palemoon

As the child of a nurse, and a medical assistant/pre-nursing student, I can firmly say it's not for lots of money. But nursing does have that middle-class income that I'm looking for, plus benefits. Side benefits include: Job security, interesting, varied, semi-autonomous work, and helping people. I'm a very practical person, and wouldn't be happy in a job where I couldn't directly see the impact of what I do. I meet very interesting people, and I'm constantly being challenged. Plus I like knowing that my job takes a certain kind of person, and I'm one of those. Huh, now I'm almost excited about returning from vacation. A good chance to rest, now let's get back to it! :)

Great post! I actually thought that I was a bully for awhile too, because I had my moments, as we all do, and I thought bullies were just mean to people. But looking back, I can definitely see the distinction. People have snappy moments. Bullies have a long-term goal in mind. Thanks again!

Make yourself not be judgmental--that's like asking yourself not to breathe. No, what matters is what you actually do, not what you think. It does present an interesting thought when you bring it up though--why are we so obsessed with our own thoughts? Why does our society make them mean so much? Why do we feel like we have to even conform our innermost thoughts and feelings to what is expected? That we're "fake" or "bad" otherwise? Thanks for the thought-provoking post, OP :).

In between the stresses of pre-reqs, applications, interviews, and entrance exams, it's fun to kick back and imagine our careers as fully-fledged RNs! Discuss the specialties that just really stick out to you. You can say a bit about why you think that specialty is a good fit for you. If you're not sure, you're still welcome to jump in and explore your options with us! While we know that maybe our minds might change in nursing school and plans go awry, what is the harm in dreaming and planning? I'll go first: Trauma, critical care (of any kind), and emergency sound wonderful to me. Nursing research and/or informatics could also be highly interesting for post-grad. I love technical skills and improving patient outcomes.

Nope. They're not implying that I did or did not, they just want to know. Nothing insulting about it.

That's insanity if I've ever heard it. "Doctor" is a title given to all people who have doctorate degrees, full stop. The state is basically telling NPs: "Clinical psychologists, optometrists, chiropractors, doctoral-level physicists, chemists, and biologists can be called what they earned, but you can't because it makes physicians uncomfortable." Especially in primary care, patients are aware they're seeing an NP. This taboo will only emphasize to the public and MD/NP professions: "NPs aren't different, they're inferior!"

It depends on a couple of factors: 1. What does your financial situation look like? RN programs are expensive, and you won't make very much even if you can secure a PCT job. As you said, in one year the LVN would have you making money. 2. What other commitments do you have? RN school is time-consuming. Can you commit the time necessary to make good enough grades to impress a grad school? Or would being an LVN at first allow you to space this out so you can keep many balls in the air? Plus, and I don't know if you're aware of this: You may need a BSN (Bachelor's of Science in Nursing) to apply to the school you want. Check to make sure their program is "post-RN" or "RN-to-MSN" not "post-baccalaureate" or "BSN-to-MSN." Grad schools look at your RN or BSN school grades, GRE (grad school entrance exam) scores, and professional references. All of these things you must keep in mind, and it's ultimately your decision. Good luck in all you do, whatever you do :).

Has anyone heard of the Fat Acceptance Movement? According to its Wikipedia article: "Some in the movement have argued that the health risks of fatness and obesity have been exaggerated or misrepresented, and used as cover for cultural and aesthetic prejudices against fat." They say that "people can be healthy at any size." I'm all for social justice and reducing prejudice, but to me "healthy at any size," means having normal vital signs, normal cholesterol, normal blood sugars, and a normal amount of body fat versus muscle (the BMI can be unreliable here). Body size be damned if these categories are normal, but those who are overweight/obese seem to have trouble doing this. Not a coincidence. Not exagerrated. Cold fact.

My first instinct was: Why exactly did you want to switch from education to nursing? Are you interested in the medical field? Did you have a family member get excellent care from nurses? If you have heard stories about nursing being "recession proof," and in "high demand," please take a second look. No job is recession-proof, and nursing is experiencing a backlog because of the recession. Older nurses are finding themselves unable to retire, while new nurses continue being put out without jobs. You will be responsible for patient care. That means medications, IVs, breathing tubes, feeding tubes, all manner of technology, depending on which specialty you go into. You will have to work certain holidays, most likely. You will have to interact with physicians, families, and all of the personalities that come with those people, day in and day out. Year after year. I'm trying to have you go into this with eyes wide open. This is a serious career change, and a big commitment. Good luck with whatever decision you make :).

I was always under the impression that at least 2 years of RN bedside experience is ideal, and in the specialty you want to pursue. Post-RN certification (CCRN, CEN, etc.) is also helpful. Those that are serious about pursuing the NP or CRNA route will already know this. Regardless, I get tired of these ranty, "I am SO SICK of X PEOPLE!" posts. Degrading and unnecessary.

This is only my personal preference, but I do not want to have any male L&D or Gyn caregivers, whether physician, nurse, or otherwise. It's not about them, it's about my history of sexual assault and though I would dearly like to be comfortable with them uncovering me and touching me, I just can't. I'm just there to get medical care, I would really not like to have a draining emotional experience while I'm there, thanks. Male nurses should absolutely be employed wherever they want to be employed. But as a patient, I should be able to say who takes care of me, without being told to "go get psych care for [my] pathological hangups." It's as simple as a polite request, and I have had it happen before with a male tech who was very gracious, so nurses are not above it.

Hey there--I'm one of those adult autistics that the medical literature seems to consider mythical creatures! :) As an adult, the most important thing for me was to have a community of fellow autistics and advocate for myself. Autism Speaks and other charities like it are okay, but they are mainly composed of health professionals and parents. No autistic people actually sit on their board and they are not welcome to submit ideas. This would be fine if it were a medical board of some kind, but these are advocacy groups, affecting the public view of autism as a whole. The autistic community that I belong to consider it to be a disability like deafness, in that we don't consider ourselves to be "sick" and in need of "correcting," or "curing," instead we need help to live in our communities fully and communicate with neurotypical people (people without autism). We are not a homogenous group; we all have different needs. I am passionate about bridging the communication gap between NTs and those with autism, that we are full people. I want to end parents murdering their autistic children and labeling them "high-functioning" and "low-functioning." I mean, what does that even mean, really? It's hard to really pin down what they're trying to describe there. Sorry, I'm just super passionate about all this :).

Front row center in my theory classes. Even with my glasses, I'm so nearsighted it just makes it easier to sit there. In lab we're all getting up to take each others' vitals/stick each other, so the best seat in the house is next to a warm, willing body. Aaaaaand that doesn't sound right >.>

MA's are certified at the national level, though the AAMA or AMT. MA's also do not get just clinical duties--we are also taught the basics of billing and coding, filing insurance forms, ordering supplies, and other administrative tasks for the physician such as phoning in prescriptions. We are employed by physicians. This is why the payscale is higher. Also the longer amount of minimum schooling.

Just finished my pre-reqs for MA school, on to the meat and potatoes: MA Fundamentals Theory I MA Fundamentals Lab I Medical Office Procedures Nursing school application is in the mail! I'm top of my class after pre-reqs--hope my chosen school is impressed with a 3.8 :).