cross-posted from: https://programming.dev/post/58416724
I’m a German nurse unhappy with nursing and I’m in my 40s.
I wrote I need because my current job as a nurse is physically extremely demanding and I know I don’t want to do this till I retire. My life cannot be to hope to advance in this field by moving up to a position within the hospital where I don’t actually have to work bedside. In Germany nurses don’t need a bachelor to practice, they only need an apprenticeship (Ausbildung).
Something I always liked as a child is music, either the classical guitar or the piano, so I talked to 2 professors, one for piano, the other one for classical and electric guitar. There is no question that east Asians dominate the piano market, they are insanely good and securing a spot in a piano bachelor would be very difficult, but a bachelor of classical and electric guitar is not as looked after like the piano, which could be my way to do something I enjoy, earn more than now with regular, predictable working hours, small groups of students when I finish the bachelor and stop doing something that’s physically destroying me.
About job options after I finish the bachelor, the professor I talked to, a classical guitarist with several prizes I’m not naming said that nowadays all kinds of music teachers are retiring and he constantly gets calls asking for new guitar teachers, that all his students who finish the bachelor have contracts even before finishing the bachelor and the figures he offered regarding salaries are higher than what I earn now, because I’d have a bachelor.
Now I don’t know if this professor is overselling his program, but this is a renowned music school in a city next to mine, which means its close, I wouldn’t have to move and the bachelor would cost me nothing but 100 Euros per semester, provided I prepare for a year for the admission exam, checking my progress every 3 months with this professor, something this musical school offers free of charge and actually passing the exam.
I don’t believe this professor was lying: salary figures I checked match what he said and he proposed I prepare for the exam, check with him my progress and if I get admitted, study for a year to see if I like it, because I can always use my apprenticeship as a nurse to work nursing, radiology instead of bedside nursing or work for a healthcare insurance company. If I do this I’d work part time during the bachelor.
I’ve been playing the classical guitar for the last 8 years if that helps and I learned musical theory and piano as a child.
The other option would be to study a bachelor of science and become a physician assistant, but to do this on a respectable public university and not with a private, online diploma mill that only wants my money I’d have to relocate, which is something very risky (new city, new hospital, no social contacts), or pay for a second flat for 4 years, which would be expensive. The medical side of nursing has always interested me and I enjoy explaining organs to patients, and I’m not ready to simply ignore the last 7 years of my life, the time I’ve been working as a nurse, but bedside, as said, is killing me, but relocating 3 hours away for 4 years...
I’m split. Both paths offer a way out of my current situation. I wouldn’t mind working as a guitar teacher for the rest of my life, nor would I mind working as a physician assistant.
ETA: thanks to all of you for your input, including those post I didn't comment on.
Life is too short to not pursue your passion.
My advice: go for it. If it's something you truly want to do, you will find a way to make it work.
There are compromises that have to be made and some can be hard to adjust to, especially if you are used to a certain level of comfort in your life BUT you can always go back to nursing if you want.
I've had 4 major careers and started at the bottom at each one. It does get harder (on the ego at least) to do that as you get older but it can be done.
My first two careers were out of economic necessity. In my mid 30s I decided I had enough of low paying dead end jobs and from that point forward I refused to work any job that didn't somewhat interest me.
By sticking to that principle, in the last 6 years I have doubled my income.
Now I am about to go into early semi-retirement so I can live out the rest of my life doing whatever I want with my free time. Like you, I've also worn my body out and can't do the work I used to as well.
Again, compromises, I will probably have to budget very frugally but that is the exchange I am willing to live with.
Think about the probable last 10 or 15 years of your life. If you suspect that you might look back and greatly regret not pursuing your passion for music, then you know what you need to do now.
As for how to handle the change... just know that most good things involve a degree of risk. A few years ago I started a business. It was very scary. And did not go as well as I had hoped. Thankfully it didn't completely ruin me but it took a big chunk out of life and ended up putting my deep in debt which I am just now about to climb out of.
And you know what? I don't regret it one bit. I learned a lot and it actually enabled the last career change which put me in the position to be able to do the early retirement.
So, the lesson here is that staying in one position in life guarantees that you will most likely continue to get what you got. And that's fine, especially if it's where you want to be. But by taking a few risks, not all of which will work out- that's always a possibility, greater things are possible. Even if those greater things are simply living a more fulfilling life.
Hope that helps. Good luck.
even if I'm in my 40s? I'd still have to prepare my retirement, keep investing in ETFs...
how can you make it sound so easy? I was raised to aim for one job and to do it for the rest of my life. This is for me so difficult to imagine.
I should, but I'm still so petrified with angst.
this is a very good lesson. Thank you.