First post on the board. Looking for advice, tips, things to consider, and don't forgets.
I am a 36 year old father of four. I have been shoeing horses for ten years. Early on I was in College (University of South Florida). My major was arts related and I left school without graduating, and 100 credits. At this point in my life, the shoeing is affecting my body tremendously, and I have decided for more mental stimulation and to complete my degree. I want to be in the medical field and have decided against being an MD for time and money issues.
I believe that a nurse or PA would be a much better fit for me. To that end, I am gathering information to try and make sensible choices for course study. I have researched some of the pay, and some of the disciplines.
Post on my thread! Let me know what you do, how the pay is, why you love it, why you hate it, etc. etc. I would say that I am a sponge, but a black hole is probably more appropriate. Educate me!
Specializes in Infection Preventionist/ Occ Health.
Good luck with nursing if this is the profession you choose.
As an aside, it might not be a bad idea to go to your doctor and have your back evaluated. There might be some treatments available that would give you relief from your pain and allow you to continue working with horses, at least as a hobby.
Specializes in Jack of all trades, and still learning.
Granite,
There are alot of lifting aids such as hoists, slide sheets, stand up lifters, etc etc to help care for patients. Nursing on that front has definitely improved. It was once considered par for the course for nurses to get bad backs. Not now, not if you use the proper equipment, which your agency should be providing...
Good things about nursing:
1. Watching healing
2. Getting to use your brain - yes it is not just about handing out medications, washing bottoms and changing beds. You have to assess a patient's condition, you have to treat it from a nurses point of view, involve the person in the care, educate them, and listen to them, call in the other appropriate professionals at the time required, advocate for your patient etc etc.
3. Watching someone leave with control of their life and health situation, whatever their actual physical condition may be...
4. Being able to care for the whole person; talking to ppl, their families etc.
What I hate:
1. Lack of time / not enough staff...
2. Abuse, mostly verbal, sometimes physical
3. The risk of legal action, even when you have done your best!
4. Going home unsatisfied and frustrated because you haven't been able to do what you feel you should have done due to time constraints
5. High stress levels
6. Paperwork!
Nursing has highs and lows. It is generally unpredictable; you never know what is going to happen one day to the next. And in most cases it involves people.
I love alot of things about nursing. Its all I know. If you want to do it, then your previous experience will only add to what you will be doing as a nurse.
I am in school now working on my RN. I am currently working as a cna. I was a master certified auto mechanic for 19 years before changing careers. A you probaly already know blacksmiths evolved into automechanics except for the few that decided to remain as farriers. I fell that if you can shoe a horse you have the professionalism and intelengence to become a nurse. good luck
I have a horse and am familiar with how hard a farrier works and I agree that nursing is much less physical. The hours a farrier spends bent over trimming, filing, and hammering while dealing with a horse who is struggling, leaning on him, trying to bite him, etc. in no way compares to the physical work of a nurse. Yes, nurses work very hard, but we don't spend hours at a time bent over doing our job. There are a lot of areas that nurses and PA's can specialize, good luck with whatever you choose.
It's almost like you have to "pay your dues." The field is hard up for floor nurses. While it won't be as hard as shoeing and trimming, I can say that it has beat me up. As far as being all that bad....seems every nurse I talk to has the same feeling. There are nurses that are content, but the average job setting in nursing is rough. Trying to bypass the dreaded floor job is hard without experience, being in the right place at the right time or connections or some other magic. I talked to a senior nurse from a large hospital in the area here. She said most of the senior nurses that we knew are gone and the place is a revolving door.
I made the mistake of allowing myself to get stuck in floor nursing until it got so bad that I can't really get out. Many new nurses do not plan on staying in their first floor jobs and move on quickly. That is one trick.
You should probably get out of the farrier business, I know how hard it is. I only have two large horses to do. They are very well behaved and I have a jack, but I ache from nursing injuries and it makes the trimming painful. I couldn't imagine doing any more than my two. I was forced to do mine after two farriers cost me tremendously because they seemed burned out. They were really good and got careless. My 17 hand 2000 lb boy blew out 2 abscesses in one hoof from the last guy taking him too short. Now I am battling with the last abscess which blew out the coronary. It took a chunk off the hoof when it reached the point of carrying his weight. I am also battling the feet flaring out like draft feet because they were cut so short. They were always well kept and I always had compliments on their feet. They look terrible and I have been doing damage control since last summer. I am keeping them from getting worse, but waiting for the problems to grow out. You guys make that job look easier than it is.
As far as the medical field, pretty much job security. You will have to try it and see. Seems you made up your mind and I know you should get away from your current business even though farriers can be hard to come by. Personally, I can't talk anyone into going into this field. I see PA's stressed, doctors stressed, techs and aides stressed, nurses stressed, clerks stressed. I only know what I see. I have been to numerous places and they are all the same. Finding anything better is like finding a needle in a haystack. Those great places are hard to get into....people aren't leaving like they are at the bad places.
There are plenty of people surviving in this field. There are plenty that refuse to deal with what is going on. I just can't convince myself that it is acceptable. I know things are not safe and I can't kid myself otherwise. That is why I can't and won't tell anyone to pick this field. Hopefully, you will be one of the few that will be satisfied with your choice.
Did you know that PA's have to recert every so many years?
I worked in the horse business professionally for 25 years with breeding
work (artificial insemination and transported semen) being my specialty.
Nursing in NO WAY compares to the physical demands of handling 8-10
2000lb. stallions in a day. From experience, most of the farriers I know
don't make it past their mid-forties without severe back problems.After 2 back surgeries myself, I had to find a new career. Going from equine health to human health was a perfect fit for me.I love nursing and have never regretted my choice of changing careers. I get my horse "fix"
caring for my own 4 horses! Do your homework about the healthcare
industry; there is so much you can do. But in the end.....follow your heart. I did and I am loving every minute of it! Good luck to you!
Shelly, I'm curious, where are you working (that you love every minute of it)?
I work in a hospital clinic. VERY rural area, "six degress of seperation" is the only way to describe it! I work 32 hours a week.After years of dealing with wealthy, eccentric (some famous) over the top horse clients, patients are a breeze. I lived all over the US, remaining single,catering to the whims of spoiled grown-ups who threw money into a bottom-less pit (horses) so they could bragg about $20,000 breeding fees. After leaving the buisness and returning to school I met
my husband. His profession requires us to live in "Mayberry"! On an interesting note-one of my WORST former clients recently contacted me about a private duty position for his parent. No amount of money would be worth the amount of abuse this man can dish out.With a very
light heart, I wished him well. A bad day in nursing does not even compare to my former career!
ICRN2008, BSN, RN
897 Posts
Good luck with nursing if this is the profession you choose.
As an aside, it might not be a bad idea to go to your doctor and have your back evaluated. There might be some treatments available that would give you relief from your pain and allow you to continue working with horses, at least as a hobby.