The purpose of this blog

So, last week was a major crisis in confidence about this mid-career change to nursing.  All my insecurities about making this change came to the surface again, namely leaving the known for the unknown, given family responsibilities I should perhaps just suck it up and put in the time for the next 25 years, and age.  This week, the mindset is better.

This leads me to why I am actually writing this blog in the first place.  Last fall, when I finally applied for nursing school, I looked and looked on the web to try to find a blog about somebody who had started nursing school as a second career (found a number of those) AND someone who voluntarily left a (seemingly) great job. 

There were many blogs of people returning to school after having been home with the kids for many years, there were blogs of people who were laid off or whose chosen career was unstable, there were people who were in dead-end jobs and who wanted to improve their careers, etc etc.  I even branched out my search, thinking perhaps I could find something where one started in a new second career in a field other than nursing.  But I could not find a single blog or article about somebody who willingly left a good job to pursue something different.  No luck.

I couldn't find any information at all about the process one goes through, when taking the initiative on leaving a great position.  So that's why I decided to start my own blog, to document this process.  They certainly don't call this situation the 'golden handcuffs' for nothing!

I still maintain that being in transition is making this process more difficult.  Once the change is real, and I am focusing on classes and clinicals, then it will be easier.  In my experience, it is always easier to deal with the tangible, rather then the theoretical. 

This week it seems I am mostly back on track.  I know I want to do this, I know I can do this.  In a nutshell, I am called to do this work.  Ever since I can remember, and even before that (so I'm told) I've been running to help people who were injured.  This switch to a nursing career isn't something that I've dreamed up lately seeing as my current career isn't particularly satisfying or interesting.  Rather, this is my calling and passion, and I am finally letting myself follow this career path (long and convoluted story there).

And I am so lucky and grateful to have the unconditional support and love of my dear husband, who has so patiently listened to me talk about nursing for over the past decade.  He has spent hours listening, discussing and convincing me that we are OK to do this financially, and that happiness is far more important than going to a job that gives little, if any, satisfaction - intellectual or personal - for the next 25 years.  And happiness and a paying job in a field that I love, priceless.  That man deserves an award!

Onwards and upwards!