If Nursing doesn't work out,is Medical Lab Technologist ok for a "Prissy" girl ??

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Im really into the health field so im doing a little research in that area incase Nursing doesn't work out.There is a demand for Medical Lab Technologists in my state and the pay isn't that bad.It makes no sense to pursue something that is not in demand.I know a school that has a BS program that is not too expensive.The thing is,im not sure how I would handle working with bodily fluids and sitting in a lab all day when I prefer to "look pretty" lol.I know I would deal with not so pretty stuff as a Nurse,but atleast I'll still get to wear makeup and won't be stuck in a lab for 8 hours a day.This may sound like a silly question,but I had to ask .Does anyone know anything about the field? Do you have to wear a protective head cap aswell ? Im the girly girl type.Does this career sound suitable for me ?

.The problem is,either I can't afford those programs or they are not in demand in my area..

Nursing isn't exactly in high demand right now either, I hope you are aware of that if that is your ultimate deciding factor. There are NO new grad jobs within 150 miles of where I live.

I need to know/feel that I made a difference in someone's life and I want to get paid well for it.

A good samaritan wanting to be paid for their good deeds... hmm ironic. Why don't you just be honest and say straight out that you want to be in nursing for the money and job security? There's nothing wrong with this reason but don't try to sugar coat it. The reality is if you want to earn money as a nurse, you have to take shifts. In these shifts you are required to provide care to people who are sick. They're going to vomit, pee, poo and squirt other gross bodily fluids and you, as a professional, have to help them clean up. Yes, it's unpleasant but it pays. There's no easy way out. It's up to you to decide what takes priority: learning to live with the awful side of nursing OR looking pretty @ work? If the latter is what you pick then nursing might not be for you or any health care profession for that matter.

No.I won't say that,because it's not true.If it was all about money I would go for other careers like Physician Assistant instead.The program is the same length as the Nursing program and the pay is higher.Plus you are a lot more independent and more respected.Being a good samaritan and a Nurse are two different things.Good Samartitans don't "care" for patients on a regular basis.One volunteers to do something for free and the other gets paid for it.I wanted to be a Nurse since I was in H.S and during that time,I doubt Nurses made the kind of money that they are making today.Who doesn't want to earn a comfortable live and have job security ? Whoever says they don't consider those things when pursuing a career are just lying to themselves.The career I chose to pursue must be in demand in my area.What's the point in investing your money,energy and time into something if you won't be able to get a job ? Im not getting any younger and need to work and earn a good living.I said before and I will saying again,my career has to be related to health.I think I could look pretty and get down and dirty at the same time.Im just not comfortable with certain things Nurses have to deal with and im sure many Nurses aren't comfortable with them neither but do the job anyhow.I have seen many "pretty" Nurses.I see myself as a Nurse,but I don't see myself stuck in a lab with feces and blood everywhere.

I wonder if this is why nursing schools have waiting lists?? Because people are seeing "oh I make $26 dollars an hour" and then once they are actually working as a nurse, they decide its not for them. I think it should be a requirement to shadow nurses before attending nursing school, so that way you don't waste your time and leave open spots for someone who isn't just in it for the money.

Being pregnant 2 yrs ago has allowed me ample time around Nurses.Like I said,if it was about money,I'd go for Physician Assistant as they make more money,are more independent and respected.Becoming a Nurse and a PA takes the same amount of time.Im not in it for the money.However,you might have sat next to many students who were in it for them money.They are probably good Nurses who their jobs well.Why does it bother you ? Plus,there are many students who claim to have a passion for Nursing and claim to know what Nursing is all about,but end up not liking it anymore.What about those who once had a true passion for it but end up leaving the field to pursue other careers? To each his own.It is up to no one to decide that who should be Nurses and who shouldn't.

Nursing isn't exactly in high demand right now either, I hope you are aware of that if that is your ultimate deciding factor. There are NO new grad jobs within 150 miles of where I live.

Yes.I know.That's one of the reasons why I'm researching other careers.

If you do a search on here you will find that MANY MANY MANY new grad nurses can't find jobs. Some graduated in 2009.

Absolutely.I am aware of this.That's why im researching other careers.

Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

Maybe you should be a pharmacist rep. Great hours, always dressed to the "t" and you get to educate healthcare providers on new drugs....

Yes.I know.That's one of the reasons why I'm researching other careers.

I wouldn't go as far as some have said and say "health" isn't for you. I understand what you mean as far as wanting to look decent. I mean, I'm probably one of the few students who actually puts on makeup and fixes my hair to go to school. I've never been the type to do the "just rolled outta bed" look.

Have you considered Dental Hygiene? Their average pay is higher than nurses, and they actually are picky about their looks. 100% of the students in the school by me land jobs as a dental hygienist after school. My dentist, and my mom's dentist, both stated that it is an in demand career, at least in my area.

