Choosing the best nursing career path

Nurses Career Support

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Hey all,

I need some advice and thought that others might find it a helpful topic as well. I am currently and LPN and am two semesters away from obtaining my RN. I have been an LPN for 5 years now and have worked in several different fields. I started out in a nursing home/rehab facility as a floor nurse, went to a day center for special needs pediatrics, moved and got a job in a clinic, then a management position in an assisted living, and most recently doing home health nursing for adults and geriatrics. My position now pays very well and higher than most RNs in the area and I would easily be able to transition to an RN position in the company after school.

My predicament is that I do really enjoy my job and love that I get to really use my skillset in the field, but I have a real PASSION for special needs pediatrics. I would have never left that job but my husband is military and we had to move. He will be getting out soon and we have the opportunity to purchase an AMAZING dream home for an unbelievable price. If we purchase the home it would really limit my employment opportunities and I would most likely stay at the company I am at. If we don't purchase the home, we could move someplace else and I could find a job working with special needs pediatrics but knowing that I will take a substatial pay cut and have missed out on our potential dream home.

So, what is best? A specialty you get paid extremely well at and do still enjoy (variety, skill use, and patient contact) and a house of your dreams -or- the prospects of the specialty you have a passion for, getting paid substantially lower at, and missing out on the home?

I will really appreciate some input on this...thanks in advance!

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

What is "best" varies. What is best for one person may not be the best for another. It's personal choice.

But.... is the house of your dreams really going to make you the happiest in the long run?

Years ago I was a struggling single mother with a dumpy house, a old beater of a car and second hand furniture.Now I have a better house, a newer car and nicer furniture but I'm not exponentially happier because of it. I am still just as happy as I was years ago. My $1200 solid oak kitchen table really hasn't brought me any added joy.

Before I was a single mom I lived in a brand new "dream home".It really didn't matter.I was still dreadfully unhappy.

If you are happy now, you will be happy no matter what you are living in.If you are unhappy now having more material possessions will make no difference. More "stuff" doesn't make you a happy person if you aren't already.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

^^^^^^ Well Said ^^^^^^

Another consideration - the more 'specialized' you are (clinical-wise), the less variety you will have. So if variety is what you like, you may quickly become bored in a highly specialized area.

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I agree that material things do not make a person happy but a house cannot really be considered a material object. A house is a place you come home to after a stressful day, a place you spend time with family, and raise your children in.

With higher pay, I wasn't looking at the ability to buy things...I was looking at the long run for things such as the ability to travel home (halfway across the country), or pay for family to fly out to visit, go on vacations, send my future kids to good schools, retirement, etc. Choosing a job that pays over $10 per hour more than the other would afford more life opportunities.

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Another consideration - the more 'specialized' you are (clinical-wise), the less variety you will have. So if variety is what you like, you may quickly become bored in a highly specialized area.

This is a really good and helpful point. I reminds me that even though I really loved the population I was working with, I did feel limited in my use of skills which is one reason why I love nursing so much-you never know what your gonna get youself into from one day to th next.

Thank you!

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you can always build a dream home but you can never replace hat thought of what if i did move and found a job in peds

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