Got Accepted to Nursing School and Suddenly Thinking... NURSING vs HIM

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Dreamed of going to Nursing School and did all I can to get accepted with good grades and all. Previously applied for Fall semester and got accepted at a different school but ended up not going because the school was ridiculously expensive. Applied again for Spring semester at a reasonably priced accredited school which starts in January and got accepted! I should be happy and ecstatic right... but NO! I am super stressed and confused about having to make the right decision. The confusion comes in like so. While I was not in school for a whole semester awaiting the admission decision in November from Nursing School, I looked into other schools and applied to the other programs as well just in case Nursing does not accept me. One of the programs that I applied to in addition to Nursing is the Health Information Management Program at UIC. In the beginning I just applied for the heck of applying but as I went through the application process and looked into the field I got more and more interested. Now for the past month I have been going crazy as to which field to choose. Now I just got accepted to Nursing School last week and I am having a very hard time accepting enrollment. UIC has not yet given me an admissions decision for their HIM program and I dont want to lose my Nursing opportunity if I wait too long. I REALLY DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO!

So my question to you all is... Is it worth it to choose HIM over Nursing? Is it a better field than nursing or is it just another one of those useless degrees with not much potential? Also does anyone recommend either or? Which degree has a better pay overall? I need information on HIM so I can make an informed decision. I hear a lot of nurses are going into HIM and loving it and wish they had done it a long time ago. PLEASE ADVISE!!!

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Specializes in RNC-MNN & Operating Room.

I think that if you really wanted to be a nurse it would be an easy decision. I have no advice, it's about what you want to do. Good luck!

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This is not a "Which one is better?" decision -- this is a "Which one is better for ME?" decision. And only you can make that call.

Yes, HIM can be a very worthwhile program and career, and it can be financially rewarding, but those factors should not control your decision. What do you prefer to work with -- concepts/things or people? That's an overly-simplified and perhaps unfair comparison of nursing versus HIM, but the two areas are truly polar in many respects, and each requires a certain mindset. Be honest with yourself -- and you don't need to answer to us -- but can you handle long, exhausting hours of relentless dealing with people whose physical, emotional, and mental needs will always come before yours? And keep a good disposition throughout? Even if you were to transition from bedside/clinical nursing to nursing informatics, you'd still need to learn and handle direct patient care. On the other hand, how does the thought of spending hour after hour dealing with patient charts, data, computers, software, spreadsheets, and soulless information sound to you? Do either of those (admittedly loaded) scenarios resonate with or against you?

Just some food for thought. One of my favorite methods for making a life-altering decision is to use the ol' PRO/CON list. Draw a line down the center of a page, labeling one side PRO and the other side CON. Then divide the page in half top to bottom -- the top is nursing, the bottom is HIM. Be ruthlessly honest and selfish, and fill it in, using factors that are important to you. If you seriously and honestly evaluate what is involved in these two careers -- and what YOU want from a career -- the answer will become clear, whatever that answer may be.

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Specializes in None.

I agree with the above, it is ultimately your decision. If I got accepted to nursing school and every other departments/programs I would instantly still choose nursing. It is what you think you would like best. When I first read the thread nursing vs. him I thought immediately nursing, duh! Of course, I thought you were talking about a guy. :) Good luck and remember to choose what your heart is telling you to.

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When I first read the thread nursing vs. him I thought immediately nursing duh! Of course, I thought you were talking about a guy. :) Good luck and remember to choose what your heart is telling you to.[/quote']

LOL ITS NOT A HIM!! That made me laugh. Comeon now! I cant be that dumb if im applying to nursing school.

Did some soul searching n i m accepting enrollment to my nursing school

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Specializes in None.
LOL ITS NOT A HIM!! That made me laugh. Comeon now! I cant be that dumb if im applying to nursing school.

Did some soul searching n i m accepting enrollment to my nursing school

Well, congratulations! You would be surprised of some of the threads I have read that involved going to nursing school/dropping out over a guy. But any who, if I were you i'd write down the reasons you choose nursing school, so when your very stressed out you can remember why you decided to go down this path..remember we are all in this together. That is the best part about this site, we all can relate. :)

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And I initially thought maybe OP was considering entering a convent! Stranger things have happened on this forum. . .

Congrats on the decision!

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When I first saw HIM...

I thought OP meant theology/ministry... Nun/priest

LOL.

I was going to say... We have some Nun Nurses at the downtown hospital.

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For what it's worth I believe you made an excellent choice. I'm an RN that works in HIM and the clinical knowledge that you would bring to the profession will be invaluable. It's not really a question of either or... you can do both, or apply both knowledge sets. So finish the nursing piece and migrate on over when you're done. Oh, pay extra close attention to documentation while you are in school... provider documentation especially but it all matters, RNs, wound care, dietitians, consults, ancillary therapist and so on... Good luck!

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