Has Anyone Considered Chiropractic?

[aboxofrain]

About four years ago my boyfriend told me I should go back to school to become a nurse. His sister is a nurse and so is his step mom. I spent a year tackling the pre reqs to take the nursing program pre reqs. Then another year doing the prereqs and got into a community college. He wanted to move so I did not end up doing that program but went to the new local college to do the classes to get into BSN programs. I was accepted into a BSN program this fall but lo and behold genious ex ends up in jail for the next two years and I now I am moving back in with my folks. I am doing nothing this year and am not sure I will even be able to find a CNA job since they live in a very rural area and I don't have my own car so home health is out of the question.

Now I am re evaluating if nursing is even for me. I have a 4.0 in prerequisites and additional science classes. I have my NAC cert and have worked as a home health aid. I love helping other people and improving the quality of life for those I work for. I feel like it is my purpose to serve others and assist them in their time of need. However I am utterly disgusted by the tons of waist that traditional health care produces. I am opposed to vaccines (I have done titers and waivers for all my jobs). I believe in chakras and alignment of energy along the bodies meridians. I truly feel that through diet therapy, herbs and yoga the body can heal itself from most conditions. The more I think about it the more I feel that nursing is not the right field for me.

I would love to become a Naturopathic doctor but the requirements are the same as for medical school. However Chiropractic colleges do not require a whole year of organic chemistry or a year of calculus. I have one organic chemistry class and one biochemistry class which fulfills their requirements. I have no calculus classes, nor do I ever plan on taking one since Statistics was so tough for me to ace. So I guess I'm just hoping for some reassurance that if I stick with trying to become a nurse I won't be disappointed and regret not going to a chiropractic program....

[eatmysoxRN, ASN, RN]

We cant tell you what you want. Do not just go into nursing because other people do. If you desire to be a chiropractor, do that instead. It sounds like that's what you want and you are seeking positive reinforcement. Do what makes you happy. Good luck in whatever you decide.

[aboxofrain]

I used to think I could never be more than a waitress till I went back to school because my ex thought it would be a good idea. I feel like I've all ready made it so far on the path to become a nurse I should follow it through. If I start applying now I might be able to start a LPN program this spring or an RN program this fall and I could live at my parents and take the bus to school. I'm pretty confident I can get into any program I apply to but perhaps I'm just being cocky. Living at my parents and going to nursing school would be so convenient. However if I go to a chiropractic program I would have to move out of state, pay my own rent, find daycare for my kids. It would be so much more difficult....

In the end I think I want to work in my own practice instead of for someone else. Like I don't think I would enjoy working in a hospital and I didn't really enjoy LTC when I was in my NAC class. So if I become a nurse I would want to keep going to school and become a FNP eventually. So all in all the amout of time I have to look forward to being in school is about the same.

I guess what I'm really looking to find out is if it is possible to be a nurse and use various modalities of healing instead of just vaccines and medicine?

[krcs]

I currently work for a chiropractor and I'm a first year nursing student. I do have conflicts with some of the traditional methods of healing but the main thing that we have to remember is that there are many opinions out there and we can't tell people what is right for them. For example if I'm in pain I look for the root cause such as misalignment and work from there while many others take the pain medicine route. Thing is that we can't tell people the way that they should heal their body. It's a personal choice, all we can do is do no harm.

I don't vehemently disagree with any medical practice because for the most part there is evidence behind what they are doing even if I do believe there are better ways sometimes, so I don't think my conflicts will run deep.

Just remember as a provider of health care it is our job to facilitate the well being of others. You can do that as a nurse or a chiropractor. You have to just decide for yourself which one fits best for you and will help you achieve long term happiness.

[aboxofrain]

I currently work for a chiropractor and I'm a first year nursing student. I do have conflicts with some of the traditional methods of healing but the main thing that we have to remember is that there are many opinions out there and we can't tell people what is right for them. For example if I'm in pain I look for the root cause such as misalignment and work from there while many others take the pain medicine route. Thing is that we can't tell people the way that they should heal their body. It's a personal choice, all we can do is do no harm.

I don't vehemently disagree with any medical practice because for the most part there is evidence behind what they are doing even if I do believe there are better ways sometimes, so I don't think my conflicts will run deep.

Just remember as a provider of health care it is our job to facilitate the well being of others. You can do that as a nurse or a chiropractor. You have to just decide for yourself which one fits best for you and will help you achieve long term happiness.

