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Question about which degrees again?


LuvingLife
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I do have a question about which one I should get. I wanted to go for my BSN but most schools will not accept my credits in science as I will only have 3 (Biology, AP Biology, and Chemistry). Okay that was fine with me, so then I looked into the two year programs (which actually take 3 years!) and I could be on the wait list for 2 to 3 years and maybe more:glare:!

(The reason why the BSN programs will not accept me is because I do not have the AP classes they were looking for and I do not have the time to complete them.)

 

Another reason why I am questioning my career of choice, I have shadowed another nurse recently and, uhhh finally discovered how emotionally hard it was! I did not realize emotionally and physically how hard it is to be a nurse, there seems to be more pressure on you than a doctor sometimes and I don't know if I can take that type of stress. I want to work with babies though, but there doesn't seem to be anything like that that has decent pay while still being flexible when you have a family. I wanted so much to be a nurse, I loved it and wanted to work with babies and mother's and everything and now... I just don't know! This is all so confusing and I feel a lot of pressure to choose a major, I do not to end up in debt or barely making it by like my parents have to, I see how much pain it can cause and I don't want it. I wanted to work with people and help them and now it seems all that just blew up right in my face. It has really crushed me and I feel terrible, I thought it was great the first time but now I REALLY saw what it was to do this job and yikes!

 

I don't know what to do anymore, I still want to work with babies and even young children but I do NOT want to teach, not my cup of tea, and I still want to stay in the medical field making decent pay. ACH!! Advice is greatly needed please! (Yes I just ate some chocolate).

Edited by LuvingLife
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Okay, this may be a totally off the wall suggestion. Have you ever considered being a nanny? You would work with children / babies but it is not teaching which you said you specifically did not want to do. Plus it is not healthcare. Believe me, I get what you are saying. I have worked as a radiologic technologist for the past 25 years either full or part-time.

 

I read a blog on a semi-regular basis called rural-revolution.com

The author's daughter is planning on attending a professional nanny school after she graduates from high school . The author homeschools her children and wrote a blog about choosing academic subjects that would be beneficial for her daughter's career goals. (Literature, french, and extracurricular s like swimming and gymnastics- who knew?).

 

Anyway, the nanny school graduates are in high demand. It's very professional and the jobs pay well. Just something to think about. You could always email the owner of the blog for more info. Also, you could work as a nanny for a few years while deciding what other long-term goals you wish to pursue.

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I think it is possible that you will develop more emotional control as you get older and that continuing on your nursing career is not a bad idea because of your one experience. What you might wish to do is go back to the person you shadowed and tell he or she this and ask their opinion (and I'd encourage you to ask some other nurses who work with children, too).

 

It is also possible that you would elect to work in a doctor's office instead of a hospital which would probably be less emotionally intense.

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First, do some deep breathing exercises. Next, maybe give yourself a break on all this career-planning stuff. You are too young to set anything in stone. Third, go back to the hospital and trail or volunteer regularly. Fourth, go to college and start taking some nursing courses. (I think you should try for the BSN). Fifth, do well in school, study your butt off, apply for merit aid when you've got some good grades under your belt. Sixth, have an incredible amount of fun doing all of this. If it isn't fulfilling and fun after a year, reassess and figure out what WAS good about the experience. That will give you a direction to start off in if you decide to change. Seventh, relax and enjoy the ride!

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I may just give myself a break, but I also have started shadowing my dad and I like his job. He went to school for Medical Billing and Coding, but he did not earn a degree for it, so he had a tough time finding a job. He would have had an excellent job if he had a degree, the jobs he applied for only wanted those who had degrees and if I were to do this, I would get my associate's. I am thinking of going to school for MBC, then after I have secured a job and make money, maybe go back for early childhood education.

 

I hear MBC is a fantastic job, stressful just like any other job, but I don't have the strength to deal with nursing, I don't do well with pressure when somone's life is on the line! Then I will go into early childhood education to then gain my degree and work with young children. I have a good babysitting job and I babysit my younger siblings all the time. That seems like a better fit for me. But nursing is not completely off the list yet.

 

Sorry for my rambling, I have been way too stressed lately. I am taking a break from looking at careers for right now, I need to relax and watch a movie with chocolate.:)

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Another field to consider is Medical Assistant. More and more doctor's offices are hiring MAs instead of RNs or LPNs because they are trained in both LPN and administrative duties. My old GP ran his office with only an MA and an office manager.

 

Perhaps being an MA for a pediatrician or a CNM would be something interesting for you.

 

 

a

 

 

ps: the pay varies depending on location and type of position, but can be quite good

Edited by asta
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Another field to consider is Medical Assistant. More and more doctor's offices are hiring MAs instead of RNs or LPNs because they are trained in both LPN and administrative duties. My old GP ran his office with only an MA and an office manager.

 

Perhaps being an MA for a pediatrician or a CNM would be something interesting for you.

 

 

a

 

 

ps: the pay varies depending on location and type of position, but can be quite good

 

This is something that looks promising too and it doesn't seem to be as hard as being a nurse. Thank you for the suggestion and I will be looking into this a lot more. Thank you asta!:)

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  • 1 month later...
Guest jacobsusan

Sticking with healthcare is a good decision; the healthcare industry generated 14.3 million jobs in 2008, and this number will increase by 3.2 million by 2018. For now, a good course of action would be to complete an Associate degree in Medical Specialties. I don’t know how it works elsewhere, but if your pursue this degree from an accredited college in Utah, you are qualified to work as a Medical Assistant, a profession that has been suggested above, and seems like it would suit you. The degree usually takes 2 years to complete but some colleges will even allow you to complete it in 15 months.

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When she was your age, she volunteered at the hospital in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) because she thought she wanted to work with babies and their moms too. She was so overwhelmed at the helplessness of the babies that she almost threw the towel in on nursing herself.

 

She took a deep breath and realized it was just the crying babies and not being able to hold and comfort them that bothered her, so she switched her focus to communicable diseases.

 

She too has a nurturing, caring, loving heart and wanted to help people. Thank God she met her husband and decided that she didn't want to be exposed to incurable diseases and is now the youngest charge nurse for the orthopedics' floor of the hospital.

 

She gets to help a lot of women and is constantly rewarded for her passion, care, and conscientiousness. Monday she is starting college again to get her advanced nursing degree. She would eventually like to teach nurses.

 

Do not give up on your dreams to help people. You will be rewarded emotionally and financially for your decision. Is there an ADN program in your area? You still will have to pass the nursing test and then later can get your BSN. Also, what kind of nurse was the one that you followed? There are different levels of pressure and stress depending on what floor you are on in the hospital or clinic.

God bless you, sweetie!!

Cheryl

Edited by CherylG
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