What happens after you walk away from a career you thought was forever? For me, leaving nursing wasn’t just a decision it was a whole rebirth. After realising I would never find peace in that profession (no matter the paycheck), I jumped headfirst into a world I barely understood: software development. This is what happened next failures, wins, and everything in between.
The moment I started, I went from someone who knew her stuff in nursing school to being the one who didn’t even know what a semicolon error meant. I was the beginner in the room. The one staring at code that looked like gibberish while others seemed to type answers out of thin air.
It was humbling and hard. I failed modules. I fell behind. I doubted myself constantly. On top of that, I was working full-time while juggling full-time studies that required at least 60% self-learning. I was exhausted. But I had to remind myself of something: every expert was once a beginner. Just because I wasn’t flying yet didn’t mean I wasn’t capable of learning how to walk in this new world.
After stumbling for months, I realised I needed to change how I approached learning. I stopped trying to race through things and instead focused on understanding one concept at a time.
I built a routine that worked around my job, celebrated tiny wins (like fixing one bug), and leaned on tutorials when I felt lost. I even started prepping before classes so I wouldn’t feel left behind. And slowly, things began to click. There were days I genuinely felt like a fraud like I didn’t belong in tech and had made the biggest mistake leaving nursing. Everyone else seemed smarter, faster, more “made for it.”
But the truth is, I wasn’t alone. Talking to classmates, I realised most of them felt the same way. That helped. I also started keeping track of my small wins because sometimes seeing how far you’ve come is the only way to silence the doubt. Imposter syndrome still shows up, but these days I meet it with more compassion and less self-hate. One of the biggest shifts in my mindset was realising I didn’t need to wait for “big” achievements to feel proud. Progress itself was worth celebrating.
The first time I built a program from scratch, the first compliment from a tutor, the first time I could confidently say, “I’m studying software development” those moments carried me through the rough patches. At some point, I knew I needed more than theory. I wanted to actually create things. So I started building mini websites, uploading them to GitHub, and even experimenting with blog designs (yes, including what eventually became Brnce Reflections). Having something tangible to point to gave me confidence. I wasn’t just a student anymore I was slowly becoming a developer.
One of the best choices I made was seeking out communities that reflected me. Joining spaces like Code First Girls and private group chats with uni classmates meant I didn’t have to carry the journey alone. We shared resources, job postings, and encouragement. Some days, that sense of “me too” was the only thing that kept me from giving up.
As graduation drew closer, the job hunt anxiety kicked in. I won’t sugar-coat it it’s scary to start over in such a competitive field. But here’s what’s different: this time, I’m building something that excites me even when it’s hard. And I’d rather struggle in a field I chose than thrive in one that drained me.
Final Words:
If You’re Thinking of Making the Jump… Here’s what I’ve learned so far:
Leaving nursing was both the hardest and easiest choice I’ve ever made. Hard, because it meant facing failure and uncertainty. Easy, because deep down, I knew I could never keep pursuing a career that stole my peace. If you’re thinking of making your own leap, I hope my story reminds you: you’re not alone.
If you haven’t already, check out Part 1: Letting Go of the Life I Thought I Wanted, where I share the story of how I made the decision to leave nursing. And stay tuned for a bonus post: Unfiltered Thoughts on Leaving Nursing raw diary entries from my final year in the program.
I left nursing without ever working a single shift. Here’s how I found clarity, embraced uncertainty, and started a new path in tech.
Raw and unfiltered notes I wrote during Nursing school when I knew deep down this path wasn’t for me. If you feel stuck or unseen, you’re not alone.