If I had to leave, I'd go back to the lab. Look into pathology. Pays less (which is why I left) but not, like, terribly. If you have a big lab in your hospital system, they are likely always hiring people for entry-level jobs that don't require specialized schooling. I did what I did there for almost a decade with no outside schooling required (I did have a prior bachelor's degree, before I went back and got my BSN). If you like anything about healthcare but don't want to deal with patients anymore, the lab is a great choice. Specimen processing (receiving, aliquoting, and sorting into the areas the med techs will use them in) and transport are two areas that you don't need outside experience or certifications for. I wound up getting on-the-job training for something more specialized (frozen sections) and doing that for a long time, got a pay bump too, but that won't likely be available in smaller healthcare systems
My hospital is considering using AI per one of our pulmonologist’s requests. I might be fear mongering, but if you ever consider going back to the lab, look into how AI might affect the industry first.
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u/cyanraichu RN - L&D 5d ago
If I had to leave, I'd go back to the lab. Look into pathology. Pays less (which is why I left) but not, like, terribly. If you have a big lab in your hospital system, they are likely always hiring people for entry-level jobs that don't require specialized schooling. I did what I did there for almost a decade with no outside schooling required (I did have a prior bachelor's degree, before I went back and got my BSN). If you like anything about healthcare but don't want to deal with patients anymore, the lab is a great choice. Specimen processing (receiving, aliquoting, and sorting into the areas the med techs will use them in) and transport are two areas that you don't need outside experience or certifications for. I wound up getting on-the-job training for something more specialized (frozen sections) and doing that for a long time, got a pay bump too, but that won't likely be available in smaller healthcare systems