Looking for some advice before making a mistake.

advsmuch08 · Sep 1, 2016

Some things to look into may be a physical therapy, exercise physiology, or cardiac rehab.

italianlifter · Sep 2, 2016

Hello Advsmuch08, I hope I do not sound rude when I say this but I have actually looked into those fields and from my view I just don't see the worth and reason to go into those careers right now. I don't see how spending all the money to get the degree will be worth it. Thank you for your advice. It is really appreciated

llg, PhD, RN · Sep 2, 2016

Hello Advsmuch08, I hope I do not sound rude when I say this but I have actually looked into those fields and from my view I just don't see the worth and reason to go into those careers right now. I don't see how spending all the money to get the degree will be worth it. Thank you for your advice. It is really appreciated

There is a certain amount of truth in the old saying, "You get what you pay for." In order to have a great career that fulfills your dreams, most people have to make an investment -- money, time, energy, etc. If you are not willing to make much of an investment in your career, you can't expect to have many good options.

If it's "not worth it to you" to have any of the careers you can think of ... then you'll just have to settle for whatever is left. I truly hope you can find something easy and cheap and doesn't take much effort on your part that will suit you.

Maybe you should seek something in the fitness industry. That seems to be your only real interest.

evastone, BSN, RN · Sep 2, 2016

You hit it right on the nail IIg! You want a good career with decent pay, you have to pay for it. I went to a private college and accrued about $90,000 in debt. I have been paying for it for a few years and will continue to pay for it for at least another 6 years.

That being said, I make over $80,000 a year and only pay $1000 a month in loans. I chose how much I wanted to pay at a time. If I was single and still living with my parents it would probably only take a couple of years to pay it off. I have had coworkers that have done this.

When I am ready to get my masters my workplace will pay for it. Most hospitals will pay for advancement in education.

If you don't like giving bedbaths, there are many other options you could choose in nursing. There's psych, ambulatory surgery, pre-op testing, case management...the list goes on.

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Sep 2, 2016

I feel like you're choosing your career based on ease of schooling. I'm not sure that's the best approach.

If you like helping people in an EMS setting, why not become a paramedic? Or start working at a gym and get a degree in business and work your way up?

There's no fast track to a good income and stability. You have to work for it.

italianlifter · Sep 2, 2016

Hello leg,

I wanna first start off by saying I appreciate you being honest and I agree with everything you said. I do wanna explain to you that I think you have misunderstood me about "looking for the easy way out." I'm certainly not looking for the easy way out by any means. What I mean by not worth it is im more worried about making a bad descsion. I'm more worried about going into all that debt that I end up not being able to pay it all back and receiving bad credit. Im not a cocky person by any means when I say I am very good with money and using my money. Just makes me very nervous seeing that I can end up in 100-150k grand debt for a 90k degree. That just makes me fairly nervous. I have no problem putting in the hardwork for something as long as it will be worth it. That does not make me lazy or a person looking for the easy way out.

italianlifter · Sep 2, 2016

Hello Itsthatjengirl.

With all due respect my whole point of becoming a nurse is to not become a paramedic. I don't wanna be a paramedic and I do not wanna be in the fire service anymore. I hate it honestly and everyday I get sick coming into work breathing in all this dust and crap. It's hurting my lungs and 20 years from now I can see myself with lung cancer and I just don't want that for me. I want a rewarding career and that's why I was looking into nurse.

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Sep 2, 2016

Hello Itsthatjengirl.
With all due respect my whole point of becoming a nurse is to not become a paramedic. I don't wanna be a paramedic and I do not wanna be in the fire service anymore. I hate it honestly and everyday I get sick coming into work breathing in all this dust and crap. It's hurting my lungs and 20 years from now I can see myself with lung cancer and I just don't want that for me. I want a rewarding career and that's why I was looking into nurse.

Paramedics aren't firefighters around here. They may be housed in a fire station, but they don't run into fires.

You don't want to work long shifts because you don't want your job to cut into your workouts. You don't like bathing or pee. You're worried about debt.

Have you even looked into what nursing school costs? What being a nurse entails? What nursing schedules in your area even look like? The demand for nurses? Scope of practice?

