anyone go from RN to RT?

[Ambitiouz]

I graduated with my ADN-RN in May 2010. Have started a new job in ICU and have become very depressed, to the point of where I may need to seek help. I am pondering the idea of becoming an RT. I want to know how common it is for nurses to become RT's. Honestly, I think I am more suited to specialize in one area of health care rather than being so broad and spread myself out in nursing. I dread work and I am not really a people person per se, I am very quiet and shy. But I do know how to be assertive. I feel like I missed my path. I don't really like dealing with poop at all and rather deal with secretions and suctioning, no thats not the only reason, but its also the fact that RNs are responsible for so much and they pay is the same or less. In my area, RTs are paid the same or more than RNs, RTs deal more with alot pts, can move around, deal only with airway management, seem to be more technology based. I have thought about grad school, but I dont want an MSN degree. NP and CRNA programs are very competitive, and I have a very low gpa from undergrad, with my excessive hrs, it would take yrs to pull up. I am very confused as I sacrificed alot to get through nursing school and now I want to begin again in another specialty. Ive thought about a lot of nursing specialties but they are basically off limits to unseasoned nurses. any advice welcome

[autismmom]

Hi,

I just graduated from nursing school this past May but I have been a RT for the past 9 years. I went from RT to RN so I can have more options outside the hospital but I still enjoy being a RT. Before you decide to make the transition, make sure you have looked in other areas within the hospital you work to make sure there isn't anywhere else you may be interested in working such as a specialty floor like L&D, Peds, Ortho, or even PACU, wound care, or same day surgery. Some should be willing to take new grads if you were able to start off in ICU. I'm not discouraging you from RT but want to make sure you exhausted all options in nursing before throwing in the towel. I'm sure you worked hard for your degree and would like to put it to good use. Best of luck to you.

[Ambitiouz]

Thanks for your reply. I think that I may need to explore other specialties before giving up. Yes, you hit the nail on the head because I really worked hard for this degree and I want to put it to use instead of running back to school. I still find myself wishing I'd gone the RT route but maybe it's just that ICU isnt for me so I need to try out another area. Hopefully I wont trade one bad area for another.