Need Advice, Nursing or Ultrasound Tech.?

[nursin4me]

Hello everyone:

I've been perusing this board for quite a while and I'm glad such a fabulous nursing forum exists for everyone in the profession and for those considering it. I really need some career advice from the wonderful seasoned nurses on this board and I apologize in advance for the long post.

Currently, I'm a stay-at-home mom, but would like to get into the healthcare field, specifically nursing or sonography. Nursing was my first choice and I took most of my pre-reqs, but I'm in California and there are very few accelerated BSN programs (I have a BA) and the ADN schools take forever to get into. I also do not want to pursue an entry-level MSN due to cost and the fact that ADN's have better bedside training, which I think is critical. I basically got really discouraged with the school situation and after reading these boards for hundreds of hours, I also got the feeling that many veteran nurses would not recommend the profession to newbies. After all the "discouragement", I'm still attracted to nursing and my friends who are fairly new RN's love it so far. I like the flexibility with working hours, but it seems that new RN's get stuck working 3rd shift, holidays, weekends, etc. I need to have my weekends free for my family and I would hate to miss some holidays with my kids. Also, the political BS seems to be more rampant in nursing and that something that would really get to me.

Now, I'm really considering a transition to being an ultrasound tech, since locally pay is the same as an RN and it seems like I can have more autonomy while working and not have to deal with as much BS. I would have to work a regualr 9-5/5 days a week though, so that aspect is not appealing. In my case, this choice has alot more pros to it then the RN route.

I thank you if you've read this entire post and would appreciate some advice from professionals in both fields. :)

Thanks,

Laura

[RN1263]

do the ultrasound route....that's what i was going to do, but choose nursing school instead. i have all my general class and only 5 nursing classes to go and i hate it!

[NurseLatteDNP, MSN, DNP, RN]

I chose the RN route because of the schedule flexibility, which is better for my family. I am in nursing school right now, and I love it. I am also glad that I chose this, because of the versatility of different nursing fields I can get into and many more job opportunities through the country (and the world).

[anticoagulationurse]

Depends on your interests. If you want a job that might wear you out by the end of the day when you get home to your family, Nursing. Also choose nursing if you want flexibility in where and when you want to work, and are always up for a challenge and continual learning. You could get an office nursing job for better hours and less pay.

Choose US tech if you don't mind routine, predictibility, limited patient interaction and follow through. Of course, there are more pro-cons, but as a tired nurse, that's all I've got for ya!

As far as I've found, both careers will be on the rise (well anything healthcare). I think you'd have more options as a nurse. Good luck to you!

[Aubreysmom]

I am about to gratuate from nursing school. Once I am a RN how could I become a sonographer? Do I have to go back to school full time or are there other ways? I am looking to work with and ob/gyn and would like to be able to not only be a nurse but also do ultrasound.

[LeLeeFNP]

I'm not sure where you live but I live in Nashville,TN and here if you have an associates degree or higher in any allied health field (including nursing) you are eligable to do a 12 month certificate program that will train you as a diagnostic medical sonographer. The program qualifies you to sit for the national certification exams. I know there are other programs out there like this because when I lived in wisconsin there were similar programs. So if I were you I'd start researching for programs of this nature. I think it is a smart decision to have both. I am actually thinking about doing it as well.

[ZumbaJen913]

I am in the same boat as you. I am about to graduate with my AA in general education. I can either enter the nursing or sonography program by the summer semester. What I like about Nursing is the flexible schedule and that from what I've been researching, it's more in demand than sonography. However, I am leaning more torwards sonography because it seems a whole lot less stressful than nursing and it's within the same pay scale. I don't want to work mon-fri 9a-5pm because I do want to homeschool but I'm sure there's hospital jobs that offer similar schedules as nursing. From what I've been researching, if you want something that you don't go home super stressed out, good pay, job demand and not a lot of schooling, I would say aim towards the ultrasound technician route.