You want a rewarding career, that pays well and meets your (slightly ridiculous) standards, that has a cheap degree. And you want people on the internet, that don't know you at all to tell you what to do.

Good luck with all that.

llg, PhD, RN · Sep 2, 2016

italianlifter,

I'll take you at your word that you are not just looking for an easy route -- that you are primarily concerned about debt.

There is no need to go $100K or more into debt for the possible careers that have been mentioned in this thread. Most people entering such careers have no where near that amount of debt. You can avoid it if you are smart about your schooling. Do some solid research on the possibilities for financial aid, for going to school part time for the a while so that you can work while in school, etc. Most people find some option that works for them.

For nursing, some people start with an inexpensive ADN at a Community College -- then take advantage of employers' tuition reimbursement programs to get their BSN and any graduate degrees they want. I've seen Physical Therapists and Pharmacists do the same thing -- start out by being an assistant (that requires much less education) -- then get more education to reach higher levels with the help of their employers.

If you are living with your parents now and working, you should be able to save lots of money to help with your initial education. If not, look closely at your budget and start slashing. Get that first piece of education towards whatever career appeals to you most ... and then move up the ladder with employer help.

But seriously, look at the fitness industry. That seems to be your passion, not healthcare. Go where your passion is.

Extra Pickles · Sep 2, 2016

first, please PLEASE please stop saying wanna. It isn't a word. Thanks.

Here's what you need to know. there are several areas of nursing that will fit into your ideal model but the problem is you can't get one of those jobs without having the kind of experience that makes you a good candidate for the jobs. Before thinking about the years of experience you will need to get the kind of job you are hoping to get one day you will still have to get through years of nursing school in which you will deal with baths and pee and poop and vomit. You will be working and studying some crazy long hours and you will miss time in the gym. It will not only cut into your gym time but it will eliminate it sometimes, there will be days you cannot go period. Sometimes you can go all day and sometimes you will go a day or two or three and you won't have stepped near a stack of weights. Are you going to be ok with that?

You said there are parts of nursing that don't interest you and I understand that but I hope you understand that you will be doing all kinds of things that don't interest you, the list won't stop at bathing and pee trust me! But it won't matter, you have to not only do what doesn't interest you, you have to do it very well or you won't graduate.

Higher education is an investment. You can look into programs that are more cost effective and of course it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg but you really can't expect it will be cheap! Look into what grants or scholarships you might qualify for and that will help.

You are choosing your career path based on the cost and what other people tell you is and isn't Worth it. Not the way to choose a career. You choose something you have a high interest in and believe you will be very good at doing.

There are 3 words to consider when choosing a career option, Cheap, Fast, Good.

You can have two of those things, but not all three.

If your education is cheap and fast, it's not good.

If it's fast and good, it's not cheap.

If it's cheap and good, it's not fast.

Your user ID says a lot about you, it was a personal ID you chose for yourself. Notice it doesn't say anything that makes us think Nurse in any way?

BonnieSc · Sep 2, 2016

PA actually does sound like it might be a good career for you. Lots of projected growth, and your salary should pay back for your degree. Typical nurses' hours are great for some people because we only work three days a week, but most people, as you suspected, can't work out on those three days (though many manage it on one or two of the three anyway!). There are lots of opportunities for a variety of schedules in nursing, though. Same with PA.

PAs are unlikely to have to deal with the personal-care aspects of the medical field you say you aren't interested in. Maybe you can find some PAs to talk to or even shadow. Also, explore what programs are available in your area. Many are intended for people like you with some experience in the medical field but no professional degree.

Honestly, I applaud this poster for knowing what he wants and being upfront about it. We're often critical around here of people who spend more than they can afford for their nursing degrees, or come to nursing after having spent too much for their previous degrees. Here's someone who knows he doesn't want to get into that situation, so, good. And honestly, the men I've known who have dropped out of nursing school, it's been because they were swayed by some of the exciting things they'd heard about the career and had had the personal care aspects of the job (at least while in school) underemphasized to them. They were miserable. Some people aren't cut out for that and it's okay.