Can you throw out some career options for the fields i am interested in?

leenak · Dec 11, 2011

would it be a waste to have back up incase one degree doesnt work out by getting a ba in psych, a masters in social work and then associates in nursing?

for some reason, psychology is one of the most popular majors in college. Biology seems to be right there with it, mostly due to the pre-med students.

Once you have a BS/BA, you can get a Masters in almost anything. As long as you have the pre-reqs. If you have any inkling of being a nurse, I'd try for the BSN now because it is one of the few fields where you need to have a lower level degree to get a higher level degree. If you wanted an MSW later, you could get it with a BSN.

I've read some job descriptions for psych nurses, they seem interesting especially the ones that work with the homeless. You could also look at a MPH which is a Masters in Public Health. There are nurses that work in public health without having a MPH though.

SCSTxRN · Jan 2, 2012

I am a psych nurse - and I love it. I work in an inpatient hospital, so many of my patients are long term crazy. Not all psychotic, though - some depression, some bipolar, some borderline, some schizoaffective / schizoprenic.

It is frustrating to have a patient seem like we can't progress, and disheartening to discharge a patient only to have them back in 3 months - but it is AMAZING to have a patient go from completely non functional, come through our program, and in the span of 3 months get their mind and most of their life back. To go back to their real estate or nursing or legal jobs - or to just go home to their families, able to communicate and function again. My job can be depressing - true, and frustrating at times - but when patients improve (and almost all of them do) - It is AMAZING.

Cortisol · Jan 2, 2012

I know someone who double majored in Nursing and Psychology. She is a very happy Psych Nurse and has been for many years. :)

Nurse Case Managers do generally make better money than Social Workers, but if being a social worker will make you happy, then go for it! I have heard of people getting their MSW with a B.S. in Psychology.

There are direct entry MSN programs with a specialty in Case Management, there are direct entry MSN programs with a focus on mental health nursing, Accelerated BSN programs, and even direct entry general MSN programs available to those who hold bachelor's degrees in fields other than nursing.

Take the time to shadow people in these different fields. Talk to social workers, case managers, psych nurses, etc. before you make your decision. I have found nurses to be a wealth of information when it comes to questions about the field. Most of them are very honest and will tell you the pros and cons of their specific job. In one shadowing experience, I got to observe and/or talk to floor nurses, NPs, nurses with cardiac specialties, nurse managers, PAs, and NP students. NO JOKE!

I would also suggest that you research any programs of interest (nursing and other, graduate or undergrad) and talk to an advisor about the specifice program/requirements.

Saija · Jan 2, 2012

I'm a nursing student and like you, I considered for a time studying to be a social worker. The eventual conclusion that I came to was that social work is a lot of paper work and sitting at a desk. It would be great to be a social worker in certain fields, but if those jobs are full, you might end up doing something you really don't enjoy. Keep in mind, though, I've never been nor do I know any social workers - this is just my own perception of the job, so I might be wrong.

But that's true for any job - if you study something because with that degree you can fill a niche job that you would absolutely LOVE doing, you need to be sure that you could stand doing other jobs in case that position is never open in your city (or be willing to move). If you get into social work, psychology or nursing, be sure that you would be happy doing multiple different jobs within that field or you might end up sorry when the specific position you want is not open. Like me, for instance, my true dream is to work with infants or pediatric patients. Luckily for me, there are many different pediatric wards where I could work, and I know I won't be miserable if I have to work with adults somewhere for a few years before finding that pediatric opening (though crossing my fingers that I won't have to!) - afterall, I still enjoy working with adults, just not as much as with kids. The point is that with some careers, there might be one ideal position among a bunch of much less appealing jobs. So everyone studying for that career are all vying for that single position, and of course only a select few will end up in the job that they went to school for. You need to make sure you have a realistic view of the scope of all three careers and that you're not just focusing on one ideal job position that you might never obtain - and make sure that if you don't end up in that job, you will still be happy in others.

Psychology would be very interesting, but if you major in that and only that, and let's say you do get your master's/doctorate, what sort of job were you planning to have with that degree? I mean you have to think about the day-to-day job that you actually want. Because if you are afraid of working with psych patients as a nurse, does that mean you are assuming you will get a job as a psychology major that doesn't involve people with those same kind of disorders as mentioned by others above? If you don't like psych patients, psychology might not be your best bet. Then again, every single job you will find will have upsides and downsides - you just have to decide if for you, the good things outweigh the bad. It's a mistake to imagine a career for only the good sides because you'll be disappointed. That's the same for social work, psychology, and nursing alike. Trust me, I know because back when I was imagining my future career, my imagination was full of unicorns and rainbows. It took a bit of experience to realize that no, no job will ever be totally perfect, but for me nursing is worth the downsides.

The great thing about being a nurse is that you don't have to choose just one ward and stick with it for your whole entire career. If you want to work in pediatrics for awhile then switch to adults, it's a possibility. If you want to try out a psych ward but find you don't like it, that's okay, too - try something else, like the ER. Okay, so it's probably not as easy as it sounds, but it is an option with nursing. It's definitely easier to switch than if you study something other than nursing. Keep in mind that if you major in psychology, for instance, you will only be dealing with psychology cases and nothing else. It's not a bad thing if that is what you want, though.

But there is no doubt that psychology would be useful in a nursing career. A big part of nursing is not just the physical - it's comforting, reassuring, supporting patients and their families. It's being a teacher, a life coach, helping them grieve and helping them overcome. It's taking their fear away, motivating them when they want to give up, connecting with them and gaining their trust. Those skills will always make you a better nurse.

That being said I don't think nursing is for everyone. And if your heart isn't in it, you might find you are miserable as a nurse. But that's the same for any job. I concur with others - job shadowing is your best bet. I actually got into nursing by accident, because beforehand I didn't really know anything about nursing (save for what you see on TV, which shows doctors doing nurses jobs and nurses sitting in the background somewhere). The more I learned, the more I enjoyed it. And I surprised myself, too, because I've never been a socialite type of people-person, but when I put on that uniform I change somehow. Then again some people in my class dropped out during the first year for various reasons - for some, I think it just wasn't for them.