Is there another career path that I could take?

[briannad]

I am currently a pre-nursing student and I am enrolled at a community college for now but I will be transferring to a university once I figure out what I am going to do in the future. I never took nursing classes while I was in highschool because I didn't know what I wanted to do up until after I graduated. I've watched youtube videos and have done extensive research and I'm coming to realize I'm not too interested in becoming a nurse anymore. I know for a fact that I want to be in the healthcare field, work in a hospital and with patients BUT, I just don't think I can handle the bedside part of nursing and nursing school. Are there any other options for me besides nursing that I may have over looked?

I want to AT LEAST obtain my bachelors degrees but if I were to go into a PA program, what type of degree would you suggest I get beforehand?

[imhorsemackerel, LPN]

For PA program, I'm sure they'd want you to go for a BS in science or math. It would be best to ask the particular program in which you're interested.

[idkmybffjill]

There's many different jobs in healthcare. Totally depends on what you want out of a job. Here's a list of 50 healthcare jobs: Top 5

[oops I bradyed again]

Do you mean you don't think you can handle the bedside part of nursing school, or nursing school in general? If you mean in general, just know that any program for a healthcare profession (especially if you want to work in the hospital) is going to be challenging and competitive.

Have you considered OR nursing? It's completely different than being bedside on a med/surg unit and (at least in my area) the OR will hire new grads if you completed your IP there. There are other nursing positions that don't require being at the bedside, such as informatics, leadership positions, and case management. However, I believe many of these positions require some bedside experience and for that reason are probably not of interest to you.

There are many jobs in healthcare that don't require as much bedside time as nursing, or none at all, but you will need to do your own research to determine which one best meets your goals and interests. Some that come to mind include; physician, PA, x-ray tech, tele tech, HUC, pharmacist, and dietician. When you find a position you think you might be interested in I recommend shadowing someone and researching not only the position, but the schooling you will have to complete in order to obtain that position.

In my area, the PA program is a Masters program so you must have your Bachelors to apply and complete the GRE. You should contact schools in your area or search their websites to find out what their specific requirements are.

[vsheehan]

Before you make this decision may I suggest getting a job as a Nurse's assistant /patient care technician/ medical assistant in the hospital first. Then you can get a better view of the hospital setting and what job you hope to advance to. As far as non nursing jobs in the hospital there is Physicians assistant Respiratory therapist, Physical therapist, Occupational therapist,social worker, xray tech Phlebotomist, lab tech,