[jollyjenny]

This has been an ongoing struggle for me for years and years! I had finally decided that nursing was what I wanted to do, until a local college decided to start a new radiologic technologist program. The first class starts in the fall, and I just got accepted into that program and the LVN program. My plans WERE to complete the LVN program, then do the LVN-RN bridge program, then get my BSN, and who knows what after that. But another passion of mine has been sonography, in which case I would become a radiologic technologist and then become a certified sonographer-which would all take the same amount of time it would to get my BSN.

I know there are many opportunities in nursing, but I would also like to know what the working conditions are for nurses vs. sonographers or RTs, what the pay difference is, etc. I think sonographers have more regular working schedules-no nights, weekends, etc. I desperately need advice! I need to choose soon.

Thanks!

[GingerSue]

what are you wishes about working nights or weekends?

can the educational facility tell you about pay differences?

[andre]

That's tough. The main reason I chose nursing over another medical field I had been considering was that flexibility. I started out in telemetry, transferred briefly to oncology, and am now starting out in hospice. At some point, if I want to do telephone triage, case management, office nursing, ICU nursing, whatever--I can! THAT is the beauty of nursing for me.

Yes, I put in my dues of nights/weekends/holidays, but my current job has very limited night/weekend call (because they have a great on call team), paid holidays, and I work 8-430, 4 days a week--per my choice! You aren't forever relegated to 12 hour nights as an RN either.

I say, follow your heart or your gut....the hours will fall into place.

[momma&nurse2B]

My close friend is an RT, and she loves her job (she works in a cancer center administering radiation therapy to cancer patients. Where we live, this required additional schooling after she graduated from her RT program). However, she is now considering going into another in healthcare. She seemd to indicate that there were not a lot of options for her within her field. I also know a guy who works in this field, and although he also likes his job, he is considering going to med school. These two seem happy with their jobs and said they love the patient care aspect of their jobs, but for whatever reason, they don't seem to want to stay in this field long term.

Oh, and my cousin recently married a guy that has worked as an RT for several years, but he has now returned to school to prepare for law school. Go figure.

Best of luck with your decision!

[JaxiaKiley]

I went between the same two careers. In the end, I decided on nursing because of the opportunities and long term options.

Best of luck to you!

[ann945n]

I really dont have much advie to you but I just wanted to say how lucky you are to have this dilemma, two great career choices just waiting for you at your finger tips. Good luck

[RTstudent]

i thought you were talking about Respiratory Therapy, same initials RT.

I would go for nursing , I just got accepted to a respiraory therapy program and I am going in it just because i have to wait 3 years if I want to do nursing