victoriac

I posted the original question about deciding between becoming an SLP aor RN. You have all given me something to think over carefully as I continue researching, thinking, gathering information. Thanks for your help! Your professionalism is inspiring!

I'm considering a mid-life career change from education to some field in allied health. I'm seriously looking at either speech language pathology or nursing, and I would like to work in rehabilitation. I'm concerned about the implications of the Medicare cuts but feel that there will be a need for professional services in either area. Any advice on the realities of working in either of these fields? Any insights that might help with this decision? Will my experience in education serve me well in helping people to retrain in living skills and to adjust to new challenges in their lives? Thanks in advance. :) :balloons:

OK, I'm 43. I can relate to much of what has been posted here and I am grateful to others for their honesty. I,too, feel like I need to hurry up and get this career issue settled. I am a teacher and I feel strongly drawn to working in health care. I'm looking into several allied health fields. Like many of you, I am very interested in nursing but am really scared about the risks that come with having people's lives in your hands. Making mistakes scares me. Here's what I am thinking, though, that might help: we are grown--and we have opportunities to grow further. We've done things. We have experience in other fields, plus life experience. That doesn't make us perfect people nor does it qualify us for nursing. But I think that we owe it to ourselves and to the people we will eventually serve in whatever line of work we go into next to put to good use what we CAN do. The fact that we are worried could suggest that we are in a position to learn to be responsible, commited, and competent professionals. Thankfully, we have an educational system that allows people to go back later in life and retrain (unfortunately, we have an economy that often makes this necessary). But maybe one of the best uses of this discussion is to remind each other that we--each of us in unique ways--have experiences and insights and strengths that we have learned and gained over time. If we see that as positive potential, we can use these strengths and not feel embarrassed for still being unresolved about career choices. It sounds like many of the people posting are really, at heart, potentially outstanding as professionals. Now we need to take worry and put it to work in deciding if we can do this. Sorry if this sounds preachy--not my intention at all. I just want to encourage all of us over thirty (and younger, if need be) not to panic, but to see our strenths and to decide if nursing is where those strenths can be of use. :balloons:

:uhoh21: This is a helpful forum. I hate to sound like a bundle of fears, but I think this discussion has helped me to address realistically some of the big risks and rewards that come with this field. Here's my question: how do nurses live and work with the health and safety risks they encounter on the job? I'm thinking of needle sticks, risks of infection, and so forth. I remember reading a newspaper article in my city about health care workers and Hepatitus C. A nurse had contracted the disease through needle stick while providing home care. And I know that's not the only concern. With the workloads being as demanding as they are today under managed care, are nurses able to exercise caution as much as would be considered safe? Thanks in advance for your perspectives.

Your postings have really given me something to think about. I'm a teacher considering a career change. Education classes were, for the most part, very much like what you complain about--mindless, time wasting (with a few really great exceptions). I like being a teacher, but I am interested in health care and hope to use my teaching skills in whatever allied health field I might choose. I'm looking at an accelerated BSN program that is highly rated, but I'm intimidated. No, make that scared. Given what's been written here, I am less likely to pursue an accelerated program, or any BSN. Thoughts, advice? (I'm in my forties, and have young children.)

I'm a teacher considering a career change. I am fascinated by health care, but there are a lot of issues to think about before I make a commitment. One of the big worries that I have about nursing is the potential for making an error (such as overmedicating). I am also concerned about my discomfort with math and how this might affect my ability to perform well as a nurse. To add to all of this concern, I've read so much about the poor working conditions in hospitals under managed care, with many RNs worried that long shifts and overload have caused them--experienced nurses--to worry about thier making mistakes and losing licenses (as well as unintentionally causing harm). How do others deal with these issues?