RN hopeful...Maybe

Sour Lemon · Aug 20, 2016

Hey guys! A little about myself first- I am currently in college planning on applying to dental hygiene school for fall of '17. What attracts me to dentistry is my love of helping others. I also like the day hours as well as having the weekends and holidays off. Recently my grandmother was put into the hospital for a small bowel obstruction. By the end of her stay I became curious about nursing. I would love to work in a doctor's office that would be a M-F 8-3 type job. Do those jobs exist for RNs? Also, is it likely that a student straight out of nursing school would land that job? If not, what type of job would a new RN most likely get? Thank you so so much for your advice, Brianna.

There are nurses who work in doctors' offices straight out of school, but those jobs are not necessarily plentiful. Most medical offices are staffed with medical assistants instead of nurses. And because the hours are regular, often with evenings, holidays and weekends off- the pay is usually lower than it would be in other settings.

The type of job a new graduate nurse is likely to get is very much influenced by location. In some areas, it's fairly easy to start in a number of desired specialties. In other areas, it's almost impossible to find any job.

Many new grads start out in med/surg hospital units, although there are plenty of other places to start out, as well.

cleback · Aug 20, 2016

There are also infusion, dialysis, and surgery centers that tend to have regular hours. However, they are kind of specialized, which may not be an option for a new grad.

Sage611 · Aug 20, 2016

I thought I'd chime in, since I'm a dental hygienist going to nursing school. One thing about dentistry that disillusioned me is that there is a lot of pressure for production (selling whitening trays, pushing cosmetic treatments, implementing periodontal therapies...whether or not it's entirely needed). Corporate dentistry is the worst. I genuinely wanted to help people. I felt like a crook. The morning huddle was deciding how we'd make more money throughout the day, setting goals for crowns and other interventions to "improve smiles." :no: The day is also very scheduled. The good thing about dental hygiene is that it's predictable and routine. Work week is usually 4 days, no weekends.

But, now after reading all these nursing comments, I'm starting to feel apprehensive about my new career choice. Good luck in whatever you decide to do!

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Aug 20, 2016

I thought I'd chime in, since I'm a dental hygienist going to nursing school. One thing about dentistry that disillusioned me is that there is a lot of pressure for production (selling whitening trays, pushing cosmetic treatments, implementing periodontal therapies...whether or not it's entirely needed). Corporate dentistry is the worst. I genuinely wanted to help people. I felt like a crook. The morning huddle was deciding how we'd make more money throughout the day, setting goals for crowns and other interventions to "improve smiles." The day is also very scheduled. The good thing about dental hygiene is that it's predictable and routine. Work week is usually 4 days, no weekends.
But, now after reading all these nursing comments, I'm starting to feel apprehensive about my new career choice. Good luck in whatever you decide to do!

No no dentist I have ever been to has tried to sell me anything. Maybe you've been in the wrong places. I've always had awesome dentists. The hygienists have always just cleaned and checked my teeth out. They have never tried to sell me a thing.

Ive seen you make this comment a couple if times and I just wanted to tell you it's not like that everywhere. Most dentists are not corporate owned these days, yet. I'm sure that day may come. You just need to find the right fit when finding an employer.

You have to understand also that medicine can be partly business driven. After all, when it comes down to it, it is a business and they have to make money to survive. Hospitals can't stay open if they can't pay their employees. Money is what makes the world go round. It's why you have to work. You have to pay your bills. Well, it's the same in all aspects of the medical field. Whether it's a dentist or a hospital, or a doctor's office, they have bills to pay, money to make.

Sage611 · Aug 20, 2016

No no dentist I have ever been to has tried to sell me anything. Maybe you've been in the wrong places. I've always had awesome dentists. The hygienists have always just cleaned and checked my teeth out. They have never tried to sell me a thing.
Ive seen you make this comment a couple if times and I just wanted to tell you it's not like that everywhere. Most dentists are not corporate owned these days, yet. I'm sure that day may come. You just need to find the right fit when finding an employer.
You have to understand also that medicine can be partly business driven. After all, when it comes down to it, it is a business and they have to make money to survive. Hospitals can't stay open if they can't pay their employees. Money is what makes the world go round. It's why you have to work. You have to pay your bills. Well, it's the same in all aspects of the medical field. Whether it's a dentist or a hospital, or a doctor's office, they have bills to pay, money to make.

Yes, I see your point. I have actually worked for honest dentists. You would not know you're being sold to. Case in point: dentists get referral fees from specialists. I had patients who were referred to orthodontists when they had periodontal disease. Ortho alignment can exacerbate a periodontal condition, worsen it. Patients have had to extract loose teeth because of it. Cosmetic dentistry is huge business. It is subjective...not objective. I have seen dentists with dollar signs in their eyes, when a patient expresses an insecurity. I am about health. If the person is insistent on correcting something they don't like, I tell them their options and benefits/ramifications of each. I have seen dentists push harder for things when production is low. There are always exceptions, of course. But at the end of the day, it's about money, not the patient. I know for a fact doctors have to meet quotas for hospitals. They used to tell me that, as dental patients. But... nurses aren't billable providers.

Sage611 · Aug 20, 2016

There are also hygienists who work on commission. I was never one of those hygienists. But I believe commission should never be in a healthcare setting. Just my opinion.