Radiography or Nursing?

Faeriewand, ASN, RN · Feb 15, 2009

I'm sorry I didn't read all of your post but I wanted to encourage you to become a nurse. I am a new nurse and it is such a rewarding career. :heartbeat

And perhaps I"m wrong but isn't Radiography a career that exposes one to radiation? I remember when I worked in the ER how the techs had to step out of the room before taking an x-ray but with only a curtain separating them I figured they were getting a lot of exposure and I said to myself that is not such a bad career for an older person but I would never encourage a young person into that career. Even a nurse told the tech to get out of the room more and how bad for his health it was.

Bottom line is that I would not encourage my children to do that so I won't encourage anyone else into that career either.

To become a nurse I just went in steps. I did CNA first and worked for about 6 months part-time. Then I took an EMT course and got a job in the ER where I learned a lot. (plus it was very exciting :)) Then I became a nurse and the previous on the job experience was invaluable. If you're still unsure just take it one step at a time. Get all those pre-reqs done and get on the list. Then while you are waiting take a CNA class or EMT class. It will really help. :mad:

cdbreez · Feb 15, 2009

I'm a nurse, my boyfriend is a radiology/CT tech.

His pay is pretty much in line with mine because of his CT certification.

His stress level is much less than mine. His department is well staffed, with up to date equipment. If a nursing unit is ever at risk for being well staffed, somebody is going to get sent home or floated. Sure, they get busy, but he's never responsible for 8-12 (yes, I said 12) patient's every want and need for 12 hours.

It seems like his area doesn't get much grief (in my opinion) because all of the work they do generates a rather large bill for the patient. Sure, patients can't stay without nurses, but our activities aren't "billable". So, do the math. Guess who will get short staffed and hounded because of cost?

I was in your position 16 years ago. I applied to rad tech school and nursing school with no real preference. I got the nursing acceptance first.

I now know that if I had waited for rad tech school, things would have been different. You will be able to find your area: CT, MRI, mammogram, surgery, clinic work, ER, special procedures, etc. and make it your own. The field is fascinating and advancing quickly. Don't give up on the radiology school. You'll still be in direct contact with patients. My boyfriend starts IVs, doses for treatments that require contrast, works closely with doctors, and can directly make a difference because of his skills.

In the civilian world, the retirement age is whenever a nurse can't run around on the floor anymore. Retirement packages are not that great and are getting worse as companies are matching employee contributions at a much lower rate now.

Also, it seems much easier for him to change locations, rad techs are on a National Registry. Nurses pretty much have to apply to each Board of Nursing, pay fees and get an endorsement from the original board of licensure each time.

Didn't mean to write a novel, but there it is. Either way, good luck!!!

Kitcat25 · Feb 15, 2009

I'm sorry I didn't read all of your post but I wanted to encourage you to become a nurse. I am a new nurse and it is such a rewarding career. :heartbeat
And perhaps I"m wrong but isn't Radiography a career that exposes one to radiation? I remember when I worked in the ER how the techs had to step out of the room before taking an x-ray but with only a curtain separating them I figured they were getting a lot of exposure and I said to myself that is not such a bad career for an older person but I would never encourage a young person into that career. Even a nurse told the tech to get out of the room more and how bad for his health it was.
Bottom line is that I would not encourage my children to do that so I won't encourage anyone else into that career either.
To become a nurse I just went in steps. I did CNA first and worked for about 6 months part-time. Then I took an EMT course and got a job in the ER where I learned a lot. (plus it was very exciting :)) Then I became a nurse and the previous on the job experience was invaluable. If you're still unsure just take it one step at a time. Get all those pre-reqs done and get on the list. Then while you are waiting take a CNA class or EMT class. It will really help.

Thanks for the information. I appreciate you taking the time to answer. When I first shadowed a radiographer a couple of years ago, I asked the question about exposure to radiation. He told me that you have the risk but you wear badges that monitor your exposure to radiation, and you are supposed to leave the room when doing procedures that contain a large amount of radiation. I'm not sure if all hospitals practice proper technique though. I have applied to the radiography program. (2nd time around) and I know its extremly competitive to get in. In the meantime to help with my "career" choices I have applied for a military spouse program, that pays for you to get training to be come a Certified Nurse assistant (CNA). If accepted, I feel this training will help in distinguising what career choice I want. Thank you so much for the insight. :)

