NEED ADVICE - Nursing or Teaching???

[Jame]

Hi,

I'm hoping to get some advice. I recently graduated w/my BS in Sociology. I'm not sure what I want to do - Nursing or Teaching. My options are to go onto Grad school and get my MS in elementary ed. or go to a comm. college to get my Assoc. in Nursing (RN). I'm not sure if I did choose nursing and get my Assoc., would I eventually have to go on and get my BSN??

ANY advice or thoughts would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thank you!!!

[Katnip, RN]

As a nurse you may or may not make more money. I know a lot of teachers and they were required to obtain Master's degrees. At their own expense. It depends on the state and shool district you work in.

As a nurse, at least bedside nursing, you will work holidays and weekends. Teachers get most of those off.

Both professions are difficult, have to deal with often noncompliant "customers" and often uncaring administrations.

Nurses hold lives in their hands-literally. Teachers hold children's futures in their hands.

It all depends on what you want to do. Which profession tugs at your heart the most?

~Kat

PS-I also know many teachers who use their degrees in other industries with no further education. Some industries require any degree, it does not have to be specific.

[tencat]

Most public school teachers have great benefit plans, including generous tuition reimbursement plans and pension plans that most people fail to notice when they are comparing the two.

Her graduate school was 100% reimbursed by the school district. She never had more than $10 deducted from a pay check for health insurance. She was also able to retire at age 51 with 60% of her maximum salary guaranteed for life with annual increases for inflation. Had she chosen to work for 5 more years, she would have been guaranteed 80% of her highest salary.

llg

Boy, what planet was that???? :chuckle I've taught in several states, and I have never seen a district that paid its teachers that well. I paid $300 a month for health insurance when I was a teacher. Reimbursement money for graduate school? I was expected to get extra credits at my expense. I see that your sister was retired. She probably came on board with teaching when things were a lot better, like the 1970's or 1980's? I'm sure that most school districts in the US now do not offer any of these perks that they used to. Retirement is probably better than nursing, I'll give teaching that. But I agree with you that someone should do whatever their heart tells them they need to be doing. Some people are born teachers, my husband being one of them. It is important work that changes people's lives.

[SFCardiacRN]

As an ASN, I have to recommend BSN. Though pay is the same, a BSN will open doors not available to ASN/ADN.