career change to nursing the right choice?

Miss Mab, thanks for the great post. I never really understood how much nurses are required to learn in nursing school, and it flat-out took me by surprise. However, I got through it, and I am still learning so much now in the ICU. It really is the hardest thing I have ever done. I think the whole AF thing will be awesome, and combining your two experiences would be great. Anyway, good luck with everything, and thanks again for your input.

Thanks for the input CRNA2BKY. Do you miss flying? Do you ever consider getting into corporate? I think I am going to check into Respiratory Therapy. What do you know about that career as far as pay, workload, fulfilling, looked upon?? I'm thinking about getting into RT whil the aviation industry gets sorted out and they finally pilots get the pay and QOL we deserve. Sometimes I hate that I have a passion for flying..it's like a drug addiction. You know it's an unstable lifestyle, but you just love it haha. Well thanks a lot

Respiratory therapy is a good career too. I know that there are excellent RT's where I work, and they do an incredible job. I had to follow one for a day last week, and it was her day to carry the trauma center beeper. Everytime she got beeped, we had to rush to the trauma center. She was incredible working with the difficult airways and keeping people's airways secure and well ventilated. I really admired the job she did. Funny, I also met another RT that she works with, and he fly's for fun. He built himself a Europa experimental aircraft, and we talked a lot about flying. He says he and his wife fly all over the country whenever they get some vacation time. I thought that was pretty cool. Anyway, back to RT. I think it would be a good career too. I know there are not as many jobs out there for RT's as there are nurses, and I'm not quite sure what the pay is like.
I do miss flying, and I'm always reading all the aviation magazines I pick up at the bookstore. I also miss teaching flying a lot too, and so I keep my CFI license current. I met a doctor a couple of months ago, and she said her very best friend was a nurse anesthetist, and makes $300,000 a year. Once I heard that, I was pretty happy because I really want to buy my own plane and use it both for teaching, and to travel around the country covering other nurse anesthetists for a week or two at a time. So hopefully, I can do nursing and aviation together in the not-too-distant future. That's the plan anyway.

Wow that is unbelievable that a nurse can make that type of money! Well it sounds like you have a pretty good plan for yourself. I magine I will probably only fly for recreation..maybe instruct here and there because lately I seem to really enjoy flying most when i am teaching someone or taking someone along for the first time and I get to feed off their excitement. Is it possible to become a nurse anesthetists after getting your BSN without working as a regualr RN first? Also what do y ou have to do to become a nurse anesthetist? Thanks for your time and help!

yeah, the $300,000 was pretty high (not the highest i've heard though), but there are lots of starting salaries around $190,000. you would first have to get your Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN), either through a regular program or an accelerated program (ABSN). Then you have to work for at least a year in an ICU, take the GRE, and then apply to CRNA school. Some schools will let you apply before you have 1 year experience in the ICU, as long as you will have at least a year before you start their program. Some schools recommend 2 years of ICU expereince, but as a general rule, the 1 year requirement is common. Most CRNA programs run about 27 months, give or take a couple months. The ICU experience can be in a variety of ICU's (such as medical icu, surgical icu, neur icu, etc.), however most programs require it to be in an adult icu setting, not a pediatric icu. a few schools do allow pediatric icu experience though. Anyway, hope this helps.

Oh sure...that's why there are no more peanuts in coach...the folks in the cockpit are taking them all!!!

HAHAHA...just couldn't resist! Pilots Rock!

It is intersting to hear from the pilots changing careers. When I got out of the Navy over 5 years ago I was sure I wanted to be a commercial pilot. I had dreamed of it all my life. I got a job that would allow me to work on the ratings pretty hard and was trucking through. Finished my Private and was building time for instrument when one day it hit me, man you pilots live a rough life. I love the view out the window but my god I was making a 6 figure income. I decided I would treat work as a job and just go where the money was. I staid with my 6 figure job and have been one big ball of grumpy almost ever since. Actually it probably got bad when I sold my little C150 as it was no longer a training item but a pure toy.

Finally the economy took a nose dive and I am making about 60% of last years income. I decided we can live on less money and I love the part time work I do as an EMT. So here I am. 9 days from leaving my company to hit school full time.

I too hope that I can someday get into an advanced practice area and make some money again. I'd love to get back to flying someday but I want it to be in something a bit more substantial than a 150.