Kitcat25 · Feb 15, 2009

I'm a nurse, my boyfriend is a radiology/CT tech.
His pay is pretty much in line with mine because of his CT certification.
His stress level is much less than mine. His department is well staffed, with up to date equipment. If a nursing unit is ever at risk for being well staffed, somebody is going to get sent home or floated. Sure, they get busy, but he's never responsible for 8-12 (yes, I said 12) patient's every want and need for 12 hours.
It seems like his area doesn't get much grief (in my opinion) because all of the work they do generates a rather large bill for the patient. Sure, patients can't stay without nurses, but our activities aren't "billable". So, do the math. Guess who will get short staffed and hounded because of cost?
I was in your position 16 years ago. I applied to rad tech school and nursing school with no real preference. I got the nursing acceptance first.
I now know that if I had waited for rad tech school, things would have been different. You will be able to find your area: CT, MRI, mammogram, surgery, clinic work, ER, special procedures, etc. and make it your own. The field is fascinating and advancing quickly. Don't give up on the radiology school. You'll still be in direct contact with patients. My boyfriend starts IVs, doses for treatments that require contrast, works closely with doctors, and can directly make a difference because of his skills.
In the civilian world, the retirement age is whenever a nurse can't run around on the floor anymore. Retirement packages are not that great and are getting worse as companies are matching employee contributions at a much lower rate now.
Also, it seems much easier for him to change locations, rad techs are on a National Registry. Nurses pretty much have to apply to each Board of Nursing, pay fees and get an endorsement from the original board of licensure each time.
Didn't mean to write a novel, but there it is. Either way, good luck!!!

Thank you! I don't mind that I'll be in direct contact with patients. I want to help individuals thats why radiography appealed to me. Also because it uses technology, and there are so many different certifications to get within the career field. Since this is my second time around applying to this program, I have also applied for a CNA program that the military offers for military spouses to help with my decisions. I'm glad that you provided insight from your point of view and your boyfriends. I didn't know that about the boards for nursing. I did research the national registry for Rad techs though. It is definetly something to consider, since I'am at risk of moving every 4-5 years.. or whenever the military decides to ship my hubby to a different location. Thanks ! :)

VCUBen · Feb 15, 2009

For the decision to become a nurse was natural. After that I still am deciding what speciality to do Critical Care, CRNA it all up in the air. My point is you never know which career is right for you unless you take that plunge and just do it. Nursing true is not for everyone but you will find a whole variety of people and personalities. From reading your post i can see that this could be right for you. Give it a shot and join this great profession. Dont let your fears hold you back becasue from experience your fear is what keeps you grounded and leads to where you should be. Good Luck

RNperdiem, RN · Feb 15, 2009

My sister is a rad tech at the same hospital that I work as a nurse.

Sometimes the grass looks much greener on her side of the fence.

She deals with one patient at a time. I shuffle between more than one.

Her responsibilities are very clearly defined. A nurse does everything and is pulled in many directions because of our many responsibilities.

When she is at lunch, there are no patients to be responsible for. I eat lunch still having full responsibility for the patient.

If a patient is troublesome(many ways to define that) my sister only has to deal with them for the time it takes to shoot their x-ray series. I am stuck with them for a long 12 hours.

I would still choose nursing though if I had to do it again. Nurses can have a big impact on patients, and we can do many things.

Kitcat25 · Feb 16, 2009

Thank you so much! great insight and plus you are close with somene who works in the radiology department. I agree with the impact that nurses do have on patients. In my eyes , nurses are the doctors. You all deal with so much and leave that lasting impact. I will never forget the nurse/midwife who helped me through my labor 5 years ago. :) Thank you so much for the info. :)

Everyones repsonses I'm taking into consideration. :)

Kitcat25 · Feb 16, 2009

For the decision to become a nurse was natural. After that I still am deciding what speciality to do Critical Care, CRNA it all up in the air. My point is you never know which career is right for you unless you take that plunge and just do it. Nursing true is not for everyone but you will find a whole variety of people and personalities. From reading your post i can see that this could be right for you. Give it a shot and join this great profession. Dont let your fears hold you back becasue from experience your fear is what keeps you grounded and leads to where you should be. Good Luck

Thank you! You never want to live a life of woulda, coulda, shoulda. You all have definetly been helpful in providing insight to the nursing world. thank you :)

ctnjason · Feb 16, 2009

As a registered nuclear medicine/xray/ct tech, i will give you my honest opinion.

Ive been registered in xray for 10 years, CT 6 years, nuclear medicine 1 year. If i had college to start all over again 10 years ago, i wouldve went straight to nuclear medicine school. After completion of that, i wouldve gotten certified in CT scan. From there i would be doing PET/CT.

Pet CT now is growing rapidly and nuclear medicine in general is one of the highest paid radiology modalities there is. CT is good and i like it alot but i work mainly in an emergency room and sometimes the patient volume skyrockets. This along with the physical workload can be wearing on you. On a busy night, in an 8 hour shift we can do 40 patients. If 25 of those cannot move themselves over to the table, we move them to the table and back. Thats FIFTY transfers a night x 5 nights a week x 4 weeks a month x you do the math.

