Nursing vs respiratory therapist

[rebellefleur]

I've been struggling with a career path since graduation. I graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism- i followed my heart only to find that in this day and age it's near impossible to find a job in this field unless you have experience in certain areas, but no one wants to give you a foot in the door- it's a catch 22. Now i'm in radio sales working a 9 to 5 based off of commission, it's a complete nightmare to put it lightly.

 

Anyway, i've been considering a job in the medical field. At first i was thinking about going back to school for nursing, which would maybe take about 3 years- give or take. Then i started researching some other possibilities and looked into respiratory therapy, which you apparently only need an associates degree, which i would feel slightly stupid for going to school for after i already have a bachelor's degree. This program would maybe take about 2 years.

 

I was just looking for opinions from people with more life experience. Any suggestions? Anyone know firsthand about either profession? ANY input is greatly appreciated!

[annie24]

If you already have a BS, I think you can do an accelerated nursing program which is about 15 months or so...

[Snny]

Two good jobs that take an A.S in medical field:

 

1. Ultrasound technician. Good money and can pay more than Nursing. Hours are way more flexible and you don't work as hard as a Nurse. My fiancé left nursing for it. He's still trying to pass his certification test which is hard, but he really enjoyed his internship more than working as a hospital nurse.

 

2. Physical therapy. My brother in-law is in it. Was given a job offer several states away. He has his own home, wife, two kids, two dogs, and three vehicles. He's very happy.

[anya85]

These medical programs are usually very competitive and usually have a point based system to pick those who they accept each year. You will get some points for having the higher degree, but you will probably still need more. You might find that you have to take a few semesters to take some of the sciences before you really even apply to have a good shot, as the sciences courses are worth the most points. This is what I've been doing this past year--taking classes for the program for the points so it helps me get in(Dental Hygiene program).