Would you choose nursing again or another health profession?

Nurses Career Support

Published

Would you choose nursing again or another health profession such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, pharmacy, radiology tech, etc.?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in geriatrics.

I would choose to be an RD (dietician) or an OT. Less stress, better hours, more money, and the job market isn't saturated because the numbers accepted to these programs are much lower than nursing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

No I honestly I would not. I would have completed undergrad in Biology and gone to a PA program. Many will not agree but it's my personal opinion. I graduate with my DNP in May because I never found a unit that I liked working on. Nursing has become more about patient satisfaction & to hell with providing quality nursing care. As long as 107 got a fluffed pillow and pain mess Q2 then you're good[emoji107]

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in PCCN.

At this time, absolutely another profession. Am actually toying with the idea of Echo cardiogram technician school.Spoke to one of our echo techs at length.One more year of schooling, and I would make what I make now as a nurse. WAYYYYYYYY less harassment. Yes, can be stressful , as there is on call, working with cardiologists, etc, but none of this customer service baloney ( well, I mean the excessive)and you are done with the pt when the test is done.

Sounds win win to me.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I have been a RN since 2008. I make great money and have great hours. I'm in leadership and am able to impact change. But, I'm not satisfied in my career, I feel stagnate. If I could do it again I would go for a terminal degree like pharmD or MD. Nursings career ladder is much more complex, the straight path would have been more satisfying.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks for the responses so far! I'd probably choose OT or SLP if I chose again. Those careers seem less stressful.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I would have taken the risk, sucked it up and gone to med school. I ended up completing all of the pre-med courses anyway.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med Surg.

Nursing is my second profession.

I dig it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospice.

Love my job!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

If there were an AllPhysicalTherapists, AllOccupationalTherapist, AllPharmacists website you would find people whinging there about the work conditions, boss, workload, etc. The grass is never greener on the other side. I've seen people whinge about having a boring but simple job at a desk. People want to have goals and some level of challenge. The problem is that we all have to squeeze each other in the game of being cost efficient.

What I don't particularly like is doing unpaid work in my own time. School Teachers do this all the time. Life is too short for that.

Most of the allied jobs the OP posted are small in employment size in comparison to nursing. That's why you always hear of people from say a trained psychologist go back to school to become a nurse. It's one thing to be trained, it's another to be employed.

I liked my time as a can kicking CNA.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I would have gone direct entry NP if they had it then. Bypass in the trench nursing to be quasi-physician.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I love being a nurse. I was a paramedic before I went to nursing school and never regretted it in my 20 years as a nurse. But I have not sat on one job forever. For once I moved several times with my husband and I also got the idea that if the job is not meeting my needs or is not compatible with my life I need to move on and find something else. My resume has some short term employments on the list but I believe in moving on if a job is truly not good for me.

I am happy as a nurse, I am in graduate school for my MSN but I will not become a NP (I never felt the urge to become one to begin with).

Recently I went to talk to Highschool students about careers in nursing and they asked me about all the different careers in healthcare.

Nursing has changed as a career over the last 20 something years and I believe it will continue to change. The role of a nurse has changed somewhat as well with a lot of more emphasize on documenting and EB assessments and such. Jobs in acute care hospitals can be very stressful but there are so many different options for nurses.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment