Registed Nurses' Association of Ontario

My 2nd Career

My 2nd Career

In the spring of 2013, RNAO emailed members to solicit stories of RNs who chose nursing as a second career, and to delve into their reasons for making the switch to this new and exciting profession. In addition to the RNs featured in the July/Aug 2013 issue of Registered Nurse Journal (pages 12-17), we thought we’d bring you the experiences of a few more who took the time to share their stories. Thank you to everyone who replied to our call. We could not do these features without you.

Top 3 reasons I switched from…

Tutoring to nursing
Maria Clovis
Port Colborne, Ontario

  1. The philosophies of this discipline are congruent with my personal moral and religious values.
  2. The role of the RN in developing client trust and professional client relationships while advocating on their behalf.
  3. The ability to make a decent income to take care of my family.

Accounting supervisor to nursing
Wendy Crisp
Toronto, Ontario

  1. The ability to help people.
  2. Every day is different.
  3. Nursing certification can be acquired within a set timeframe and results in a recognized profession with a definitive, transferable skill set.

Paramedic to nursing
Ann Blanchette
Toronto, Ontario

  1. I believe in a humanistic world view, and nursing is the profession most aligned with my view.
  2. Nurses work with people of all ages and in many different settings and communities. That versatility has always appealed to me.
  3. The opportunity for life-long learning. I have always enjoyed gaining new knowledge and becoming better at caring for my patients.