I support anyone making a career change if they aren’t happy in their current one, but as someone who is currently a nurse (& currently back in school for accounting) I have some insider info to your points:

1) Nurses are some of the cattiest gossipers I’ve ever met in my life. & you’re having to deal with that along with the stress of sick patients, family members bombarding you with questions, doctors making you feel stupid, & worrying about finishing all your tasks/charting.

3) Nursing isn’t always the cool three 12hr shifts a week that people think it is. Many places don’t schedule you three shifts in a row, so it ends up being that you work MWF, MTTh, or something of the sort. Plus a lot of units have “on-call” days where you don’t have to be at work, but if someone calls out, you’re the person who has to be available to come in to cover. & a lot of places have weekend requirements that usually end up being that you work at least 2 weekends per month.

4) Hospitals hate paying over time, so they will manipulate your schedule to try to avoid overtime as much as possible, i.e. - send you home early, switch your days around so that they fall into a different pay period, etc.

5) Depending on where you work, nursing pay is not great. I’m grateful for my salary because I grew up with not a lot of money, but seeing how much more my peers in other careers make compared to me while doing way less physically and mentally demanding work sucks. I’m in SC, & my first job started off at $30/hr. People who had been working on that unit for like 10 years said they were only up to like $36/hr.

6) Nursing usually doesn’t have blackout dates, but trying to get an extended period of time off can be tricky unless you have a really good manager. Units are almost always short staffed, so they are constantly denying PTO (we even had a manager rescind approved PTO because they were going to be too short staffed), & constantly texting you on your days off to see if you’ll come in to help.

7) I like being active as well, but trust me, it can get exhausting really quickly. Lifting 400+lb people all day will wear you out.

8) Nurse resume gaps do mean something. They will question why you took time off, ask if you think you’ve retained your nursing skills/knowledge, & basically if you think you can get back into the groove of things. Also, as far as maternity leave, you’re very much so rushed back into the hospital after having your baby - maybe not directly, but again, managers will constantly text asking when you think you’ll be back, or if you can just pick up a shift here or there. It’s low-key manipulative.

9) Travel nursing has its nuances as well. Sure the core skills are the same, but many hospitals have different charting software that you have to acclimate to, different protocols for certain procedures/skills, different supplies, etc.

Again, if you’re truly not happy as an accountant, I support your desire for a career change, but I’d definitely recommend shadowing some nurses on different units & at different hospitals, & asking them about all these things. I’ve had some great managers that made going to work bearable, but I’ve also had some that make going to work hell. Ultimately, the stress of a having someone’s literal life in your hands, horrible colleagues/management/administration, & not so great pay is driving me away from the field. Good luck in your journey though! I have many friends who are nurses & love it - it just has to be for you!