I know someone who's in school to be a licensed massage therapist and an esthetician. Have you considered that? LMT's can make quite a bit of money once they've built up their clientèle.

You could also, as someone suggested, be a nurse in a plastic surgery office, or even a dermatology office. Both of those places prefer "pretty" people.

Did someone mention Physical Therapy Assistant, or Occupational Therapy Assistant?

Or a Medical Technologist. Not sure if that's the proper term, but the people who do CAT Scans, and MRI's.

What about Electroneurodiagnostic Technician?

I wouldn't want to work in a lab either. Just not my thing.

Specializes in Flu clinics, Med/Surg, Acute Care.
No.I won't say that,because it's not true.If it was all about money I would go for other careers like Physician Assistant instead.The program is the same length as the Nursing program and the pay is higher.Plus you are a lot more independent and more respected.Being a good samaritan and a Nurse are two different things.Good Samartitans don't "care" for patients on a regular basis.One volunteers to do something for free and the other gets paid for it.I wanted to be a Nurse since I was in H.S and during that time,I doubt Nurses made the kind of money that they are making today.Who doesn't want to earn a comfortable live and have job security ? Whoever says they don't consider those things when pursuing a career are just lying to themselves.The career I chose to pursue must be in demand in my area.What's the point in investing your money,energy and time into something if you won't be able to get a job ? Im not getting any younger and need to work and earn a good living.I said before and I will saying again,my career has to be related to health.I think I could look pretty and get down and dirty at the same time.Im just not comfortable with certain things Nurses have to deal with and im sure many Nurses aren't comfortable with them neither but do the job anyhow.I have seen many "pretty" Nurses.I see myself as a Nurse,but I don't see myself stuck in a lab with feces and blood everywhere.

OMG SMH you are joking right?:lol2::lol2: Just in case you are not:

You keep saying you want something in demand, WHO DOESN'T?! Do you think the new nurses on this forum, some without jobs for for over a year now, or the experienced nurses who can't find jobs purposely went into nursing to become unemployed.:rolleyes: I really hope you are a troll because I'm not sure you are someone that I would want to work beside. Also how do you know that any career or school you choose will still be in demand when you graduate?:idea: This question is silly you can be pretty doing anything, but I can assure you looks and how prissy one can stay should not be a reason to consider a career in nursing. Also the, 'I want to be a nurse because I want to help people' way of thinking is getting old fast, when followed by, but I don't want to get dirty, or mess my nails, or shake my hair out of place. I'm all for looking clean, put together, and pretty but trying to be girly and prissy with a demanding patient care job is unrealistic.

OMG SMH you are joking right?:lol2::lol2: Just in case you are not:

You keep saying you want something in demand, WHO DOESN'T?! Do you think the new nurses on this forum, some without jobs for for over a year now, or the experienced nurses who can't find jobs purposely went into nursing to become unemployed.:rolleyes: I really hope you are a troll because I'm not sure you are someone that I would want to work beside. Also how do you know that any career or school you choose will still be in demand when you graduate?:idea: This question is silly you can be pretty doing anything, but I can assure you looks and how prissy one can stay should not be a reason to consider a career in nursing. Also the, 'I want to be a nurse because I want to help people' way of thinking is getting old fast, when followed by, but I don't want to get dirty, or mess my nails, or shake my hair out of place. I'm all for looking clean, put together, and pretty but trying to be girly and prissy with a demanding patient care job is unrealistic.

Why did you become a Nurse ?

I wouldn't go as far as some have said and say "health" isn't for you. I understand what you mean as far as wanting to look decent. I mean, I'm probably one of the few students who actually puts on makeup and fixes my hair to go to school. I've never been the type to do the "just rolled outta bed" look.

Have you considered Dental Hygiene? Their average pay is higher than nurses, and they actually are picky about their looks. 100% of the students in the school by me land jobs as a dental hygienist after school. My dentist, and my mom's dentist, both stated that it is an in demand career, at least in my area.

I know someone who's in school to be a licensed massage therapist and an esthetician. Have you considered that? LMT's can make quite a bit of money once they've built up their clientèle.

You could also, as someone suggested, be a nurse in a plastic surgery office, or even a dermatology office. Both of those places prefer "pretty" people.

Did someone mention Physical Therapy Assistant, or Occupational Therapy Assistant?

Or a Medical Technologist. Not sure if that's the proper term, but the people who do CAT Scans, and MRI's.

What about Electroneurodiagnostic Technician?

I wouldn't want to work in a lab either. Just not my thing.

