new to this site! I'm wondering how y'all made the decision to go to nursing school instead of med school (or if you ever considered it?). I've been considering my options lately as I'm looking for a career change and I definitely want to go into one of the healthcare fields. I definitely plan to shadow both but I also imagine there are a lot of differences among specialties and practice models so it's hard to just generalize a couple of shadowing experiences to the whole job itself. So I'm mainly looking for advice here- did you ever consider med school instead of nursing school, and if not, why not? And if you specifically liked nursing school better, why?
Thank you guys so much for your perspectives. Lots to think about.
Do you ever get bothered by the fact that you don't get to make the ultimate decisions in terms of the patient's management or care? I'm a bit of a control freak and I wonder if it would bother me to have someone tell me what to do even when I disagree...does that ever bug you? Do you feel like the profession is really respected as well?
Thanks again for your insight! I do love the idea of being with the patient 24/7...
I grew up in the medical field. My dads a nephrologist and my mums a rn. I always had an interest in healthcare but in hs I didn't feel I was smart enough for medicine. I tried running from it (I was a film, then business and even nutrition major before fi ally realizing I have a serious talent in healthcare. Like many have stated before...I love the one on one patient care. I am a current cna (have been for a yr now) and I love it. Ultimately I want to be a ccapn, but for now I am working learning as muvh as I can while taking pre reqs for the ASN or BSN program.
Both are very stressful and I have witnessed how both careers are and with my personality I chose nursing over medicine.
Did you ever consider being a PA(physicians assistant)?
The medical model and the nursing model look at patient care two very different ways, and as a result the training the person receives (and the perspective the person develops) about patient care can be worlds apart.
Of course, you have to be IN the medical field to appreciate this. Looking at it from the outside: Doctors make the decisions, nurses give medications. Reality is very different, and sometimes, for example, it can be difficult looking into a room where a code is being run to decide who is the doctor and who is the nurse (and the RT for that matter.)
And when all else fails, people look at the paycheck. Which is grossly distorted. Docs in some specialties have to carry millions of dollars in malpractice insurance, personally, which costs a ton. Nurses are generally covered by the facility that they practice in. Nurses are also able to make overtime; docs "take one for the team." (of course this is a gross simplification, but somewhat accurate) But owing to ever stricter insurance reimbursement rates, doctors don't make what people think they do; and some nurses make a lot more than the doctor they are working beside.
Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.
Well said Meljonumd!!!
I have toyed with both ideas. In fact, I visit moms in medicines blog almost as much as all nurses. Wait that's a lie, I'm on AN 20 times per day.
My goal is to become an NP. This way I can make some greater decisions on patient care, without having to start from the bottom and basically redo my undergrad work. Interestingly, the amount of time it will take to become an NP and to become a doctor are comparable.
However, as a nurse I can earn 1 level, work, bridge, earn a little more, bridge, etc, which makes more sense than medical school at my age with 3 children. (While going through a divorce)
In an ideal situation though, I think if a person really wants to be an MD, they should go for it.
AM326
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I grew up in the medical field. My dads a nephrologist and my mums a rn. I always had an interest in healthcare but in hs I didn't feel I was smart enough for medicine. I tried running from it (I was a film, then business and even nutrition major before fi ally realizing I have a serious talent in healthcare. Like many have stated before...I love the one on one patient care. I am a current cna (have been for a yr now) and I love it. Ultimately I want to be a ccapn, but for now I am working learning as muvh as I can while taking pre reqs for the ASN or BSN program.
Both are very stressful and I have witnessed how both careers are and with my personality I chose nursing over medicine.
Did you ever consider being a PA(physicians assistant)?