Medical Field

[Dave]

around here, LPN's make their money working in nursing homes. mostly because that is one of the few places that hire them. that and doctors office. RN gives you more options and a bigger paycheck.

 

[Sam]

Hi Fluer

I'm a bit confused. Do you want to be a radiologist - as in a doctor who specialises in imaging - or a radiographer - the person who actually works the machines and takes the pictures? I know you said radiologist originally, but a lot of the responses here read like they think you meant radiographer...

I'm studying as a doctor, btw - so if it is the radiologist route you have in mind, feel free to question me - but bear in mind that I'm in the UK and it's different everywhere...

Sam

 

[chcr]

Or try for LPN...they make a decent living too.

That was kind of Dara's point. LPNs do as much work, but get paid around half what RNs make. Either one can be a two year degree.

 

[FluerVanderloo]

I'm a bit confused. Do you want to be a radiologist - as in a doctor who specialises in imaging - or a radiographer - the person who actually works the machines and takes the pictures?

I'm definitely going to be a diagnostic radiologist. Radiation therapy isn't my thing, so I figured I'd diagnose it all.

 

[Dave]

I'm definitely going to be a diagnostic radiologist. Radiation therapy isn't my thing, so I figured I'd diagnose it all.

good choice. one of the higher paying medical specialties.

 

[Sam]

Good choice - although if it's anything like here you'll probably have to initially learn to diagnose and treat, then specialise in diagnostics later in your career.

But yeah, if that's the kinda thing that appeals to you (ie a more scientific approach to patient care) then don't be persuaded to go into nursing instead - it's just such a different angle. (And paid less, imho ).

Besta luck

Sam

 

[Dave]

don't be persuaded to go into nursing instead - it's just such a different angle. (And paid less, imho ).

...of course we are paid less...we do all the work...

 

[Sam]

...of course we are paid less...we do all the work...

So true.

After all, everyone knows the reason it takes 5 to 6 years to train a doctor is because that's how long it takes to grind all the enthusiasm and willingness to work hard out of them!

*yes, looking for sympathy*

 

[Dave]

So true.

After all, everyone knows the reason it takes 5 to 6 years to train a doctor is because that's how long it takes to grind all the enthusiasm and willingness to work hard out of them!

*yes, looking for sympathy*

i always thought the 5-6 years was to teach them how to have overblown egos... j/k

 

[Sam]

i always thought the 5-6 years was to teach them how to have overblown egos... j/k

Naaah.....you have to have one of those to go for the job in the first place!

 

[FluerVanderloo]

Naaah.....you have to have one of those to go for the job in the first place!

I agree! Overblown ego I do have! After all, I am a Leo

And nursing I knew from the start wasn't my thing. Don't want to come off as a terrible person, because I'm not, but I didn't really want a lot of patient contact. I do like looking at X-rays and CAT and CT scans and such, they are so interesting to me. So, yeah.

 

[Dave]

Naaah.....you have to have one of those to go for the job in the first place!

 

[AnomalousEntity]

I am an RN, BSN and I have a few other initials that dont really matter for this topic.

Not all MDs are rude and ill mannered, but I find the cardio-thoracic surgeons to be the absolute worst when it comes to their disposition.

The work can be hard physically and emotionally. By that I mean you need a strong back, thick skin, good family support, and a stable life away from work to cope with it.

There will be nights when you will not be able to sleep wondering if you could have given a med faster or checked some lab result and avoided having the patient go into arrest......

And then there will be nights when you will not sleep wondering if you did everything right during the code and didnt make some mistake that caused a failure to rescue and resulted in some ones death.

Enjoy!

 

[Sam]

God, you guys are all so positive :much sarcastic eye rolling:

There are also nights when you go to sleep knowing that you were responsible for saving a life.

I think that makes it worthwhile.

 

[AnomalousEntity]

God, you guys are all so positive :much sarcastic eye rolling:

There are also nights when you go to sleep knowing that you were responsible for saving a life.

I think that makes it worthwhile.

Hardly ever does a nurse feel like or is made to feel like they had anything to do with saving a life.

Find a patient in lidocaine toxicity having seizures the doctors says "she is not lidocaine toxic" Goes to check onthe patient and comes out "I coldnt get a focal reaction out of her but I dont think its the lidocaine". He then writes orders to d/c lido.

Find patient in near respiratory arrest because of morphine and give narcan, doctor says "who in the hell gave this patient morphine?...Now the patient is going to be up all night in pain"

Find a patient with a capillary blood glucoce of 30 and give 1/2 amp of D50 and doctor says "I dont believe the sugare was that low..those machines are not very accurate at the lower levels...you should have never given the D50"

Find a patient on the verge of coding on the floor, you call up a respiratory therapist, hook up a crash cart and are already working on the patient when the do code....get the patient back and get a phone call from the doctor "how long did you wait to code this patient...she is showing very little brain activity".

Find a patient with his chest tube disconnected and the aline pumping blood in the floor while the monitor clerk is canceling the alarm the doctor says "who was watching this patient anyway".

Find a patient in V-tach and beg the cardiologist to see the patient and you get "this damm patient is stable...I think its SVT with a bundle branch block"

Resident tells you to "get the patient to the unit now" (who by the way has a tension pneumothorax and svt 180 because the previous nurse wasnt paying attention) and when you get to the unit the nurse says "who told you to roll the patient without calling report" and the resident says "I didnt tell them to do that".


I could give you about 1000 more examples but you get the idea.