Would you choose nursing again or another health profession?

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Would you choose nursing again or another health profession such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, pharmacy, radiology tech, etc.?

Specializes in Family practice, emergency.

If I could start again, I'd be an MD... but stay in Emergency. I do love my job, but I agree with PP about a terminal MD where I'd be allowed to call myself by the title Dr. that I earned.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

It is too early for me to say as I am still in the thick of my first year, but...

I never truly wanted to go to MD school. The idea of doing yet another four more years of rigorous schooling plus another 3+ years of residency (minimum) AND hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt didn't really appeal to me. Respiratory therapy is too limiting, as are rad tech, vet tech, and the other "techs" in healthcare. I have thought about Occupational Health, but then I remember that I don't want to work five days a week!

The reason I picked nursing was because of the three days per week. Right now, I am in a week-long stretch off without using any vacation days (it would have been longer, but I picked a day of overtime). The pay is decent and nursing does have so many options. I think if I had to do it all over again, I would stayed with nursing, but not the kind of nursing I am doing now.

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Just wondering, has anyone wished they would of went with Respiratory Therapy instead of Nursing?

I have wished that at times.. they aren't confined to one floor and look so much happier where I work!! I chose what I chose and am trying to find what works best for me. No regrets.

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Specializes in ICU.
Not me. While I feel that the RTs are listened to and respected by the team where we work, I think that their patient loads are nuts and I would hate having to run from patient to patient covering multiple floors as they sometimes do.

That depends on the facility. We have three RTs for my ICU - one for every ten beds. We are at least 80% vents, but still - I see RTs sitting around a whole lot more than I see the nurses sitting around. Having ten patients can't possibly be that bad when you only have to deal with one body system, and if the patient asks for something, you can always offer to go get the nurse... :banghead:

I have definitely regretted not going the RT route since I have seen what the RT job is like at my facility. Hopefully I will be back in school full time fall 2018 to pursue something else.

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I have loved my nursing career but... With the way healthcare is changing if I had it to do over again would have been a pharmacist or psychologist.

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Specializes in ICU.

Oh, I was also looking into being a RD while an undergrad. I sort of wish I had. I loved the nutrition classes and was taking it at a time when I was actually fit. I just didn't want to take chemistry, lol. I think I wouldn't be as fat if I went the RD route! :roflmao:

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Specializes in geriatrics.

I didn't want to take 4 years of chemistry either lol, so that was the deciding factor. However.....I should have just forced myself.

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Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.

No, I wouldn't choose nursing as my career path again. My dream job would be working on the cutting edge of forensic psychology although I'd probably have really also enjoyed teaching British History.

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Specializes in Early Intervention, Nsg. Education.

I would have still chosen Nursing as well as Education, but I would have started working in Early Intervention and/or Case Management a whole lot earlier than I actually did. I would have avoided Tele, long term vents/LTAC altogether. I'm definitely not the type of person who thrives in chaos and drama, patient-related or otherwise. I responded promptly and appropriately to emergency situations and looked like I had my stuff together...but I'd end up with a serious case of loose..."stuff" by the end of the shift. That kind of stress is definitely NOT my thing.

However, I needed the years of experience working as an RN combined with my teaching gig in order to even apply for EI, so maybe things had to happen the way they did. I didn't get a chance to work with Medically Fragile/Tech Dependent kids until I had several years of acute care Pedi (very low census and very low-tech, stable kids, like overnight IVF for viral gastroenteritis or a day or 2 under bili lights) and plenty of adult trach/vent experience. So, I guess what needed to happen was what did happen. My EI job sort of fell into my lap at exactly the right moment. I didn't realize that it was my "dream job" until I started doing it.

There's something that I'm 100% sure I would have done differently...completed my Masters degree Before Having Kids!! I never truly appreciated how much easier my life was BC (before children).

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Probably dont want vet tech. You are the one who puts the animals to sleep :(

Also have to still deal with "pet parents"

And bites.

My friend's sister is dental hygienist or assistant or something. She likes it, and makes more than we nurses do.I imagine they get some nasty mouths sometimes. blech

I know several hygienists and they don't love it. They say it's boring and back (neck) breaking.

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I like being a nurse, but I wouldn't do it all over again. If I had rich parents, I would like to have gone to med school.

I kind of just went to nursing school on a whim (I'm the one that all the people who can't get into nursing school can't stand).

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I would have stayed out of healthcare altogether. I thrive on entrepreneurial ventures and am happiest and most successful when i'm starting and/or growing a small business.

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