I really dont know what to do

nursemike, ASN, RN · Feb 13, 2009

Can't tell you what you should do. Rad Tech and Resp are both decent jobs that pay a buck or two an hour less at my facility than RN, and from my side of the fence they don't look as stressful--but you know how deceptive fences can be.

As far as nursing school, I started at 46 y.o., so I know a lot about cold feet. I was scared to the brink of incontinence before, during, and after school. I'm not sure I'd have survived a 4-yr program. But in some perverse, demented way, it was worth it.

About halfway through nursing school, I realized nearly all my coursework would apply to Med Tech, and I could still finish in two years. I've since concluded that if you're going to nursing school and haven't felt like giving up, you haven't gotten your money's worth.

Good luck with whatever you decide. (But nursing really is pretty cool.)

WalkieTalkie, RN · Feb 13, 2009

Have you looked at any respiratory therapy programs?

NurseBfromTX68 · Feb 13, 2009

Bless your heart! Don't be so hard on yourself. Please understand that all healthcare jobs/programs will rock your world. I received my BS in Social Sciences before LVN/LPN school, honestly the BS was easier! The RN transition is easy as it's mostly theory based, however, if you find yourself choosing nursing, you will have many areas to work in. Nursing school is a full-time commitment, when your family and friends are out, sometimes you have to be at home studying. The sacrifice is great when your in the business of saving lives. Radiology is a fun, and difficult field, Radiologist are unique individuals, and different to deal with than other mds. Healthcare is rewarding, personally, professionally, and financially, keep researching, you will make the right decision! Good luck.

imalilteapott · Feb 13, 2009

I do not understand why people get so mad when someone mentions MONEY on this site. If you do not care about the salary for a job then why work at all? Working is about making MONEY and yes that is what I intend to do. But my original reason for going into nursing was because I want to work in pediatrics I love working with kids. So no its not all about money.

I think I can answer this....my theory is ( and I am not an RN yet but I will hopefully be in 4 hours. )

Nursing is rough. Nursing School is rough. You work on your feet for 12 + hours a day, peoples lives are in your hands, people are sick so they yell at you, peoples families are stressed so they yell at you, you get to eat your lunch over a garbage can standing up in 3 minutes. To get through nursing school, and to take your boards.... these first steps are very stressful and very very overwhelming and that is JUST the beginning. If your main purpose is the job security and the steady paycheck..I would recommend radiaology/resp therapymedical coding. From my point of view...if I had lacked a passion for nursing I would have never made it through school. It was unbelivable stressful.....I still have nightmares about being in school and I graduated in Dec. The people I did know who were in it soley for the most of the time didn't make it through the program and the ones who did just barely made it by the skin of there teeth.

Hope this helps? :twocents:

Anyausa · Feb 13, 2009

Nursing is difficult..Every nursing school in every country in the world is tough. You have to have nerves made from steel, tough character-you are not only dealing with sick patients but also with doctors and other hospital staff, and believe me it can be even more stressful.

My nursing school was hard, I had tough teachers. It is self discipline, how much stress you can take, personality issue...

northwestwind · Feb 14, 2009

I hear you, and hopefully I can explain a few options to you. I think money is, or more aptly put, future earnings are something you need to look into, to decide if certain healthcare jobs will support the kind of lifestyle you want to live as you look out 5-10 years. Nursing doesn't pay all that well, and the stress these days is unbearable. Moving into a nursing manager position is a very stressful job, as you are on call 24/7 and you will be called in at all hours, be faced with constant shortages of nurses, and be overwhelmed with the financial budgeting end . A Rad Tech earns less than a nurse to start, but a rad tech's job is not as complex as a nursing job, and has future opportunities that are somewhat different than nursing. Let's say you decide the 2-4 years for nursing is not what you will ultimately do. Rad Tech schooling is done in much less time. You get a Rad Tech (by the way, an acute shortage area so you will find a job in no time), and then go to work in a pediatrics office, or in a Children's Hospital. If you are really good at that, you can advance into the management end of radiology which will not place you in the same hot seat a nurse manager finds her/himself in. If you do Rad Tech long enough, and work your way up the chain, you could become the manager and then director of radiology - an incredibly interesting position given all the new technololgy in xray these days (PACS, new scans, etc.) and earn a very good living. If you like being a Rad Tech, you could be a travel Rad Tech, earn good money, and see some exciting places. The bottom line is that nursing is eroding for a number of reasons: faculty shortages, shortages on the floor, meaning your job will be beyond stressful forever more, and you will not have the respect you deserve. If you really want to work with kids, you might consider teaching. Get your Masters and you can earn up to $75,000 a year, something nurses just don't have. Another option is becoming a Guidance Counselor in high school, working with them. My warning to you is to be careful about going into nursing, and staying on the floors for a long time---it is getting worse all the time. Again though, if you really want to work with kids in a healthcare setting, become a Pediatric Nurse Practioner. Your career begins with a really good market analysis of what you want to do, and where you can work in good working conditions. Just keep in mind that nursing is falling apart, and if I were you, I would do that only if I knew I wanted to be a Pediatric Nurse Practioner. This gets you out of the hospital crisis in nursing, though you will have to earn a BSN in nursing first....do a bunch of research and talk to a ton of folks already doing all the things I mention so you can get a feel for your direction. Give yourself time to do this and don't rush into anything. I hope this helps!