Do nurses make more money than a biological sciences degree such as biology?

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Do nurses make more money than a biological sciences degree such as biology? I was wondering this question becouse am currently a biochemistry mojor and i keep getting C's on the sciences classes. I don't think i want to go to graduate school nor will i be applicable. Will nursing offer me a better job prospective, better pay, better job security than a biochemistry degree alone? Please don't say choose the one that makes you happier or a better at, lets assume am equally happy with both degrees. RN or a biochemstry? choose your path.

Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

You need better grades than Cs in your science courses to even be accepted into nursing school...and then pass and find a job in a competetive market.

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Who told you "there is a huge demand for nurses"? That is not what I am hearing. If you transfer the demand may pick up by the time you graduate but right now there is a tight job market. Wages have flattened and gone down by the way. If the shortage comes back they may start to climb.

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Specializes in CVICU.

There's a glut of nurses right now, not a huge demand. That may likely change in a few years, but right now this is not the go-to for job security. You might want to consider city bus driver. Around here, they make 37$ an hour. It really pisses me off.

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I have a biology degree (I graduated with a 3.7 GPA) and had originally planned on going to medical school before changing my mind because of the difficulty I would have with financing it and a few other reasons. I found a job at a hospital laboratory that required a B.S. in Biology and the pay is terrible. I have friends with only a high school degree who make the same or better. I have my doubts that I would get paid much more somewhere else. The nurses on the floor at my hospital make more than double what I am making...

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Specializes in LTC, Disease Management, smoking Cessati.

Where is your interest and heart. It's not all about book learning and regurgitating information. I would stick with the biochem, or some other area of science you are interested in. If I could have a do over, I would follow the path to Marine Biology, rather than nursing. Look at all avenues, and don't just let money be your guide. Nursing don't pay for what you do....

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Specializes in Cardiac, Neuro, Critical.

My nursing school will only allow you one C in all 5 semesters of Nursing program courses (given I go to one of the best school in the state). All pre-reqs for the programs must be Cs and above in 'cognate' courses, which are all maths and sciences. If you're struggling, put the nose to the grindstone and get a tutor, or look for options in other industries.

Many employers now request transcripts when considering employment, so you're going to need to keep those grades up regardless. C does not necessarily = RN any longer. Grades are important... competition is fierce.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Neuro, Critical.

Side note: having a nursing degree allows you to do a LOT more than just tend to patients. Say you enjoy psych, you can work drug studies, because the minds behind the studies cannot always touch the patients ... they need you to make the study work. Large companies such as Lockheed Martin are building infirmaries on their campuses so employees can visit doctors on site, saves on insurance. You can still work for the government. You have forensic nursing, where you never have to touch a patient. Try and do some more research about the word 'nursing'... it's pretty amazing what it encompasses. :-)

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

"There is a huge demand for nurses "

Wrong. Find the reality of nursing employment by reading more threads here.

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Specializes in icu/er.

stay in school, improve your grades. there is no more milk and honey in the land of nursing...

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My first degree is in biology, I was a lab technician at a couple of places. Honestly, if you're not going to get a graduate degree, you'll probably end up making a little less in a lab than you would in nursing, but part of that is that in nursing you can do shift work. I made a little more per hour at a pharmaceutical company as a lab tech than I did as a nurse in a daytime/weekday outpatient clinic. It was about 2k less a year. But, when I was a lab tech at a university, I made a lot less. So, it sort of depends on the job.

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I was a former Biology major too. Finding a job is difficult with just a biology degree. Without graduate school there isnt a lot to do with it. And dont worry about the C's in the advanced science if you are looking for nursing. Most likely it wont matter. The chemistry and science is basic for nursing compared to a biology degree. I got a C in organic chemistry but the nursing chem class was a joke. I didn't study and got an A. Usually you just need basic chem for nursing and a microbiology. You probably had to take a&P already with biology major.

Look at the reasons you went into biology. A lot of them are probably the same reasons a lot of people go into nursing. For biology i was pre med. I had a strong interest in medical conditions and medicine. I wanted to see what made people healthier...see what worked. Took me a long time before i figured out all the things i wanted were things i would do more of in Nursing.

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