Thank you for understanding me ! lol...Many of the responses I received were very useful and this is surely one of them :-))

Specializes in Health Information Management.
No.I won't say that,because it's not true.If it was all about money I would go for other careers like Physician Assistant instead.The program is the same length as the Nursing program and the pay is higher.Plus you are a lot more independent and more respected.Being a good samaritan and a Nurse are two different things.Good Samartitans don't "care" for patients on a regular basis.One volunteers to do something for free and the other gets paid for it [1].I wanted to be a Nurse since I was in H.S and during that time,I doubt Nurses made the kind of money that they are making today.Who doesn't want to earn a comfortable live and have job security ? Whoever says they don't consider those things when pursuing a career are just lying to themselves. [2]The career I chose to pursue must be in demand in my area.What's the point in investing your money,energy and time into something if you won't be able to get a job ? Im not getting any younger and need to work and earn a good living. [3]I said before and I will saying again,my career has to be related to health.I think I could look pretty and get down and dirty at the same time.Im just not comfortable with certain things Nurses have to deal with and im sure many Nurses aren't comfortable with them neither but do the job anyhow.I have seen many "pretty" Nurses.I see myself as a Nurse,but I don't see myself stuck in a lab with feces and blood everywhere.

1. Earlier in this thread you said you didn't have a clue what nursing was all about, even while you were in college. Hanging onto some vague, gauzy notion of being a nurse just because you've "always wanted to be a nurse" isn't terribly mature. I'm glad you're doing additional research into careers, but I urge you to be more realistic while evaluating your interests, preferences, and abilities.

2. Why does your career "have" to be in demand in your area? First of all, it takes a while to get through any program, and by the time you are done, the job market may well have changed, particularly on the local level. Trying to pick what's in demand is like trying to pick a winning horse at the Kentucky Derby. At the moment, there are very few careers where people are walking out of school and straight into multiple job offers (or even one, for that matter). I suggest that you train for what really interests you, because training for a job that isn't a good fit but is in demand just leads you to lousy work experiences, poor references, and eventual retraining when you just can't take it any more. Besides, unless you are tethered to your area by some sort of legal ruling, getting up and moving for a job is a very real prospect for most new grads, no matter what their field.

3. You are extremely uncomfortable with many of the basics about nursing and can't stand the thought of being "stuck in a lab with feces and blood everywhere"...yet you see yourself as a nurse?

Look, there's nothing wrong with wanting to make a comfortable wage through one's work. However, it sounds like you have a lot of preconceived notions and unrealistic ideas about how to approach selecting a career and what it takes to find a job once you're out of school. I really hope you'll seek out some career counseling through your school.

Something else that might be helpful would be for you to find as much realistic information about the work of real nurses as possible. Then go to a few people whose judgment you really trust (NOT people who'll just tell you what you want to hear), let them peruse all that information, and ask them to give their honest opinions on whether you could handle that type of job. You must make the final decision for yourself, but perhaps the considered opinions of those who know you well and will tell you the truth would help you make your decision more effectively. In any event, it will probably be more helpful than asking a bunch of strangers on the internet.

Specializes in Flu clinics, Med/Surg, Acute Care.
1. Earlier in this thread you said you didn't have a clue what nursing was all about, even while you were in college. Hanging onto some vague, gauzy notion of being a nurse just because you've "always wanted to be a nurse" isn't terribly mature. I'm glad you're doing additional research into careers, but I urge you to be more realistic while evaluating your interests, preferences, and abilities.

2. Why does your career "have" to be in demand in your area? First of all, it takes a while to get through any program, and by the time you are done, the job market may well have changed, particularly on the local level. Trying to pick what's in demand is like trying to pick a winning horse at the Kentucky Derby. At the moment, there are very few careers where people are walking out of school and straight into multiple job offers (or even one, for that matter). I suggest that you train for what really interests you, because training for a job that isn't a good fit but is in demand just leads you to lousy work experiences, poor references, and eventual retraining when you just can't take it any more. Besides, unless you are tethered to your area by some sort of legal ruling, getting up and moving for a job is a very real prospect for most new grads, no matter what their field.

3. You are extremely uncomfortable with many of the basics about nursing and can't stand the thought of being "stuck in a lab with feces and blood everywhere"...yet you see yourself as a nurse?

Look, there's nothing wrong with wanting to make a comfortable wage through one's work. However, it sounds like you have a lot of preconceived notions and unrealistic ideas about how to approach selecting a career and what it takes to find a job once you're out of school. I really hope you'll seek out some career counseling through your school.

Something else that might be helpful would be for you to find as much realistic information about the work of real nurses as possible. Then go to a few people whose judgment you really trust (NOT people who'll just tell you what you want to hear), let them peruse all that information, and ask them to give their honest opinions on whether you could handle that type of job. You must make the final decision for yourself, but perhaps the considered opinions of those who know you well and will tell you the truth would help you make your decision more effectively. In any event, it will probably be more helpful than asking a bunch of strangers on the internet.

You said what I was trying to say, just so much better! :yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah:

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