Physical Therapy Vs RN

[2bNurseguru]

I am debating between going to RN school or Physical therapy school. I currently have a masters in nutrition and make aroung 40K in the missouri. The only challenge is the starting pay for RNs here is $18 /hr--which is lower than what I am currently making.

My other option is Physical therapy. Since you work in hospitals with these professionals, what do you think about this career path? Do they recieve better pay. I have been in my current position for 5 years and I am really geting bored and there is no room for advancement. The career options in my field are also very limited since I am not a Registered Dietitian. My job is very flexible though and is good for someone raising kids like myself, but once my kids starting going to school, I want to be in career that I can enjoy, make more money and advance. I can afford to go to school and still work inmy full time job since it is very flexible.

Thanks for any advice.

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

Moved to Nursing Career Advice Forum. Good luck to you.

[3rdcareerRN]

Nursing offers so many choices -- if you survive your first year. Just go read some of the first-year threads...

Physical therapists make more sooner than most nurses. However, it is very physically demanding work, unless you can offload it to the PT Tech. It could become boring in 5 years too.

As with any career decision, first ask yourself what you need, and then ask what makes you happy. Then, compare those two lists against all possible careers. Finally, shadow at least two persons in your potential new career.

Good luck.

[jtanga]

The median expected salary for a typical Certified Nurse Anesthetist in the United States is $134,820

The median expected salary for a typical Physical Therapist in the United States is $65,466.

http://swz.salary.com

Theres a lot of branches of Nurse out there.

BSN is 4 years

BSPT is 6-7 years..plus internship.

[PACNWNURSING]

I suggest you discuss this with a hospital PT and an out patient PT, and see what they say about it.... The PT'S in our hospital never appear stressed and have much less responsibility....

[HealthyRN]

Please note that the above figures for salary are for CRNA, which is a registered nurse with an advanced degree who is licensed to administer anesthesia during surgery. This would require a BSN, at least 1-2 years of critical care experience, and then the completion of a master's degree in a CRNA nursing program. The average salary for RNs is much lower and closer to that of PTs.

There are many career options in both PT and nursing. There are many different specialities within PT, which is something many people do not realize. Also, there is a greater opportunity for entreprenuership in PT, if you want to open a private practice. Both can be physically demanding jobs and stressful at times. However, from personal observation and having a sister-in-law that is a PT, it seems to me that PT involves less stress overall. They also tend to work regular office hours and have holidays and weekends off, which is not the case in nursing. PT is also a more unified profession than nursing; all states are now moving toward the DPT.

I would also recommend shadowing both professions, as they are very different and involve different lifestyles. Good luck to you!