thinking of dropping out of RN program for Radiologic Technology

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I am a first year RN student thinking of dropping out of RN program to continue my original degree in Radiologic Technology which to be honest I felt was much easier and less stressful but still not easy if you get what im saying. And I would want to pursue a B.S and get an MRI and CT certification which is a boost....I switched to Nursing thinking i would love it more and thought it'd be better to have the oppurtunity to have total 100% job security and complete flexibility to work in different fields...and i also was nieve and though oh man this wont be any harder than rad tech.........how wrong, and nieve i was?!

I know after a semester of nursing, I made a mistake.... I am not cut out for Nursing, and my achilles heel mainly is the exam questions,

I simply suck at them, and i do literarly everything possible: read, study, study more, and study until im dead....and despite all my efforts of studying literarly 40+ hours a week...its frustrating to do all that work and get C's which yes I know thats how RN school works lol, and its brutal and rigorus, nursing school is truely survival of the fittest and I know im just not cut out for the rigors of nursing, and the stress of being on the front line. ..... People often tell me that Rad Tech is while still hard, no where near even as hard as RN school..........

So anyone think im making a potential mistake????

BTW after two rotations so far of clinical: Med Surg and Ob; i just gotta say for the record, I now have all the respect in the F'n world for RN's and why the hell arent you guys making more?? I mean your only responsible for every single aspect of a patients life at bedside from medically to psychosocially.

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Do what you think will make you happy most and you can see yourself doing for many years. Radiology Tech is a very respectable profession.

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Specializes in ICU.

Where I live (Texas) Rad tech jobs are few an far between, a friend I know who graduated rad tech school the same time I graduated RN is now waiting tables.

FYI if exam questions are the issue, that does not mean you are not cut out for nursing.

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

If you don't love it your don't love it. Why force it?

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The exam questions are my main achillies heel.... I have no hope for myself that i will make through 3 more semesters of theory.....and yeah Mike, actually its funny cause thats what kind of made me change to nursing: job security.... there are jobs for Radiologic Tech, but you need your certifications to make you marketable and its not as easy to find a job as nursing. Actually thats an understatement..... I do like nursing, the clinicals and field stuff, but like I said I really just suck at those exams, im horrendus at them, my grades through 4 exams were 74,76,84,84 and no matter how hard i study, I end up with the same grades no matter what I do, and believe me ive tried everything.......and I feel like at my current school, the nasty unhelpful instructors and the loads of reading required, which im also having much difficulty with, I dont think im gonna make it past the first level, but of course in nursing school, for the graduated and current working nurses.....thats what everyone dealt with, and made it through.... and thats why i think im not cut out for it, cause i doubt i will make it through, other people are doing it and well....im struggling along and barely know what im doing....I just dont want to make a mistake that im turning my back on an oppurtunity lots of people would love to have.

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Where I live (Texas) Rad tech jobs are few an far between, a friend I know who graduated rad tech school the same time I graduated RN is now waiting tables.

"FYI if exam questions are the issue, that does not mean you are not cut out for nursing.

"

I appreciate you saying that btw, thats a really nice encouraging thing to say

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Taking tests is a skill and nursing exams are a little different because they are preparing you for the types of questions seen on the NCLEX.

A good way to get better as with anything else is to practice. It may seem a little early, but I highly suggest purchasing some NCLEX review books. The books come with suggestions for answering these types of questions and are divided into sections to correspond with what you are currently studying. Practice the NCLEX review questions as part of your regular routine. It will help you get better at test taking and reinforce content.

One of my professors suggested this to me when I was in nursing school. Myself and many others in my class found it to be really helpful. Plus we all passed the NCLEX on the first try with the minimum questions because we had lots of practice.

Good luck with whatever path you choose!

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Specializes in Rehab, critical care.

I love being a nurse, but yes, it can really suck sometimes lol, but most days are rewarding, and that's why we keep doing it. Well, that, and we have to eat, and have a place to sleep lol. Every patient needs a nurse to take care of them, but there are some patients that you'd really wish you weren't assigned, like the one trying to kick you, crawl out of the bed lol. You can fight tooth and nail for a patient, but at the end of the day, the physicians still have the final word, some of which you have to coach through an order (and why your call is applicable to your patient's health lol). I also am just feeling a bit cynical at the moment (when I'm typically optimistic). I do love being at the front line b/c I get to actually see patient's progress, help them in direct care, advocate for them (which is very, very important) because no one else is doing this but the nurse. Yes, the physicians care, but there are both good, very knowledgeable physicians, and not so good ones.

I think I heard that Rad tech was a growing field economically, so a good career choice? Check me on that, but I thought I heard that a few years back. Yes, that will be much less stressful than nursing lol, and you'll still get to interact with patients. I say that if you like it, and it's a growing field, then go for it. Best of luck!! :)

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Specializes in ICU.

To the OP, i dont actually think your test grades are that bad, the program i went to i think most were just getting by. First semester i hated the most, everything became a more systematic approach onc we started studying specific diseases/drugs. Id say keep it up, if you couldnt imagine yourself doing the job/hating the experience, thatd be your real indicator of leaving the field. I met my fiance in school and she was extremely hard on herself, very similiar to you. I constantly reminded her she was fine and convinced her not to quit, an now she is a great nurse.

An to note to a previous poster, i agree start taking a look at nclex material now.

An in regards to nursing school tests, we all agree the tricky crap they do is BS, we all had to play the game an we all have had those hateful instructors...i did my best to keep my head down and not cause any disturbances and that worked out ok:p. Feel free to pm me an we can talk more.

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You will be working for a long time, if nursing is not a good match for

you, return to Radiology. Sounds like you have a good plan to

get certifications in MRI and CT . You are also seeing nursing at a

time when there have been many changes in healthcare (staffing etc)

so it is a different environment than years ago. If you stay with nursing,

I agree look at the NCLEX review books.........

Good luck to you! Best wishes on whichever path you decide!

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"

I appreciate you saying that btw, thats a really nice encouraging thing to say

lol... reality sucks sometimes. Im just going to add that radiology jobs are very scarce right now. I work with people that have plenty of unemployed rad tech friends.

And if you think your grades suck....talk to your fellow classmates. Im sure their grades are the same. First semester is hard because you have to learn the application of knowledge...not just memorize.

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