are you or were you Medical Laboratory Technologist?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am BSN student, and will start 3rd semester this fall. initially, I was studying to become MLT. soon after I got into a program(BS), I had to relocate due to family matter. I agonized over making that decision since transferring into other college meant starting all over(4 years instead of 2!). but I didn't have a choice. so that was one reason I switched to nursing. I really enjoyed 1st semester, but then reality kicked in. first of all, I was never interested in interaction with patients. but I did my best to bring out all the compassions I have within.....and it did help, but I just cant get used to changing diaper, cleaning body fluids. I have been really depressed lately thinking that I might have made HUGE mistake switching to nursing :(. I know nursing is way more than just that, but I am having hard time getting used to it...so I need some advice from current MLT or postMLT. what was your intention to become a nurse and did you ever have similar problem? if so how did you overcome it?

thank you so much for reading...

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Hi! I was an MLT for 8 yrs! Have associates degree! I am currently starting ADN program in Aug! I am switching because I am bored with labwork! But now that I have had a break, I miss it! Have worked in hospital & clinical setting! Feel I will have many more opportunities as an RN! But I also do not regret my time as MLT! Lots of luck with your BSN!

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I was a MLT for seven years before becoming a nurse. I was always interested in the medical field but initially didn't want to have any patient contact...that's why I picked medical laboratory technology. But to be honest, and nothing against labwork, I found it so boring. I worked in a hospital lab and the work is very repetitious and tedious. I made the switch to nursing because I discovered it was the patients that made the job interesting. I don't know how many times I'd get called to one of floors for a stat lab draw-I would become intrigued by the patient care after seeing the patient, their lab results and then wonder what was wrong with them and what was done to treat their medical condition. It was hard for me that first year as a nurse taking care of patients but I have to say--I have never been bored. And with a nursing degree there is such a variety of different things you can do...you don't have to work in a hospital setting. Its just a matter of finding your niche. I have gotten so much more satisfaction working as a nurse than as a lab tech. I hope this helps...Good luck!

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I am currently in school to get my BS in Clinical Laboratory Science. I was the opposite. I was set on nursing and was a CNA for a while, volunteered in the nurses unit, finished all the pre-reqs for nursing, but found that I enjoyed my science classes much more than I ever did taking care of patients. Patient care is definitely not for me in anyway. I don't even like doing the blood draws. My passion is science. I love the application of science that the MT/CLS role provides, though, and I like the idea of being part of the healthcare team "behind" the scenes. I even decided against the MLT training (the associate's degree) because I WANTED to take the harder, longer science classes.

I know MT's get bored and burnt out so my plans are to possibly work for a few years as an MT and apply to pharmacy school. I think clinical pharmacy could be exciting. Plus I was one of the top students in our organic chemistry series and scored in the 99th percentile on the American Chemical Society's Organic Chemistry exam and people I've talked to said that people who enjoy and do well in organic chemistry tend to do well and really enjoy pharmacy school.

I think the bottom line is I like "boring" things like the lab and I honestly loved the year long organic chemistry sequence more than any other classes I have had in my life and that is strange to most people, but it fits for me. You have to find what fits for YOU and what makes you excited! Is that nursing? Is that the lab?

Nursing offers A LOT and there are many facets of it that you can find passion for. It's not all body fluids and stuff like that. There are so many areas out there to explore. And remember it is natural to feel nervous and doubt yourself, no matter what stage of your education you are in, but that doesn't mean you've made the wrong choice.

I know tons of MT's who went on to become nurses as their second career and I know a few RN's who went back to school and took pay cuts to become MT's. So no one on here can tell you what the right thing to do is. But I think if you are in the nursing program you should stick it out and try to find where you niche might be.

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Specializes in cardiac ICU.

I was an MLT for nearly 15 years by the time I got my RN license. I debated going back to school to become a nurse for close to 5 years. Each time I had nearly decided to go for it, I would go onto a floor for a blood draw and someone would have filled the bed full of something noxious that needed cleaned up and I would think "Not for me!". I got to the point I decided to enter nursing school and give it a try. I thought I would learn very quickly during that first semester if I would be able to complete the program - since my skills would be limited to passing pills, giving shots, giving baths, and cleaning up BMs. I found out I loved it. I much prefer interacting with the patients to putting samples on machines and pressing "start". Also, my "career" as an MLT would have been fairly limited to being a bench tech for the rest of my working life. I have soooo much more career potential as an RN.

Also, my wage had "capped out" as an MLT. I'm now in a different city and making roughly $12/hr MORE than the previous cap.

But being happy in what you do is very important, if you don't enjoy providing bedside care....perhaps another career route would be better.

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Specializes in Infection Preventionist/ Occ Health.

I am a medical technologist (ASCP) with a BS in Clinical Laboratory Science. I worked for four and a half years in the lab before I became a nurse. Now I use skills from both degrees in my new job.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I was not an MLT, but I worked in our state's Newborn Screening Lab for 6 years. (I have a BS in Chemistry.) I enjoy lab work and I loved knowing that I was helping people. But, as the years went by I found myself wondering more and more about how the babies & parents were doing. I wanted to be there and see them and help them somehow, instead of just giving them some grim diagnosis. So, I decided to go back to school (tons of other frustrations & reasons I'll not go into here). There are some things that I'm not looking forward to (i.e. bodily fluids) but the desire to help is stronger. Just follow what your heart tells you!

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Specializes in ER/OR.
I was not an MLT, but I worked in our state's Newborn Screening Lab for 6 years. (I have a BS in Chemistry.) I enjoy lab work and I loved knowing that I was helping people. But, as the years went by I found myself wondering more and more about how the babies & parents were doing. I wanted to be there and see them and help them somehow, instead of just giving them some grim diagnosis. So, I decided to go back to school (tons of other frustrations & reasons I'll not go into here). There are some things that I'm not looking forward to (i.e. bodily fluids) but the desire to help is stronger. Just follow what your heart tells you!

Nice to have another Charleston, WV allnurse :D

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I'm currently a medical technologist right now and have been for about 3 years now. I have to say that it does get boring after a while. That's why I'm applying to nursing school for next year. I know people who have been medical technologists for 35 years and they hate it. They wished they switched to something better when they were younger, but now they're stuck being a med tech.

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