Career Advice

[MichiganChris]

This is probably a weird question to ask, but... I am considering going to school to get my BSN, but I'm not really interested in being a bedside nurse. The idea of going from bed to bed checking on people, administering medication, etc... doesn't excite me (sorry if thats generalizing).

I am much more interested in something along the lines of a Surgical Assistant, maybe CRNA down the road, I'm also interested in MRI, ultrasound tech and other "diagnostic type" positions. I realise those are different degrees, but my dilema is that I already have my first 2 years of college (general education) completed, so in another 2 years, I could have a BSN or an associates degree in radiology. And although I'm interested in radiology, I feel like I would be wasting the time and money I already spent. In addition, I feel like a BSN would give me many more opportunies down the road.

Any opinions on what would be the better choice for someone not interested in bedside nursing? What are some positions available for a BSN that don't require bedside nursing?

I appreciate any help and advice.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Chris,

If you are not interested in being a nurse, you should not waste your time struggling to get in to nursing school. It isn't an easy task. You would undoubtedly be better off moving in another direction. FYI, you cannot become a CRNA without significant critical care bedside nursing experience.

Any nursing specialization will require gaining experience in a patient care setting first. You can't just leapfrog into an advanced degree/role without any experience. These are graduate-level educational programs that are not designed for inexperienced nurses - clinical competency is a pre-requisite.

What about just moving into an OR tech role? I know that some of the Radiology subspecialties are really hot right now, like Sonography. Depending on your area of the country, you may also want to look into perfusion tech training - they run circulatory assist devices in the OR. If you have a knack for the basic sciences & the GPA to show for it, you may want to look into PT or OT. Those are well paid professions without the 'drudgery' of bedside care that you want to avoid.