A questions for nurses

[Britt0822]

I am 22 years old, and I am considering a career in nursing. I have been thinking about it for a while now...and want to commit myself to helping people in need. I have been going back and forth between two professions, nursing and sonography. I was wondering if any of you had any advice as to which profession would be better, or if there are any nurses out there who also are registered sonographers. I had heard that some nursed get registered in sonography to broaden thier field. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Ari RN, BSN, RN]

Hi-Ya Britt:

First of all Welcome to All Nurses. It seems that you have your mind made up about nursing. It's an extremely rewarding profession. I wish you the best in which ever career you decide to enter. Good Luck!

[Agnus]

Nursing is a wide open field and offers many more opportunities. Sonography is very limited.

Supose at some point you need a change, maby some veriety. Maybe you relocate and can't find a sonographer job. (they are fewer) And that is what you are?

Nurses do so many things and hold so many different types of nursing jobs you will find something.

A sonographer is primairly a technician of limitied scope. Not so with nursing. If after you get your RN there is nothing stopping you from adding education in sonography to that. It is easier (I believe) to add on an ancillary skill and knowledge on to nursing education than the other way around.

[Britt0822]

Nursing is a wide open field and offers many more opportunities. Sonography is very limited.

Supose at some point you need a change, maby some veriety. Maybe you relocate and can't find a sonographer job. (they are fewer) And that is what you are?

Nurses do so many things and hold so many different types of nursing jobs you will find something.

A sonographer is primairly a technician of limitied scope. Not so with nursing. If after you get your RN there is nothing stopping you from adding education in sonography to that. It is easier (I believe) to add on an ancillary skill and knowledge on to nursing education than the other way around.

That makes sense....thank you so much for your advice....I think nursing is the way i am gonna go

[jad2]

That makes sense....thank you so much for your advice....I think nursing is the way i am gonna go

One way of checking out the profession is to read nursing journals. Better yet, attend an informational meeting at your college/university. Also, call your local hospital and ask to "shadow" a nurse in whatever field interests you. You may be denied access to some areas if you are not a nursing student, such as the ICU. Patients here are super sick and need one to one monitoring and the nurse may not have the time to offer any career advice.

I have met an RN who is also a Sonographer. She took a course somewhere and now works with an MD as a clinic RN and sonographer.

You can enroll in a sonographer program and start out in healthcare this way.

Or you can enroll in a CNA program, then LPN, then a 2 year RN program, and then work on your BSN part-time on weekends.

Or better yet enroll in an university and start your BSN right away.

I started as a nurse intern while in nursing school. I worked the night shift ...and did all the CNA stuff. I also hooked up with a wonderful RN who took me in, showed me how to prioritize, and was there when I needed encouragement. Let me tell you, this experience helps a lot when you start the clinical portion of the program. When I got my patient assignment(s) in the morning from my clinical professor, I was out the door and ready to begin. I knew what to do first, what to do second, etc... in other words I had an idea of how things worked in a hospital.

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you success.