Undecided whether to become a letter Carrier or R.N?

[Allison S.]

Believe it or not, a nursing aid I work with has just made the same decision. She was a letter carrier for a while, and has just decided to go to nursing school.

My uninformed opinion? Although nursing is very tough, intellectually, emotionally, and physically, I think that being a letter carrier would be too boring.

[K O'Malley]

I would definitely try being a letter carrier first. If you really hate it you can go to nursing school later. If you go to nursing school first and find out that you hate nursing you are going to be stuck after putting all that time, effort, and money into nursing education. And right now nursing has an awful lot of drawbacks.

[BadBird, BSN, RN]

As the wife of a postal employee there are many times I wish I chose the post office, Steady raises, excellent benefits, good unions, much less stress. Hmmmmmmmmm perhaps I should consider a switch.

[2ndCareerRN]

Hmmmmmmmm...

Can I do both now? Part time nursing..just enough USPS to get the benefits.......something I will need to look into.

bob

[DebsZoo]

.

[Audreyfay]

I have worked with doing diabetes education with many mailcarriers. I put them in the same unhappiness group as city bus drivers. The happiest occupation I ever saw in clients? I have seen several who have this occupation and all are men and all have been very very happy. No stress. Just enjoyment. --> train conductors and guys who work on trains! The difference between the men and the boys is the price of their toys!

[LLH]

I know exactly what you mean. When I was in undergrad nursing school, all of the girls that I use to hang out with would say if we flunked out of nursing school we would work as a Wal-Mart greeter by day and work at Platinum Plus (gentlemans club) by night. We decided on the day of graduation, we probably should have done. Just kidding. Nursing can be fun, sometimes.

[suenurse54]

You will find after about 3 weeks of being a letter carrier that you are bored out of your mind!! I am going back into nursing after a 9 year hiatus for the intellectual stimulation.

Sue

[-jt]

So if that happens & you hate it, THEN you can go to nursing school full time. But if you turn down the postal job without trying it & just go to nursing school if you then find out you hate that, you will be stuck with no other options because the postal job offer that you turned down would be long gone.

[tiger]

Originally posted by -jt

So if that happens & you hate it, THEN you can go to nursing school full time. But if you turn down the postal job without trying it & just go to nursing school if you then find out you hate that, you will be stuck with no other options because the postal job offer that you turned down would be long gone.

i agree. wish i had a postal job!

[Anaclaire]

My husband works for the post office (not a letter carrier) and I posed your question to him. He said, "Go for the nursing. The future of the post office is grim... becoming obsolete... and benefits are in major jeopardy even with the union."

His two cents.

You must ask yourself which YOU prefer to do. I suggest everyone do what they love and the happiness and material things will follow.

Good luck on your decision!

[Heather333]

My father worked for the post office for 32 years as a carrier and my husband has worked as a clerk at the post office for 5 years. My father was glad to retire and said if he could do it all over again, he would have never worked for the USPS. It is a VERY NEGATIVE workplace. My husband absolutely hates it and is going back to school so he can get out. It's good money, but the benefits are getting worse.

You have to do what's right for you and what will make you happy.

Heather