Failed in RN school....but found my way with RT

[zakrzem04]

Many people fall at the hands of Nursing School....I think we all underestimate it going in....but most importantly we all undervalue the importance of the cumulative aspect of Nursing school.....the stuff you learn, you can never forget!! If you dont use it you lose it....it's all true!

Most importantly I underestimated the asset that expeirence can be.....I would like to think Nursing would be even harder without some sort of Hospital Based background? The more you see the better

I failed my second semester by 1 point and could have repeated but I backed out once I saw that I was taking a major risk.....keep going, repeat and risk failing a second time which does happen, or backtrack, start over and do what I like to call "rebuild" my foundation.

I decided to find something else to backtrack and give me a major asset for a background to achieve the long term goal of being an RN......

So I found Respiratory Care.....And man let me tell you.....you could NOT ask for a better background than RT. Prior to Nursing, I never would have thought of it, but when I looked into it, it seemed like a solid choice.

Anytime you can be an expert in the Cardiopulmonary System and when get expierence with Respiratory driven protocols and automomy and critical decision making....it is a huge asset to have that I wish I would have had the first time around.

Ive grown to really love what I do in this field with RT and even like it better than Nursing......but at the end of the day, eventhough I do like RT better than RN work....I know I wouldnt want to be in Respiratory for the long haul, but this field is plagued with issues:

Lack of Advancement, Tremendous Lack of Respect, lack of job security, being tied to a sketchy $$$ hungry organinzation like the NBRC and did I say lack of Respect?? I'll say that one again.... and it's a very underutilized profession....but at the same time...my area is a good one for RT's...there's only one school which prevents us from flooding the field and the pay is great...in my area some hospitals start at around $25-26 an hr.

Not only but in some parts of the country, RT is Flooded in the Southwest (CA, AZ) and anywhere in the Sun Belt South of the Mason Dixon Line....if you live in the South...RT definetly might not be a good idea thanks in part to being home to many For Profit Schools like Pima, Concorde, and ATI which pump out graduates like there is No Tommorrow ....some schools pump out 60+ graduates.....there is No need for that many RT's what so ever.....Up North, RT's here aren't as flooded in my area and same is true for a lot of surrounding states because there are fewer schools and they admit fewer graduates...

At the end of the day.....I still want to be an RN f..... Advancement and Career Mobility....Eventually I want to have opportunities and Nursing has though....Respiratory is NOT alone....same is true for OT, SLP, X-Ray, and Labs....Nurses have opportunities others do not....which makes it even more rewarding.

I personally am finding RT School cake compared to Nursing School.....Nursing School just had so much volume of material and when you lack expierence, it only makes it tougher..... it's funny because ive been looking back at Practice NCLEX Questions just for fun.....and its amazing how much more sense this stuff all makes with the background im getting...and not just the Respiratory Stuff...but Med-Surg, Pain Management, Electrolytes, etc...

I plan on Enrolling in Excelsior when im done, or doing an Accelerated BSN .....and i'll certainly be ready this time around....I know what my mistakes were.....I am eliminating them more ever and have become a much better clinican in this process and thats what this is all really about

[PurpleLover]

Okay

I am glad things worked out for you in the best possible way!

[Baubo516, RN]

I had some classmates in nursing school who failed a class and have decided to go with Respiratory Therapy. I don't know what their long term goals are, but when I see them, they look happier and less stressed than they were in nursing school! (We are still at the same community college.) Also - I am glad to see they have found a path to work in health care, since that is where they want to be. I never thought that they might be doing this and still planning to become a nurse in the future. Good thinking and congratulations on finding a path that works for you!

[zakrzem04]

Yes....I definetly wanted to make sure I gave myself options as well....and even if RN didnt work out, I have RT to fall back on for insurance and its not a bad career in its own right.....but the long term goal for me is the RN

[pookyp, LPN]

I had a friend in RN school, got stressed then went to do RT. She loves it and is stress free! She doesn't regret it at all. Whatever works for you! Everyone takes a different path! Good luck!

[token787]

$25-$26 is probably for RRT and CRT starts lower. Congrats on your path that you found of your success!

[RunBabyRN]

I'm glad you found something that works for you! I love good RTs- you guys are the experts with lung sounds and a lot of other things, and you are a good go-to. I love asking the RTs about stuff with my patients. I'm sorry to hear that you don't get a lot of respect where you are- where I am, I see a lot of respect for RTs, which I like. :)

I was a phlebotomist years ago, so I know what you mean about lack of advancement and a saturated market. The town where I live offers a phleb program in the community college, so there are a zillion new phlebs every 6 or 8 weeks (I can't remember how long it was). When I looked at moving out of state 6 years ago, my salary would have been double, and they were willing to pay my moving expenses! That fell through, and I have no regrets. I'm glad I have that experience, though. I've been teaching my classmates about tube order and requirements for lab submission and such.

I think if you were to pursue nursing again at some point, you'd definitely have a leg up with the RT experience!

[Sandrion]

I am glad you were able to work things out. I had couple students in my class who also failed but my school let them come back the following semester. The only exception clinical...if you were to fail clinical, you are out for good, no way you can come back.

[Needles McGee, RN]

I actually wanted to be a Rad Tech, it's practically harder to get into a Rad Tech program over Nursing.

Anyway, I had to take my friend/fellow nursing student to ER for a pretty bad asthma attack one night...her RT was also an RN!

I actually looked at going through the RT program simply for the critical-care training but finally realized that, like nursing, I would only 'own' that which I used with real patients.

Now, I pick the brains of the RTs any chance I get - which is frequent in my ED - and I've acquired some RT books that I'm slowly working through.

A good RT-RN-MD-RPh relationship yields the BEST patient care.

[Purple2014]

I do understand what you mean. I was a CRT for 7 years before I started nursing school (Graduated Dec 2013). Nursing has always been my first choice though. Everything you say about RT is true and I agree, " I wouldn't want to be in Respiratory for the long haul, but this field is plagued with issues: Lack of Advancement, Tremendous Lack of Respect, lack of job security, being tied to a sketchy $$$ hungry organinzation like the NBRC and did I say lack of Respect?? I'll say that one again.... and it's a very underutilized profession...."! Far as it helping in nursing school, it really did give me an advantage with learning content and in the critical care area but the hardest part was having to stop thinking like a RT and start thinking like a nurse. BIG DIFFERENCE! I also would advise you to not "make it known" that you are a RT when you return back to nursing school. I kept it a secret as long as I could and was very selective in who I told. It can also work against you.

[Nola009]

Due to an outrageous clinical instructor with hideous expectations, I almost failed my second semester of nursing school. At that time I reconsidered getting my RT degree instead. Im a new RN now and wished I had gone with the RT program. Being a nurse where I live makes it no easier to land a (decent) job. Ill warn you that employers will and pretty much can pile a lot of crap onto nurses. If you feel that RT s dont get talked to/about respectfully, its probably just nurses dumping on anybody they feel they can. I would LOVE to have pts throuought the hosp and not be stuck 'on the unit' w back biting *******!!