This is my first post, so here it goes! I have been looking on this site for awhile now, and decided to join. It seems that so many people are helpful on here! Im 26 years old, and I have been working as a CNA for 7.5 years. I work with Alzheimer's patients and I love my job, but I cant live off of 11.52 an hour. I have a serious boyfriend and we have been together for 5 years. I want to have children soon, but we have to be more financially stable. I wanted to be a nurse, but I don't want to have children while Im in school, and I would have to get my BSN to have a job in my area. I want to get a degree in something less stressful as well, I was thinking maybe OTA, speech pathology, etc. I have been researching careers in the medical field, but Im sure there are a lot that I have no idea about. If anyone is a OTA I would love to know about the schooling, if you like your job, career outlook etc. I have tons of thoughts running through my head right now so Im sure I will post more questions. I know its my fault for not going to nursing school right out of high school, because now I feel so stuck. I would like 2 children by the time Im 30 (hopefully) and if I peruse BSN I wont have children for a while.
We don't know what it is like to go to any school except nursing school since this is a nursing forum. I would think that any "assistant" job would be less than an RN program but I have no real knowledge. Do they make that much more than you currently make? Again, I am totally clueless to what other professions make and what their job market really looks like.
They make a great deal more than I do, I make less than 13 dollars an hour. For Wisconsin the lower pay scale starts at about 44,000 a year. Sorry for asking about OTA, I didn't know if anyone knew one or worked with one. I will try to find another website.
Look in to X-ray tech. I know people who do that and is low stress for decent pay. Respiratory therapists I know make more money than me and don't seem stressed at all. However, RN pay is better starting out in my area than both the aforementioned career choices. Both of those only require an associates degree in my area, but jobs may be more competitive. I agree that it can be very stressful working as an RN at times. Also look into whether any of the BSN programs in your area are on the trimester system. That way you can be done with your RN in about the same time it takes to get an ADN.
Do not base your career choices on hearsay. This includes "there is a nursing shortage". "They are changing the laws and by XX year ALL RN's will have to be BSN's or they won't have jobs". "LPN's are being phased out so that degree/license is a total waste of time".
Do your own research for FACTS and go from there.
meanmaryjean- I work at a CBRF and we do not hire LPNs. From what I have heard, LPNs will eventually be faded out because they are not really needed. If you have a nurse and a CNA they can do the job of the LPN. But I did consider that.
OrganizedChaos- My Boyfriend has a daughter here that we get 50/50. So we cant move to far away. He also works on the family farm, and that's his passion.
Dishes- Do you think that OTA will eventually not be needed, or will more schooling be required? I kind of want to choose a career that I wont have to continually go to school for it, I understand there is always things to lean in your career, but I mean like have to go back for a bachelors or masters degree because you cant get hired if you don't.
wisconsin89
10 Posts
I have heard that nursing school is very hard, would OTA be as hard? I know they are two completely different fields, but I was just curious.