Should I pursue nursing or PTA?

[Decisions7]

Hi,

I am on the fence about nursing. I like how broad the field is. I'm interested in some lower stress facility work and also interested in home care because I wouldn't have to shove pills down patients mouth and could give a patient the care they needed. I am also interested in the non patient care side of things. I did the phone answering / data entry portion of insurance precert and I would like to try the decision making side of things especially in 25 years or so when I'm older. Whether or not a patient should get a crazy invasive surgery.

If I could easily get into a PTA program I would probably rather be a PTA, the only problem is that the schools are ridiculously expensive or far away. They are also difficult to get into. Furthermore if you fail a course you fail for an entire year.

Ultimately being a PTA is just that, for the rest of my life I would be a PTA and confined to certain work, no point in PTA > PT unless a job would pay for it. They also don't make as much money as an RN, I figure I would wonder what if?

I figure with nursing I may need to relocate to an area with less nursing schools to get a job and experience. I live in the Philly area and there are nursing schools all over the place.

Anyway what do you guys think about my career decision?

[roser13, ASN, RN]

What is a PTA?

And FWIW, I've never in my life shoved anything "down patients mouth" [sic].

Whatever PTA is, perhaps you are better suited for that. Your concept of the nursing profession is a little off.

[abbnurse]

What is a PTA?

And FWIW, I've never in my life shoved anything "down patients mouth" [sic].

Whatever PTA is, perhaps you are better suited for that. Your concept of the nursing profession is a little off.

I think OP means Physical Therapy Assistant.

Edited to add: I've also never " shoved pills down a patients (sic) mouth ".

[Decisions7]

I have just heard that some places are like that, you don't get much time with a patient and rush the care