last thing you need is to go back to school while you're unhappy.
Nursing used to be a respectable job, but many days I feel like an underpaid drug dealer/waitress. Very frustrating, indeed. But I focus on trying to make a difference, albeit small at times, in somebody's day. I wish you much luck in your journey.
Well, this is what has transpired today: I got calls from both of the "Big Two" dialysis companies, one of which I worked for recently and would not have to go through most of the orientation with, both are 30 hour/week positions, outpatient (so we can send the patients home when they're done), regular hours, good benefits, no Sundays, and no major holidays like Christmas or Thanksgiving. Then, JCPenney called about a position at our local mall.
The thing about the JCPenney position is, I wonder if it would be like 60 hours a week during the holidays then cut way back in January after things die off. I don't know if major retailers like this honor their full-time hours that they hire you with or just indiscriminately cut back and tough luck if you don't get full-time hours anymore. It seems I have heard of that happening.
At least with dialysis, while it is still nursing, the hours are steady and the patients don't stop coming.
Thinking it over...and thanks for all of the fantastic suggestions too!
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