Nursing or Physical Therapy

[Guynursestudent]

Hello All,

I am a current male nursing student in Canada. I have only been in the nursing program (RN) for 3 months and things have gone pretty good thus far. I have also been accepted into the physical therapy program (MPT) at my University. I am now stuck making a decision to stay in nursing or to begin physio. Do you have any advice?

[SteveNNP, MSN, NP]

Simply decide which you'd rather do! I started out as a pre PT student in college before switching to nursing. i'd worked as a rehab tech in an outpatient PT office and loved it. It was a 8-5 no weekend/holidays job. However, I found the sameness and repetition of the clientele left me wanting more. I now work 3 days a week, and have 4 to do what I want. I do have to work occasional weekends/holidays, but for me having a flexible schedule is worth it. I also would not have been able to practice as a PT until after at least 6 years of college, and that seemed too long for me.

[lindarn]

Hello All,

I am a current male nursing student in Canada. I have only been in the nursing program (RN) for 3 months and things have gone pretty good thus far. I have also been accepted into the physical therapy program (MPT) at my University. I am now stuck making a decision to stay in nursing or to begin physio. Do you have any advice?

Iwould say forget about nursing. From what I have heard in this listserve from Canadian nurses, it is not much better in Canada than in the US. PT has more men, and, at least here in the US, PTs, OTs, get paid MUCH better than nurses do, and have a much better quality if life.

I know that California nurses make more than PTs, and OTs, but that is because they are organized with CNA, who have won staffing ratios, better pay, benefts, and pensions. But, that is California. The rest of the country it is not nearly as good. Just read the threads on this listserve.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington