Ts2906

I am leaning towards respiratory therapy rather than nursing. So, therefore respiratory therapy.

Hello everyone, I was thinking about majoring in nursing when I return to college this fall. Which will be the fall of 2025. However, I am also thinking about respiratory therapy as well. I see a lot more nursing jobs available where currently live versus respiratory therapy jobs. I think respiratory therapy is interesting. I know with respiratory therapy; you can't move up to certain positions with more education like a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse leader like in nursing. I know that nursing has a lot more variety compared to respiratory therapy. However, I have thought about becoming a respiratory therapist and then eventually going back to college to become a PA. I would take a year off after passing my boards for respiratory therapy and work. Before going back to major in biology and complete the pre-requisites for PA school. If I did this, I would be around 40 years old when I graduate from PA school. So, I would be attending undergrad and graduate school in my 30s while working. I also think about if it is possible to work as an RT while going back to college and PA school. I was thinking maybe it would be possible to work in a PRN position as an RT while in PA school. It's either I go into respiratory therapy or nursing. I have thought about going to law school too. However, the job market where I live isn't really that strong.

Thanks everyone for your comments, I really appreciate it! I have an interest in both the ICU and the ED. I have also thought about psych as well. However, I worked in psych as a nursing assistant at a major level one trauma center. I didn't really like working on the psych units all that much honestly. The only thing that worries me about working in the ED is that it can be fast paced and not being able to keep up with the fast pace as well as being overwhelmed. I think it would be very interesting to work as an ED nurse in general though. However, I know that the ED can be slow at times though. I also have interest in becoming an NP. Either an FNP or an AGNP. I know you can work in the ED as an FNP or AGNP with the right certification. Just like PAs can work in the ED.

Thanks for the reply. I know many different areas exist. I am interested in the emergency department and working in a clinic. Like an orthopedic clinic or another outpatient clinic. I am not very interested in working in an inpatient unit. I worked in a level one trauma center as a nursing assistant and worked in many different units in the hospital. It was good experience. I also would like to become a FNP as well someday. I am aware that you can work in clinics as an FNP and even in the emergency department as an FNP with the right certification. I am not interested in the operating room or labor and delivery. I also would like to work as a nurse for a few years before starting an FNP program.

Hello everyone, I am thinking about going into nursing. I was wondering how nursing students and nurses pick their choice of specialty. Do many people figure this out while in a nursing program or once they're working. I know you can earn certifications in different areas of nursing, such as psychiatric nursing, critical care nursing, and many other areas of nursing.

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it. I know I am leaning towards nursing a lot heavier than any other career. However, I am not sure what area of nursing that I would like to go in. As I said in my post, I work in an ICF or intermediate care facility as of right now. I work with those who are intellectually and or physically disabled. I am not sure what area of nursing I would want to specialize in. I know you can specialize in nursing like in medicine. I know nurses will specialize in areas like psychiatry, cardiology, critical care, labor and delivery, etc... Do you figure that out once you're going through nursing school. I am interested in working in a family medicine clinic or some other type of clinic. Like in an orthopedic clinic. I'd prefer an environment like a clinic or smaller facility as opposed to the hospital. The nurses whom I worked with in the medical ICU were working on obtaining their CCRN certification or already had that particular certification. I just think if I have the overall goal of becoming an FNP. Then working in a clinic after graduating from nursing school or working in a clinic after working in an ICF. Would make more sense.

I am a former nursing assistant who use to work at a level one trauma center. I was going to a local community college to take my pre-requisites for the respiratory therapy program at that college. However, I am thinking about going into nursing again. Since, I have moved back to the area where I lived before moving to the city where the level one trauma center was located and the community college, I am thinking about going to does not have a respiratory therapy program. I have experience working in several different areas of the hospital as a nursing assistant. Including several intensive care units, emergency department, psychiatry, and various medical-surgical units during my almost three years at that hospital. I recently just got a new job at an intermediate care facility as a resident aide. We have nurses who work at our facility. They're either LPNs or RNs. So far, I like working at the ICF as opposed to the level one trauma center for several reasons: 1. Not as much death. (I primarily worked in the medical intensive care unit and saw patients die every week). 2. I get to work second shift and not third shift. I was working third shift at the level one trauma center. 3. I don't have to float anywhere in a large 800+ bed hospital that would require a ton of walking and taking several elevators, just to get to the unit you need to work on. Which you could only end up working on for not even your entire shift, just to get floated somewhere else. My local community college has an LPN program that awards a diploma in practical nursing. This is a different community college as opposed to the community college I was going to for respiratory therapy. They also have an ADN program that awards an associate's degree in nursing. The intermediate care facility that I work at is currently hiring for both positions in nursing. I do not have an official CNA certification. When I was hired at the level one trauma center, I went through a two-week course and was awarded an HSP certification which stands for health support professional. For the level one trauma center that I worked at during that time. A nursing assistant could either go through that two-week course and earn their HSP certification or already have a CNA certification and only have to complete the orientation part of the course. I am mentioning this since I know that many LPN, ADN, and some BSN programs require potential students to have a CNA certification to be admitted to their program. So, I have been thinking about going down some specific routes, such as: 1. Working as a resident aide at the ICF while completing the CNA course, then either finishing the few pre-requisite courses that I would need to complete for the LPN program and applying to the LPN program or just completing a few more pre-requisite classes to apply to the ADN program. Then transferring to a local private four-year university to complete an online RN to BSN program. Then a few years later before turning 40 years old, completing an online MSN-FNP program that requires in person clinicals. 2. Working as a resident aide at the ICF, completing the CNA course while working, completing the needed pre-requisite courses needed for the LPN program, working as an LPN at the ICF while enrolled in an online LPN to BSN program that a local private four-year university offers in my area. After earning my LPN diploma at the community college. After a few years before turning 40 years old, enrolling in an online MSN-FNP program that requires in person clinicals. 3. Working as a resident aide at the ICF, completing the CNA course while working at the ICF, then complete a CMA or certified medication aide course through my local community college. Work as a certified medication aide while finishing pre-requisite courses through my local community college to apply to the ADN program. Then transfer to the local private four-year university I was talking about to complete the RN to BSN online program. Finally, a few years later before turning 40 years old, enrolling in an online MSN-FNP program that requires in person clinicals. I am currently 27 years old and will be 28 years old, later this year. I am also a man. I know about 87% of this field is female dominated. If I become an LPN, I would like to have that done before I turn 30 and my ADN done before 32. Also at least have my BSN done before 35 and then have an MSN-FNP before 40. Due to my age, I think about just going straight for the ADN and skipping the LPN entirely. I have also thought about other careers outside of healthcare entirely which is teaching high school and becoming a lawyer. However, becoming a lawyer would lead to the most student debt overall and becoming a high school teacher would probably require me to move. Since, I would only be able to teach high school history. It isn't like elementary education where you can just earn that degree and teach any subject with the right endorsements at any elementary grade level. High school teachers usually stick to one subject area with the right endorsements. Also, more nursing jobs are available as opposed to education. In my area, our local hospitals are hiring nurses, nursing homes are hiring, ICFs are hiring, the offices within the health systems are hiring. Also finding a job as a lawyer can be challenging and they work crazy hours. I personally know a lawyer. Unless you work for a big law firm in a major city. You have tons of debt and start out making between 50k and 70k as a new lawyer and it takes years to make six figures. Big law firms pay brand new lawyers six figure salaries. You have to graduate at the top 10% of your law school class at a tier 2 school or graduate in the top half of your class at a T14 law school for a job in big law. Elitism is a big thing in that field. And once you get to higher levels, such as the U.S. attorney's office or the federal bench. It is very political, and you have to be on good terms with the right members of congress and the president. Otherwise, when the next administration comes in, someone is going to replace you. U.S. attorneys and federal judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the senate. The president is going to want attorneys and judges who are a part of the same political party as them. While working as a nursing assistant at the level one trauma center that I worked at. I learned that not all of the nursing staff held other degrees and were in other careers previously. One I got to know well was in business and went back for nursing. I also learned people will come from families that have multiple healthcare workers. I don't have any in my family. Just a cousin who is a therapist, multiple small business owners, an aunt who works in wealth management, and my dad and stepdad both worked in sales. And then the lawyer whom I know personally that went to high school with my dad. Has been a lawyer for 30+ years now. My dad is almost 60. Any advice is appreciated from any level of nursing. I apologize that this is so long. However, this is all I have been thinking about, and I am only getting older and watching all of my friends, former classmates, and even family become many different things. Meanwhile, I still have no degree. However, while at the community college I went to in the past, I did earn 15 college credits that I can apply towards whatever degree I choose to pursue. I have also thought about becoming a police officer. Since, I am pretty fit, can run, and investigatory stuff is interesting to me. However, I don't like the dangerous aspects of being one and know a few in my local community. You have to be on patrol for a certain amount of time before becoming a detective. I am also not very physical at all. Where I live, they get into a lot of vehicle and foot chases, and people can be physical towards them. Also, the possibility of having to use a firearm on someone because they're using a firearm towards you is not for me. I would rather be undercover and not a patrol officer. However, you can't skip that at the local level. Unless you join the FBI. I have looked into that as well. However, I would have to move to Virginia for their academy and they want people with certain degrees like IT, finance, computer science, cybersecurity to become special agents. I have tried to keep an open mind and do as much research as I can to keep my options open over time.