Re: RN or Accupuncture?

I am so happy to have found this forum. I have been in this same dilemma for years. I have a degree in Biology and I love both western and eastern medicine, although I disagree with a lot of western med's treatment methods (ie. treating symptoms vs. the problem). Either way, I respect both styles of medicine! I would have launched full throttle into acupuncture school, but the debt and prospect of running my own business frightens me. I have been advised by multiple people to do nursing first (probably ADN), for all the obvious reasons already mentioned My biggest obstacle would be getting over all squeemishness though first!

What I want to know though is how do you incorporate the two fields? The only plan I know of would be to work as a nurse full time for a year or two and then go PRN while attending acu school, maintaining both a nursing job and a fledgling acu practice. Are there better ways?

I would love for this thread to be a formal group somewhere, so we can follow what each other is doing along the way...it can sometimes feel very isolating to be on the fringe of two medical worlds, especially one that is not fully accepted yet (it was just last weekend that my husband's brother, who is a doctor, warned me about the astragalus tincture i was taking )

Re: RN or Accupuncture?

Hi!

I understand the dilemma. After much debate between Western/Alternative medicine I decided the RN degree would provide the best professional foundation for my holistic work. I really want these methods of healing outside the western medical model to be available to everyone. Personally, I liked the idea of integrating from within hospital system.

I am also a certified massage therapist and volunteer with a hospital massage team. Please take a look at the Institute for Health and Healing program at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. It's an amazing and inspirational model for an integrated, team-approach to patient care (both inpatient and outpatient services). You can read the practitioner bios and see some examples of how others have blended alternative/CAM therapies with Western medicine.

http://www.cpmc.org/services/ihh/

They've been providing inpatient massage therapy for almost 30 years!!

Good luck on your path,