Posts: 36
3/26/07 3:47 P

TOFEELALIVE I'm afraid I'm totally confused on "posted on the better profession out there post". However, I love your quote about the sheep. That is wonderful! Keep up the good work
J.

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3/26/07 3:25 P

posted on the better profession out there post

Posts: 18
3/25/07 10:52 P

Thanks everyone for all the information.

By the way, what is Dhec? Do you mean the Department of Health? I've definitely been thinking about community health even though it's not as lucrative as some other areas in the nursing field.

I've also taken Occupational Therapy into consideration.

Edited by: KRUSS32 at: 3/25/2007 (22:58)

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3/25/07 8:28 A

Hi, the beauty of nursing is that your education is very comprehensive and can be used in so many different ways! You can even create your own job and if you take advanced education, you can practice independently in some areas.
If you think outside of the acute hospital setting, there are so many jobs where a nursing education would be helpful. Look at Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, etc.
By the way, becoming a Nurse Educator may be of interest to you. These are individuals in, usually, institutional settings who teach nurses via inservice classes, demo, written material, etc. Usually a day job.
Also, there is a dire need right now for teachers in nursing schools and there are grants available to assist with becoming a teacher of nursing. Keep all your options open as you explore what is out there.

"You may not get what you want, but, if you try hard enough, you'll get what you need."

Posts: 36
3/24/07 11:49 P

I work as a case manager in the community (in Canada) and 1 profession we are always short of is Speech Language Practitioners. The advantage is it is only ever days. The pay is better than nursing as well. You get to work one on one most of the time since it is so individual it's hard to combine people. There's lots of work with children but there is also work in the community with elderly after they have had a stroke or complications from Cancer. It's an idea.
Occupational therapy is always in demand and also 1 on 1. Again higher pay and only days although occasionally on the weekends. It's a holistic occupation from working with cognitive funtion to modifying houses and most stuff in between. With all of the insurance stuff going on it can be very much in demand.
Good luck!

Posts: 3,264
3/22/07 7:39 P

"Is it really that difficult to land a day shift position in nursing? "

Depending on the location, it can be, yes. My personal experience (MA and NC) has been that without specialising, you have to work either an off shift or even rotating shifts when you first start out.

Specialising is great, but you usually have to "do your time" on the floors first. I started out working the floors, then eventually moved into Case Management. The employers I've had have all required at least 3-5 years clinical experience before they would hire you as a CM.

Now, if you want to specilaise in a clinical area, like Pediatrics, or Oncology, you probably won't have to wait as long....depending on the staff turnover, you might be able to "score" a days only job within a a year or so. But, it's likely you'll have to still work weekends.

I was a single mom working as much as possible when my 2 were little. My husband and I split up when they were 2 1/2 yrs and 5 months (22 & 24 now). I already had my RN, so that wasn't an issue, but even with experience, I was expected to work an off shift for at least a few months. I worked 11-7 by choice (most employers loved that!). I hired a woman (several actually) to come to my home and sleep over. For a long time my kids didn't even realise I worked as I was there when they went to bed, and there when they woke up.

When my kids were older my mom was eventually able to watch them for me. That meant I had to be over her house by bedtime so they were able to get a good night's sleep. When my mom passed they became "latchkey kids", but they were older and the neighborhood was very safe....and we had security on the house and neighbors to keep an eye on them.

Hiring someone like this can be a problem. Going thru an agency is more expensive, but you can hire someone without one....kinda like hiring a babysitter. I did have family around, but they weren't able, for various reasons, to help me out. I also used the local Y for after school and summer programs (NOT a good idea in my area).

It's tough, but if this is something you really want, you can do it.

Posts: 2,465
3/22/07 5:58 P

If that is what your are interested in then community nursing is for you. Something with Dhec although the pay is a bit less you get lots of holidays and vacation and state benefits which makes up for a the money.

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3/22/07 5:27 P

what field are you going to pursue. hospital floor...you can put on your application days only, i haven't seen anyone have a problem yet getting a day position.

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Posts: 18
3/22/07 12:59 P

Is it really that difficult to land a day shift position in nursing? I have no local family to watch my children and as originally stated, my husband travels a lot.

I have thought about becoming a dietician, but I don't think there are as many opportunities available. I definitely haven't ruled it out.

I've been thinking about making a career change for several years. I've decided that there will always be a reason to put it off, but I'm not going to stay in this rut.

Edited by: KRUSS32 at: 3/22/2007 (13:04)

Posts: 67
3/22/07 12:49 P

Being a nurse is a great job lost of job you will never run out for practical reason and money I would prefer that kind of job. But unless you really wanna change a career then go for it.. You can still be an educator as a public health nurse and can oncorporate as well nutrition. There is no money in being a wellness consultant, here in Canada, dietician is more in demand but in US is OK

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Posts: 8,379
3/22/07 12:27 P

except hoidays,weekends,and not day shift in the beginning for a nurse

Posts: 46
3/22/07 11:55 A

Have you ever thought of becoming a hospital dietician??? But the truth of the matter is once you have your RN ther is all kinds of directions you can go.

Posts: 18
3/22/07 11:25 A

I actually put most of under another topic, but I'm trying to gather as much information and feedback as possible. I am interested in making a career change from Human Resources to the health field. My interests are educating others on how to make healthier food choices, disease management (especially diabetes and hypertension), weight management, prevention, and incorporating exercise in your busy schedule. I also like the idea of trying to get companies to reduce healthcare costs by having wellness programs. Since I have a background in another field, I need a little more information before going back to school to pursue a third degree (already have a B.A. in Communications and M.S. in Human Resources). I'm trying to decide whether to go into nursing or become a wellness consultant/health educator, which would mean getting a masters in health education instead of becoming an RN.

If I become a nurse, I'm considering Cardiac Rehab, Diabetes Educator/Coordinator, Renal Care, Community or Public Health nursing. Can anyone offer me some insight into nursing and suggests the best areas to specialize in? To be honest I haven't seen a lot of jobs out there that seem to match my criteria, but it would seem that since healthcare costs are rising, more efforts should be made to manage costs.

Other challenges I have are that my spouse is in sales and travels a lot. We have 3 kids I originally leaned towards nursing because of the abundance job jobs and the salary being closer to my current income. However, I'm not in a position to be able to work crazy shifts after becoming a nurse. Please correct me if I'm wrong but I also don't believe the traditional nurse doesn't get to spend a lot of time focusing on prevention and disease management. I really like forming relationships and spending time with people one-on-one.