Advice for changing my major. Leaving nursing?

Nursing school, much like the profession, isn't for everyone. But it's also like no other profession as far a specialties are concerned. You can move around in nursing if you decide you don't like particular type of nursing.

Any type of BS degree other than nursing, such as psycho-social counseling, social/work services,and mental health related professions are mostly low pay and long hours. At entry level, you will be helping medically under served populations such as the elderly, children at risk, substance abusers, pregnant mothers and others in poverty. Some positions often pose a risk to personal safety due to social economical conditions and cultural barriers. However, I'm painting with a very broad brush depending upon where you live and what employers are available. Medical social work in a hospital setting, often pays more initially.

25 years ago, 3 of my friends choose the BSSW. Of the 3, 2 took it to MSW. One's in private practice and makes 150k. The other is a director of managed care contractor through the state. He works with a staff of LCSW serving the developmentally disabled. He makes around 100k. The 3rd one didn't pursue a MSW and works with at risk children for a non-profit hospital. She makes about 45k and sometimes gets beat up by her patients.

The bottom line is nursing pays better than social work. My husband has his MSW, his LCSW, (I know, I hate people that use acronyms..License in Clinical Social Work), is bilingual and worked full time. I made more money after several years in nursing and moving into mid management, with my ADN degree and only working 32 hours a week.

I vote for becoming a psychiatric nurse. My advice is worth what you pay for it :)

If you want to make a decent pay I would avoid Social Work/Psychology, you only make the bucks if you have your PhD and even then it can lag behind. You want to help people I get that. Business you can help people. Management you can help people. You can go into biology and make decent monies, dental hygienist make decent monies (4 year degree), special x-ray like radiation tech, specialized Ultrasound/CT/MRI techs (all 4 year degrees) make decent monies...but you have to specialize in the field. Registered dietician that hold Masters or about make great monies.

In business you can become a retirement planner, accountants make great monies and truly help people.

You see there is so much more than what you think. I would review what you are interested in, think how do you want to interact with these people for instance for dental hygienist you more than likely will have a short pleasant conversation at the beginning and then bam we are wall done, here is what I found, can I help you with your next cleaning?

X-ray it can be real quick for radiation, the first initial set up takes time to measure the exact spots thereafter your patient comes in for up to 8 weeks daily-Mon-Fri and you radiate the area takes a whole 15 mins, bam you are onto the next patient. X-ray can be a nice job to have especially if you work in a outpatient clinic and have the hours Mon-Friday. If you work at a inpatient hospital then you maybe working all hours all days to include holidays. Outpatient hospital would be the M-F hours.

Good luck really think where do you see yourself in 5 years, do you like people and how much are you a social person or do you like to watch things unfold...know yourself and then decide on what you want to do. What job most fits your personality

I think if I could redo my nursing and healthcare administration I would pick radiation tech...a 4 year degree and given the right training I can make over 100,000 annually in a hospital based outpatient radiology department.

Before continuing an education, you could become a sitter in a hospital. You'll be 1:1 or so with an unruly patient. You can interact with them or just observe them (depending on hospital rules). Many of them are "techs" or nursing assistance (can get that education). With that role, you could have the opportunity to see other roles in a hospital. Sure, the pay isn't very much, but it can be something while in school. (the hours can be flexible for classes).

It is a chance to see and work in the inside of a hospital. Being a sitter will give you chances to talk to people. You'll also have the opportunity to see other roles in a hospital. Getting a tech job in a hospital may be more challenging than a sitter (they often want like 6 months of working in assisted living or something first). You can see other hospital jobs (radiology techs, respiratory therapists, nursing, social workers, etc).

Brownbook you didn't really say anything that wasn't money realated. I suppose I should have added I am not money motivated lol. I know what I need to make to have the life I desire in my area, which it is possible with the career choices I am researching. Do you know anything about psych nurse job duties or the setting they usually work in?

I just want to point out that money is an important factor for most things in life: dental insurance, health insurance, rent/mortgage, utilities, car note, groceries, emergencies, retirement, family, etc. Why would you take on a career with the intention of helping people but not extending the same courtesy to yourself? Nursing grants you the opportunity to help others and yourself as well. You mentioned you want to be a psych nurse in your initial post. For this, you would have to go to nursing school. Don't put money and time into school for the sake of becoming altruistic. Also, if you want to dip your toes into the world of psych nursing, try being a CNA at a psych hospital. You will get a chance to see social workers do their work as well as nurses.

We don't use social workers in our hospital. We have RN case managers instead. They got rid of the social workers and started using the nurses instead.