RN vs Rad Tech/Sonography Advice

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hello all! i have a dilemma and while i'm trying to determine an answer, i'm just looking for advice/outside opinions on the subject...

i am interested in becoming an rn as well as doing radiology/sonography. i was told the other day by a ma instructor that if i wanted to be a rad tech/sonographer, i shouldn't waste my time with nursing school. right now, i'm work on all of my pre-req's and no matter what, i can't enter a school until fall 2008. i believe i'd enjoy nursing b/c of the options of the different departments and i think it'd be fun to be a travel nurse. i've always enjoyed fast paced work as well. if i did the nurse route first, i assumed it'd help me with school for the latter or who knows- may enjoy nursing so much i decide to scrap the radiology route!

then i hear horror stories and want to stick with radiology. i've heard you can travel with this as well but haven't seen much out there info wise. i know i want to work at a hospital and i don't mind a crazy schedule...i just want to be able to help more people and am drawn to oncology (am also fascinated by other depts. too). has anyone else had thoughts like this or know someone who went thru this?

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Hi,

I'm not sure about all colleges, but based on the one that I attend, the RN program and the Rad Tech program have the same prerequesits. If I were in your shoes I would follow my heart and go for the one that most interests me first and if you decide that it is not what you want to do then you can always go back and do the other without having to do your basics over again!! I don't have much more than that for you, but I hope this helps you out a little!!!!:mad:

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yeah, i've noticed that...i'm trying to find a place that will let me observe/shadow so that i don't waste any time or $$ in something i'm not sure about. i am so torn b/c i could see myself doing both! all i know is i'm looking to work at children's hospitals. thanks for the tip!

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Hello!

I have had a CHRONIC problem making up my mind between the same career paths you mentioned...RN or Sonography!:uhoh3: I've been accepted into a rad tech program for this fall and I've also been accepted into a nursing program. My plan was to apply to both programs, and whichever one I got accepted into would be the one I chose...WELL-I got accepted to both so that confused me even more!! I have finally chosen the radiography program (then I'll do sonography) because after doing months and months and MONTHS of research on both careers and shadowing employees in each field, rad techs/sonographers/MRI techs/CT techs/nuclear med techs/mammographers, etc., are quite a bit happier in their jobs than the many nurses I shadowed. I don't want the stress level of nursing. I also don't want the unbelievable loads of paperwork they have to constantly do. I also want a predictable schedule because I have a family and want to be able to spend nights, weekends, and holidays with them. That's not to say that rad techs don't have to work nights or weekends, but it's almost always on call and the call is rotated. This is coming from the people I shadowed at different institutions. Most seem to have a M-F 8-5 schedule, or in some cases I've heard 6-4:30 10-hour shifts, in which case they were off on Fridays.

Good luck to you!

jollyjenny

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Specializes in Med surg, cardiac, case management.

:idea:

I hope I'm not pointing out the obvious here, but I would check into the various career directions nursing offers before making a decision.

Allied health careers are often less stressful than nursing, but there are fewer potential career directions.

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If I could go back and do it over, I would've went the sonograph route. I am an LPN and tried to get into an online sonograph program in Michigan and they wouldn't recognize any of my LPN coursework. They wanted me to take stuff like "Intro to Health Care" after 10 years of experience in health care!

Anyways, if I have my RN already, they don't even care - they say "Hey, you're RN, come right into our program." That's what I'm trying to do now. I'm finishing up my 3 pre reqs for an RN program that will hopefully take me a year to complete. At least then I'll have more options other than mostly LTC and the chance to get into the sonograph program a bit easier.

Everything always comes back to nursing! I hate the amount of responsibility that is put on us. I feel like I can never say no, even in unsafe situations. Acuity is going up and the staffing ratios are staying the same. My advice is sonograph! Sorry to sound like a burnout.

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thanks to all for the replies! i still have about 6 months to make up my mind and still want to shadow both (also can't find anyone who will let me shadow!) but even after speaking with some local nurses, they said radiology (i ultimately want to do rad therapy). i just worry that since it is a slower pace (sometimes), i may get bored easily. i just wonder if i'd like more patient contact...i know i want to work at a children’s hospital and in looks at the job boards for those, i've seen more red tech jobs than i though there'd be.

i'm thinking i may at least get the schooling for both so that if i have more options and then just keep up on the education for whichever one is on the back burner at that time. i'd get the 2nd a few yrs after i start the other though and do that while in school...too many decisions! :)

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