Naester06

I have now been working in my ER for two years and still have only had 2 interviews in my radiology dept after applying for over 15 openings. In X-ray it is more important to hire someone with previous experience than to give a dedicated employee that experience. I am now currently half way thru an LPN program and have given up on X-ray! Before I started the X-ray program I read all of the "don't go into X-ray" posts but I took those as a challenge! To anyone trying to make the decision between X-ray and nursing I would like to give advice rather than say don't do it! Yes the xray field is saturated and the jobs are scarce but they do exist. But be aware my hospital employs 5 PRN techs, a few of who have been PRN for 2-4 years waiting on a full time opening. These PRN positions exist to cover open shifts, vacations, etc. to keep full time techs from receiving any overtime. Depending where you work X-ray pay is approximately $20/ hr and your 40 hours a week at that rate must be enough to support yourself and family bc the opportunity for overtime is nonexistent. Meanwhile my RN's in the ER directly across the hall are making slightly higher pay and are being begged to pick up overtime. We offer an extra incentive for critical needs shifts in which our nurses are offered $13/hr on top of regular pay and overtime,if you have already worked your scheduled 36 hrs, to pick up these shift. It is normal for an RN to work their 3 12's then pick up a 12 hour critical needs shift which if u pick the right day and get your shift diff and/or weekend pay it is nothing to make $50/hr for those 12 hours. We have hired more new nurses in the ER in the last 6 months than radiology has hired new techs in the last 2 years, not including the many other depts constantly hiring RN's. I do find nursing school to be slightly more difficult than X-ray school but I also did not work during X-ray school. I would advise anyone unsure of which route to go to job shadow. I didn't think I had the personality to deal with 4-5 pts for 12 hour days which is why I went the radiology route when in reality floor nursing is not all nursing. I never have a pt for my full 12 hr shift in the ER. I am not a floor nurse however I can do ER, OR, cath lab, etc. please take the time to job shadow. Understand the jobs. Shadow in different dept of a hospital (nurses in different depts have different duties) also shadow at nursing homes, home health, clinics etc. School is a huge financial and time commitment and you do not want to end up with a large amount of debt and no job opportunity or a job you hate.

Thank you much for that information I will be taking that into consideration as I make my decision! If you don't mind me asking, after you were done with your PN did u go straight into the ASN program? Also did you work while in either program?

I greatly appreciate your invaluable insight! I have a friend who just started at Kokomo and works with me and is already having a hard time. I also plan to do transition in Marion as that is where I am currently living! I did prefer Kokomo but I will take what I can get. My friend told me that the Muncie campus does not do nursing classes over the summer which would require an extra semester after not taking classes over summer? Is there any truth to this or is the program 3 consecutive semesters including summer? Also what clinical sites are affiliated with the Muncie campus? Again thank you so much for the info!

I only applied for the PN program but also applied to Kokomo and Anderson/Muncie. I received an acceptance letter to the Muncie campus on Thursday. I would prefer to attend the Kokomo campus but am still waiting on a letter from them. If it helps, my score was 125.

As far as I know all the campuses near me wear hunter green scrubs! My friend just started the ASN program at Kokomo this past fall and said they are very specific and require them to get their scrubs from the bookstore with the ivytech logo on it! I know clinicals don't start until 2-3 weeks into the semester which is when you will need the scrubs! I would definitely wait until orientation before investing in scrubs to see what your specific region rerequire!

I applied to the PN programs at Kokomo, Anderson, and Muncie. I decided to apply kind of on a whim and had one chance to take the TEAS, which I got a 75 on. A in A&P and Bs in Eng and Psych. All together I have a 125/160. I almost applied to the nursing program 3 years ago but the semester I was going to apply the nursing program changed the version of the TEAS they used and I chose to take the old version to apply for the Radiology program. I scored a 86 on the old version and was accepted into the Radiology program. Finished in the top 3 in my class and have been unable to secure employment since graduating a year and a half ago. I currently work as a ER Tech at my local hospital and the girls in radiology work on a PRN basis an average of 3 years before full time positions come open. I have grown to really love the ER life and made the decision to return to school for nursing. Between my training in radiology, my phlebotomy certification, my CNA, and spending the last year working in an ER I already posses many nursing skills and have proven to have the ability to complete a highly competitive program. Unfortunately none of these factors contribute to selection to Ivy Tech's Nursing program, so I will anxiously wait the next 6 weeks hoping my score was high enough.

I am very intrigued to know how this transition works out for you, I am in somewhat the same boat. I however finished my rad tech program and have been unable to find a job after a year and 3 months. I am also a CNA and a phlebotomist which lead me to my current position as an ER Tech in my local hospital. After almost a year in the ER I am almost certain I will be spending the next year working full time and finishing my 5 pre reqs then applying for nursing school next fall. My employer will pay my tuition and promise me a full time position after school to which I pay them back in time. Not only is it impossible to get an X-ray job unless you know the right people or fit in to the right department, but by the end of my 2 year program I was already bored with taking x-rays. RN not only increases your job opportunity but also your options of places to work. In x-ray you are only employable in a facility that is able to afford very expensive radiology equipment, and only need so many people to run this equipment. I think you made a very wise decision, I wish I would have been able to do the same before I dug myself into debt for a degree I have been unable to use. Good luck and keep posting, I am interested to get someone's take on the difference between RT® program and RN program.

A year and 3 months ago I graduated from a radiologic technology program and am now a Registered Radiologic Technologist. Since graduation I have been unable to find a job. I have sent in over 150 applications in the past year that resulted in 5 interviews and no job. As a student I was told to get a job in a hospital to "get my foot in the door", with my CNA and phlebotomy certs I was able to obtain a position as an ER Tech in my local hospital but have been passed over several times for X-ray job in the almost year I have been employed. I have come to love my ER and crave more responsibility, unfortunately my x-ray training is of no use to my position. My employer however has a program in which they will pay my tuition for a BS degree in nursing that is paid back not with money, but in time ($5000/yr.). I am highly considering this option as they would be required to give me a full time job at graduation or I owe them nothing. However even with my A.S in radiography I would still need 5 pre reqs (co reqs), and 3 years of nursing school. My question is has anyone ever attempted or known someone who has attempted this transition? I know having both my RN and my RT® would be of use in an OR or Cath Lab but is there any other job where both would be of use? Could I earn a higher salary with both registries or will my A.S. have pretty much been a waste of time and tons of money?

I have come to find through much research that most other schools in Indiana dont do their AP credits the same way as Ivy Tech! at Ivy tech Ap 101 and 102 are worth 3 crdits each. Most state colleges ( IUPUI, ISU, Purdue, SBU) award 5 credits for anatomy and 5 for physiology. So if you take AP 101 and 102 they will only transfer to a state school as either anatomy OR physiology you would have to take ANP 201 to recieve all ten credits at a state school. I do believe if u take one at a state school for 5 cr hrs it will transfer back to Ivy tech just fine but it would also be a waste of 2 hours every week as Ivy tech only requires 3 cr. hrs. and you would still then have to take 102