Other medical careers?

[Skrawberri]

Hello everyone! I have posted around here before, so maybe I might seem familiar.. If not, well, I am a junior in highschool, and I WAS deciding on majoring in nursing in college. After reading alot on these boards, how much nurses make (truly pitiful), poor working conditions, etc.. Im not sure I want to do this my whole life any more. But I know that I want to go into the medical field, in some form. If I do go the nursing route, I'll be doing the CRNA schooling a couple years after.

But I wanted to ask... If you hadn't chosen nursing as a career, what would you like to be doing now? And another Q, what are some other medical professions that are more respected/well paid (other than MD.. 10 more years of school doesnt appeal to me)? Thanks so much! :)

[New CCU RN]

Definitely agree, a few months ago I remember reading in a newspaper...cant remember which one that pharmacists are in a shortage as well and it is just getting worse........ there are plenty of jobs out there for them....and if working in a walgreens isnt the thing for you....icu pharmacies in a larger hospital can be real exciting, you respond to codes and are always real busy.... it is agreat field in my opinion to go into!!!! (with starting salaries def above 75 k

[askater11]

That's funny. Last week a R.N. said, "I wish I wasn't a nurse, but went to school as a pharmacist." Our floor pharmacist said, "No you won't want to. If I had to start over I won't be a pharmacist."

[New CCU RN]

The grass is always greener on the other side..hehehe

[Pretzlgl]

The grass is always greener....and the money is greener too....

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

I should have been a telephone lineman. I LOVE wiring and setting up systems. I made $54 a week before taxes when I first started at Southern Bell. I think I might have moved up the line and had a good career with them. But then Nursing wasn't so bad the first 15 or so years.

[Teshiee]

CRNA's are one of the highest paid nurses. I also understand perfusionist do okay too. It is 2 year program but you have to be with in 30 minutes from a hospital that specializes in cardiothoracic med because you may be subject to be on call. I know they make more that RN's I was considering looking into it. If I hadn't choose nursing I would have just been a scum dwelling lawyer at least they get paid for being abused!!!!!! I know some say you should like your job and that is true to an extent but many are in a comfort zone and do not want to change their miserable existance. I feel like this if you are going to go into something at least get paid for it. Nursing you can do well depending where you live and specialty. I have a friend who does traveling and strikes and makes nearly 100k a year! It is up to you. I make around 70k and I work perdiem no fulltime no money or good benefits I have seen yet! You are young take your time choose what you like the good thing about this country you can change careers and still be young enough to make a difference.

[Anaclaire]

i firmly believe that you should do what you love and enjoy.

having said that, we all need to put food on the table, and nursing can always do that. my mom, who grew up in the 1940's where a "successful" woman was one who married "well" always told us, "marry a doctor or a mortitian because he'll always have a job... people are always sick or dying."

i have a cousin who is a nurse but only worked in hospitals for 2 years. she has been a sales representative for a company who sells fancy, expensive, icu beds to hospitals. she makes a very good salary and enjoys travelling.

i have another cousin who is also a nurse and she is a pharmaceutical sales representative making a decent salary and traveling well too. she was a bedside nurse for 5 years.

both of these rns got their jobs because they were rns and knowledgable about medicine, patient care and drugs, and had the personalities and demeanors for sales. neither are married or have children, but are very happy with their jobs and lives. they've both been doing these jobs for almost 20 years.

so, being an rn doesn't mean a person must work with "patients" every day. my cousins make more money when they have a good sales month. either of them could have chosen to be in sales rather than nursing but they loved medicine and nursing too.

my point is that there is more a person can do with their rn degree than just care for patients, and there are other jobs (as mentioned above) that have the ability to make more money than "regular" nursing pays.

do what you love the money will follow

love and light to all....:kiss

[sjoe]

"Do what you LOVE The money will follow."

Unless what you love just happens to be closely related to sitting on the sofa slamming down beers and watching football on television all day.

[baseline]

FYI Our hospital is doing alot of their ACB's off pump.........think I'd cancel the perfusionist idea! :-)