Nuc med and nursing??

[Curious1alwys, BSN, RN]

Can anyone give me a perspective on how these occupations differ? I would like to know pros and cons of each. If nursing ends up not being for me, I think I plan to try nuc med. I love reading, research, analyzing, problem solving...tend not to be too proficient in people skills..therefore I thought nuc med may be less people oriented.

Does nuc med get monotonous? Seems like there would not be near the opportunity as nursing as far as changing gears?

Thank you!

[ERNurse752, RN]

I don't personally know, but one of my friends used to to nuc med, got bored, and became a nurse. She likes nursing a lot better because there is more variety, she makes more money, and there are a lot more scheduling options...nights, weekend option, etc.

[Pvt. Parts]

My mom has been a nuclear medicine tech. for 30 years. The field is expanding and the money is getting way better.

There is a bit of patient contact & contact with MD's but not quite like the contact nurses have. You'll have more time in front of a 'puter than a nurse, preparing the data for presentation to the docs so that they can make their Dx.

Edit: She just got off a 10H shift and wanted me to add this -- the NRC is the most anal-retentive gov't agency out there, so you must have good attention to detail. She does cardio scans and PET at the moment. Depending on the job, the hours vary.

[undecided]

I'm a nuc med student. I have no experience in nursing so I can't compare. There is way less patient care. We spend time with the patients explaining the procedures, injecting them with isotopes and then scanning them. Alot of time is spent preparing the radioactive isotopes and documenting everything. There are ALOT of regulations that you have to abide by since you are dealing with radioactive material. There is also alot of film processing. There are many different types of studies that nuc medicine does. The salaries in my are are compariable or higher than nursing. The hours are generally M-F 8-5. Pet scans and cardio stress tests are big right now. You need to take courses in physics, radiation safety and protection, chem, math, A&P, pathology as well as procedures and patient care.

I was considering nursing but was worried that I could not deal with all the patient contact that nursing involved. Plus, I think Nuc med is a little less stressful- hours are more normal. I am still considering nursing if I get bored with Nuc Med.

[Curious1alwys, BSN, RN]

Undecided...

LOVE LOVE LOVE your username! Me to a tee!

I am going with nursing now, nuc med or lab science my next choice. We will see in two weeks!:)