Quick Q's about Career Options!

[alexisbj]

Hi, everyone! I am a pre-nursing student right now, and I hope to be in nursing school within the next year! I am loving this site, I am learning so many new things! This is my first post of probably many! I am just trying to get some insight on the types of career options I will have with a 2 year RN degree. Thanks in advance for your help

1. Can an RN work in a doctor's office or clinic instead of a hospital? What kind of jobs does a nurse do in that type of setting as opposed to in a hospital? (preferably an OB/GYN or Pediatrician's office)

2. If you do work in a hospital setting, what are the hours like and is there time to have a family?

3. Which jobs and settings offer the most money/benefits?

I probably sound like a total idiot asking these questions, but hey, the only way to learn is to ask!! Thanks, everyone

[llg, PhD, RN]

Yes, a RN with an Associate's Degree can work in an physician's office or clinic. But those jobs usually pay less than hospital nursing -- and sometimes, it can be difficult to get a job in those places if the work environment is really nice. Also, some specialty physicians prefer hiring office staff who have inpatient experience working with them and their patients. But that is not true all of time or everywhere.

Working in a hospital can be either full time or part time (though some hospitals require new grads to work full time until they get well-stablished on the job.) Some hospital nurses work 8-hour shifts, some work 12-hour shifts. And those shifts usually include some night shifts, weekend shifts, and holidays. Of course there is time to have a family -- Nurses have families all the time. But if your work requires some night, weekend, and holiday shifts ... then you have to be prepared to be flexible and arrange for child-care at those odd times. That can be a challenge, but people do it every day.

For beginner-level staff nurses, the highest pay is in hospitals ... working those shifts that most people don't like to work -- the nights, weekend, and holidays. The lowest pay is in the least stressful, most popular jobs with "nice" hours, in doctor's offices, clinics, etc.

That's the general lay of the land ... but note that the details vary greatly from one geographic region to another. In some areas, ADN graduates are in high demand to work in most settings. In other areas, with lots of BSN nurses, the new ADN grads have very limited opportunities and most often begin their careers working with the elderly in long-term care facilities. You really need to research your local job market to find out what the situation is in your area.

Good luck to you!

[alexisbj]

Wow, that was extremely helpful. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond in such a thorough manner! I will definitely take some time to research the jobs in my area.