Anyone torn between Nursing and Clinical Social Work?

Nurses General Nursing

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Just wondering if there is anyone out there that thinks they may enjoy Nursing or Clinical Social Work and can't figure out which one? I know Nursing has more job opportunities but Nursing has the patient care aspect that you have to experience before becoming a Case Mgr or before you go into other areas.

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I've been a nurse for over 5yrs. I've worked in oncology, tele, diab, and icu. I really wanted to get away from direct patient care (espically the families). I thought about CM and spoke with a couple of them on several diffrent floors and they all said the same things. You would still have to deal with the doctors, the pts and their families. You also would need to take a coulpe of classes. I decided it wasn't worth it, so I now work in a doctors office with no fam members to deal with and minimal pt contact. I sometimes feel like i'm loosing my skills but my stress level had dropped a ton. Hope this was helpful.:nurse:

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Oh my word..NO. All the same hassles and a third of the $$. No thanks!

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Specializes in Cardiac/Stepdown, Rehab.

Well, I have a degree in Psych and worked for Social Services. I couldn't deal with the continual drama and mental illnesses; I was also very frustrated with the lack of resources available and wanted something more direct/hands on.

As an LCSW, you'd have much better job opportunities than I did. If you are set on doing case management, I'd honestly go the Social Work route. In nursing, you'll have to do the "hands on" stuff before you can work your way up to case management.

Try to volunteer or shadow in a hospital to see if nursing appeals to you.

Good luck to you!

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

I think there were 4 LCSW's in my nsg school class. And then I worked psych nsg and all the psych techs, all whom had bachelors in social work or related fields, were on the waitlist for nsg school. I think it is hard to get social work jobs is part of the problem, and they don't pay as much.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

i worked in psych for social services as a social worker. i hated it! i am one of those ba/bs people who signed up to go to nursing school to escape the drama, poor pay (less then $30,000 per year), stressful dangerous job conditions, etc. i am not going back into case management as a nurse, though i have been asked a dozen times by the nursing case managers that work on my floor because of my experience (no kidding, i could skip being a staff rn and walk right into a job after i graduate with my adn). however, case managers work 60 hour weeks! you do not get any more pay then a 40 hour week because you are salaried. the pay as a nurse case manager is better then that of a ba or bs in social work but it is not worth it for me. gl!

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Specializes in Med/surg.

As a former social worker i can honestly say Nursing is much better!! I work my 36 hours a week, I am not on call 24/7 and I don't have to take my work home with me. I have done all kinds of case management and it was always the same, low pay, high stress! Not to mention the brick walls you end up banging your head on because you cant find resources for your clients! Not that nursing is not without its brick walls, its just that when I leave the hospital I know that someone else will carry on where I left off, with social work a lot of the time you are it! The client relies on you and only you! Good luck with your dilemma!

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Specializes in med/surg, ortho, rehab, ltc.
i worked in psych for social services as a social worker. i hated it! i am one of those ba/bs people who signed up to go to nursing school to escape the drama, poor pay (less then $30,000 per year), stressful dangerous job conditions, etc. i am not going back into case management as a nurse, though i have been asked a dozen times by the nursing case managers that work on my floor because of my experience (no kidding, i could skip being a staff rn and walk right into a job after i graduate with my adn). however, case managers work 60 hour weeks! you do not get any more pay then a 40 hour week because you are salaried. the pay as a nurse case manager is better then that of a ba or bs in social work but it is not worth it for me. gl!

interesting to see the other side of this. thanks for chiming in mba2brn.

i've pretty much burned out on the profound stress of acute care rn jobs. 12 hr shifts can easily run way over. not no mention the life and death responsibility with little real authority. geez i was hoping another degree, cm job, or license in sw would be my ticket out. :rolleyes: guess i'll do more research.

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