Allied health

direw0lf, BSN · Oct 18, 2015

I was going to choose an allied health profession. Either medical scientist or sonographer.. especially pediatric or neuro. It wasn't what I really wanted to do though. With all due respect why would you listen to other people if you know what you want to do?

I also wanted to be an environmental chemist almost as much as a nurse. It really has to be a personal decision. I think it's normal to have more than one career in your mind.

Edit: I'm not a nurse btw I'm a student but I visited colleges and learned about allied health and got to speak to a respiratory therapist. Many feel happy and rewarded in their allied health career. I see many nurses on this forum alone saying that nursing is not glamorous so don't choose it if you think it will be.

RainaLuzon · Oct 21, 2015

I was in the process of taking pre-requisites for Occupational Therapy before I switched to nursing. I know people who are both, and I can definitely say that, hands down, OT's that *I* know are MUCH happier than the nurses I know. I was strongly drawn to OT for a couple of reasons:

1.) For the most part, OT's tend to work 9-5 type jobs, M-F. They don't tend to work holidays, either.

2.) More one on one time with patients, and case loads that aren't as insane as nurses. 5 patients per nurse may not seem like a lot, but according to studies, nurses should have no more than two, at max three, patients in order to successfully care for them all. Hospitals don't seem to have gotten the memo!

3.) Less bodily fluid contact, but certainly not eliminated entirely.

4.) After shadowing both, OT seemed to be a lot easier on the body.

5.) It requires a masters degree, and programs can get pretty darn competitive. This keeps them in demand so that there isn't a huge over saturation, which is happening for nursing.

Despite this, I ultimately decided to try for an Accelerated BSN program because of THESE reasons:

1.) Cost. For me, it makes more financial sense to just get another bachelor's degree. It would take me quite a bit of time (another 4 years or so) to get a Masters because of pre-requisites and all of the shadowing required. Then after all of the debt incurred, I would have a much slower return on investment. Now that I'm on the other side of 25, I'm also kind of fighting against my biological clock etc. Husband and I want to have a child by at least 34, but have our finances in order and time before to be selfish etc.

2.) Much more opportunities in Nursing. After your first year or two, the world is your oyster. There are so, so so sososososo many avenues to go into with nursing. OT is arguably more limited.

3.) Upward mobility. I would love love love to be a psychiatric nurse practitioner. I love psychiatry and helping those with mental illnesses. the salary can top out at 6 figures, which can help tremendously with paying off student loan debt, traveling, and giving back to the community which is important to me.

4.) I'm fond of disease processes and the human body! I loved my A&P class.

5.) The 3 day a week nursing schedule. I know, I know. I mentioned OT's work schedules as being a positive, but here's the thing about working 3 days a week. Being off on WEEKDAYS. Being able to get groceries, go out to eat, get a pedicure, go to the doctor, the dentist, etc on the weekday is DIVINE. I worked a job where my schedule was three 12 hour days friday-Sunday, and I hated it at first. But I honestly prefer it now after going back to a M-F job. I never realized how much more time I had.

My advice to you would be to decide what is most important to you in your life, and how your career will help you foster that. Is it financial security? Being able to travel? A sense of fulfillment?

I'll tell you right now that you're making an excellent decision in getting into the healthcare field regardless of what you want to do. I'll be 26 in december, and If I could go back to that naive 21 year old in college majoring in psychology I'd bop her on the head. I learned so much, but bachelor's degrees in the social sciences or humanities amount to $11 an hour salaries, and grad degrees in these areas will keep you in debt forever :banghead: