Medical Field To Trucking

Hi Everyone!

I'm very curious about this one. For any and all of you, former medics, nurses, doctors, technicians, physical therapists, etc.: why did you leave the medical field for trucking and are you glad you did?

Fire away. Lemme hear the Trucking Truth answer.

-mountain girl

After 20 years as a nurse, working critical care and ER, I was done. Done with not being able to do my job because I had to do more and more charting. Done with someone breathing down my neck. Done with being expected to do more and more with less and less. I hated going in every night knowing that I would not be able to give my patients the care they deserved because checking boxes, money and kissing people's rear ends was more important than making sure people were given the best care possible.

Do I regret it? Not a bit. Would I go back? Not in today's climate. Do I miss it? Some of it. To be completely honest, I was at my best taking care of the sickest patients. I was very good at it. I miss doing that.

Am I happy to be doing this? You bet your bippy! My FM sends me a load and leaves me alone. I can go for a week or more without anything but routine messages. There is a freedom here that I have never had. Every day is different. And there are challenges every day. Cant think of anything that i would rather do!

Thanks, Kanelin

-mountain girl

I had a feeling you might say a lot of these things. It's really helpful to read them.

Could you or anyone elaborate just a little, on what you mean by "today's climate?" I've heard this one a lot, but those not in the medical profession don't know exactly what you mean.

Politics of the job? Charting? Legality of everything you do? All of the above? I know is not like Hollywood out there...

Thanks so much!

-mountain girl

Thinking of a career change are we?

I should've known you'd pick up on this, 6 string. I love trucking.

Don't get me wrong. I'm making some comparisons at the moment, yes. Any career change is an upheaval, though. Ugh. Blech.

I'm probably entertaining some thoughts, in part, because right now, I AM comfortable.

I don't know everything about trucking but I'm at the point where it's not so dammed hard anymore, so I have time to think about "stuff."

And I admit, finally feeling somewhat skilled is also a nice place to be.

There are other things going on at work, but that's for a different thread.

-mountain girl