From Engineering to Nursing: The Inspiring Career Pivot of a 60-Year-Old Apprentice
Nick Dowling, a 60-year-old former engineering and consultancy professional, is completing an apprenticeship to qualify as a registered nursing associate this autumn. Dowling transitioned from a career in change management to frontline healthcare, completing placements in psychiatric units, general practices, and urgent treatment centres.
Dowling’s current role involves shifts as long as 12 hours. He earns £14 an hour, a rate he says is lower than what he has earned in previous decades, according to the source.
Why did Nick Dowling transition from engineering to nursing?
The shift began during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. Dowling’s consultancy work moved online, and he says he “got bored quickly” talking to screens without receiving energy back.
While his professional work shifted online, his voluntary role as a first responder in West Sussex became more urgent. He provided support by delivering Covid tests, taking temperatures of ambulance crews, and running sustenance trucks.
His daughter, a cardiac physiologist, suggested he visit the NHS jobs website. This led him to apply for a healthcare assistant position with a team called responsive services.
How did past experience influence this career change?
Dowling’s interest in care started at age 21 during a summer in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He worked as a nurse’s aide on a “total care” dementia ward, where he fed patients and emptied bedpans.
Though he initially vowed not to return after the first shift due to distaste, a senior nurse persuaded him to stay. Dowling credits the level of care that nurse showed her patients as the reason he stayed for six months.
He later spent years in quality management and consultancy. He worked on major projects including London’s Crossrail, the Medupi power station in South Africa, and the civilianisation of the Northern Ireland police force.
What is the next step for Dowling’s healthcare career?
Dowling aims to qualify as a registered nursing associate this autumn. Once qualified, he hopes to maintain a career in the field for approximately seven years.
He views the move as a “circle closing,” connecting his current studies to the work he did as a 21-year-old in Massachusetts. Dowling states that he values learning and believes “learning and change are synonymous.”
His future trajectory may involve applying his background in neuroplasticity and wellbeing—concepts he used in his consultancy work—to his clinical practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Nick Dowling’s current professional goal?
He is undertaking an apprenticeship with the goal of qualifying as a registered nursing associate this autumn.
What previous industries did Dowling work in?
Dowling worked for decades in engineering and manufacturing, specifically in quality management, and later in leadership and change-management consultancy.
What placements has Dowling completed during his training?
His placements have included a general practice, a psychiatric unit, ward nursing, and urgent treatment centres.
How do you view the balance between professional salary and personal fulfillment in a late-career change?