With nuclear medicine, the job can actually be BORING........ yes im trying to convince you to do this job but im calling it boring. Well this is why..... The actual scans can take 1-2+ hours on end. This gives u 3-5 patients in an 8 hour shift. PET CT can have more (8-12) but thats about it. When im 40-50 years old i WANT THIS!!! I want a good paying easy to perform job where i come into work, scan my 6 patients and go home! I have a job where im helping people, making decent money, and my joints/back wont be ready to be replaced by the time im 40.

Just my opinion only so take it for what its worth. I wouldve never guessed i would be wanting to do nuclear medicine 10 years ago but im so glad i went back to school to do it now. When i was 20, nuc med was boring and slow and sluggish. When im 50, its a great job plus makes alot more than x-ray (and probably nursing too).

Jason

djc1981 · Feb 16, 2009

As a registered nuclear medicine/xray/ct tech, i will give you my honest opinion.
Ive been registered in xray for 10 years, CT 6 years, nuclear medicine 1 year. If i had college to start all over again 10 years ago, i wouldve went straight to nuclear medicine school. After completion of that, i wouldve gotten certified in CT scan. From there i would be doing PET/CT.
Pet CT now is growing rapidly and nuclear medicine in general is one of the highest paid radiology modalities there is. CT is good and i like it alot but i work mainly in an emergency room and sometimes the patient volume skyrockets. This along with the physical workload can be wearing on you. On a busy night, in an 8 hour shift we can do 40 patients. If 25 of those cannot move themselves over to the table, we move them to the table and back. Thats FIFTY transfers a night x 5 nights a week x 4 weeks a month x you do the math.
With nuclear medicine, the job can actually be BORING........ yes im trying to convince you to do this job but im calling it boring. Well this is why..... The actual scans can take 1-2+ hours on end. This gives u 3-5 patients in an 8 hour shift. PET CT can have more (8-12) but thats about it. When im 40-50 years old i WANT THIS!!! I want a good paying easy to perform job where i come into work, scan my 6 patients and go home! I have a job where im helping people, making decent money, and my joints/back wont be ready to be replaced by the time im 40.
Just my opinion only so take it for what its worth. I wouldve never guessed i would be wanting to do nuclear medicine 10 years ago but im so glad i went back to school to do it now. When i was 20, nuc med was boring and slow and sluggish. When im 50, its a great job plus makes alot more than x-ray (and probably nursing too).
Jason

My school has a nuclear medicine program. I've been told that I should do radiology tech first and then do a nuc. med program to build on my skills. They say it would be better that way, and that nuc med jobs are few and far between, especially for new grads. Thoughts?

Kitcat25 · Feb 16, 2009

As a registered nuclear medicine/xray/ct tech, i will give you my honest opinion.
Ive been registered in xray for 10 years, CT 6 years, nuclear medicine 1 year. If i had college to start all over again 10 years ago, i wouldve went straight to nuclear medicine school. After completion of that, i wouldve gotten certified in CT scan. From there i would be doing PET/CT.
Pet CT now is growing rapidly and nuclear medicine in general is one of the highest paid radiology modalities there is. CT is good and i like it alot but i work mainly in an emergency room and sometimes the patient volume skyrockets. This along with the physical workload can be wearing on you. On a busy night, in an 8 hour shift we can do 40 patients. If 25 of those cannot move themselves over to the table, we move them to the table and back. Thats FIFTY transfers a night x 5 nights a week x 4 weeks a month x you do the math.
With nuclear medicine, the job can actually be BORING........ yes im trying to convince you to do this job but im calling it boring. Well this is why..... The actual scans can take 1-2+ hours on end. This gives u 3-5 patients in an 8 hour shift. PET CT can have more (8-12) but thats about it. When im 40-50 years old i WANT THIS!!! I want a good paying easy to perform job where i come into work, scan my 6 patients and go home! I have a job where im helping people, making decent money, and my joints/back wont be ready to be replaced by the time im 40.
Just my opinion only so take it for what its worth. I wouldve never guessed i would be wanting to do nuclear medicine 10 years ago but im so glad i went back to school to do it now. When i was 20, nuc med was boring and slow and sluggish. When im 50, its a great job plus makes alot more than x-ray (and probably nursing too).
Jason

Hi thanks for all the info. I do have a couple of questions. If you get a degree straight into nuclear medicine, will you learn to do the other duties as well, or just nuclear medicine? How long does it take to get PET/CT? Since nuclear medicine is a speciliaty is it hard to find a job in hospitals today within that speciality? Are the job opportunities the same as Rad tech?

Thank you for the insight. You provided lots of good info.