Respiratory therapy vs. Nursing

U.S.A. Alabama

Published

Hey you guys. I'm in quite a confused state. Recently I've looked into respitory therapy to offset having to wait to get in a rn program. Can anyone tell me if this would be a right move? Wallace has a program and a advisor looked over my stiff and said I had a very good app to he considered for the program. It's not as competitive Yo get into which really makes me more interested in it. I'm open to any views/opinions. The start off pay seems to be about the same and it seems like I would get the people interaction I would get in nursing which is also a plus!

Specializes in Trauma.

I have the same decision to make. After spending 8 years as a Navy Corpsman I have applied to the RT program at UAB, the RN program at UAB, Wallace State, and Bevill State. I got my acceptance email for UAB's RT program a couple weeks ago. Will know about my RN apps in next few weeks. I feel pretty confident I will be accepted by at least one of the RN programs. I have searched the Birmingham hospital websites and found very few (6-7) RT jobs posted. I have friends that have graduated RN school and have trouble getting jobs. I am an older student and cannot afford to work 3-5 years as an RT before making enough money to support myself and my son. I have seen where the starting RT pay, if you can get a job, is only about $0.50 an hour less than RN, but the RN pay greatly outpaces the RRT pay over time. I am just not sure which will benefit us more, a BS in RT or an ADN, then pick up the BSN through a mobility program.

Unfortunately I do not know an RT that will give me a no BS assessment of the RT opportunities.

Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

hm, i will , the respiratory market appears very saturated in the south, jobs i see are usually only prn, part time, i see for more RN jobs.........I would advise the RN first approach.i am both a RRT & RN also :sarcastic:

Specializes in Trauma.

After meeting and talking to an RT I decided to go to school for RN. What I learned was there was little advancement opportunities as an RT. With a BS in RT you may one day become a supervisor. Other than that you stagnate where you are. At least with nursing I can advance to a NP or CRNA, or RNFA, among others. This was the best choice for me and my future.

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