Thank you for your thoughtful reply! Are you a chiropractic assistant? If so why do you want to go into nursing instead of chiro? Do you think you can maintain holistic philosophies while practicing in an allopathic community? Sorry for so many questions:)

[missnurse01, MSN, RN]

I would go shadow with whatever specialty you are looking at. I see a ND and he barely makes enough to support his family. He stated that they all came out of school with so much debt they are drowning. Many of his fellow graduates ended up going back to nursing school to do on the side to supplement their income. I also work with a nurse who is half way through a chinese medicine program, and really loving it. But she states that she will probably never make decent money and plans to keep working on the side as a nurse. But full time she will do what she loves. And that is the big thing. You have to do what you love...esp if you are going to feel a big conflict with how pt's are managed. I have many concerns with western med but have to check it at the door when I go to work.

Keep looking around...like I said shadow shadow shadow! Something will spark in you. I know it's hard when you are thinking about finding a profession so you can provide for yourself and family-but don't choose something where you are going to hate coming to work everday.

good luck!

me

[krcs]

Yes I'm a chiropractic assistant and I love it. Unfortunately the room for growth in my role is minimal so it was either pursue chiropractic or take a different route. I decided nursing for various reasons and these are my own personal reasons so take them with a grain of salt. Student loans was way up there. The debt from chiropractic school matches an MD. $100,000+. You fight a lot in the chiropractic world too. Insurance reimbursement rates are abysmally low so you need to be a medium to high volume practice just to make a decent living. Public perception is also another thing that makes the profession difficult. Last but not least, as much as I know the benefits of getting adjustments and I get them regularly to maintain myself, they still freak me out a little so I don't know how comfortable I'd be performing them.

I chose nursing because I have had to deal with a lot of them and I saw how a nurse can really shape someone's day and make a difference. I love healthcare and it just seemed like a good fit for what I wanted to do which is have a hands on experience in making a person better.

I feel like I can maintain holistic philosophies. You just have to remember at the end of the day people are going to do what they feel is the best for them and I'm going to do things that I feel are best for me. Btw my boss's wife is an RN too. The two worlds can definitely mesh as long as you respectfully let others decide what they feel is best for them.

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

Chiropractic care isn't for everyone. Allopathic Medicine isn't either. The point is that people will seek out what works best for them in their situations. Personally, I don't think Chiropractors are quite up to same level of clinical competence as MD/DO practitioners are. Then again, that's not their role. I'm also not saying that Chiropractors are unskilled. I have met some very skilled DC's over the years. If you feel like you can get good care and symptom relief from a DC, great! If you're looking to practice medicine and you feel that Chiropractic/holistic medicine is the way to go, seriously look into becoming a DO.

I'm not going to tell you that you should become a DC, DO, MD, or whatever. Weigh your options, know that both DC and Allopathic medicine schooling will be expensive, and DC's usually have a harder time billing insurances for their services. There are other options out there as well, like naturopathy. Often it's paying off the loans that have providers of all types nearly drowning for quite a few years before they're easily able to make ends meet.

The body needs to be taken care of, and there are many ways of doing so, that are very complimentary.

I got started down this road by taking care of athletes. It was there that I learned that the whole person must be attended to, for the person to attain their maximum performance. Nursing is an extension of what I love doing, so that's why I decided upon going this route instead of going into Medicine, and should I decide I want to go back toward that end of things, I have that option as well. Whichever path you decide to take, do your level best to become the best you can be in that field, and support the patient toward their maximum selves. You won't do anyone any good if you don't. You should also remember that disagreement amongst the various disciplines will happen from time to time, but you should strive to work with other providers.

[aboxofrain]

I guess I'm not to afraid of the debt I would have after a DC program because most of the people I talk to have an easy time finding a job albiet low paying to start off with. However in nursing I keep hearing of over half of a graduating class not finding jobs and that there is no nursing shortage so there are way to many nurses for the jobs that there are... I guess I'm a bit afraid that if I become a nurse I will be one of the many that can't find a job rather than one of the few with a low paying job for a few years.

I have been reading some on the holistic nursing forum on here and think that if I did go through with nursing school then become a FNP I would be able to practice in a way I would enjoy going to work every day, that is if I could get a job fresh out of school then go back for grad school.