Nursing career after leaving TV

[kydocking]

I am a 10 year career male reporter in a top 30 market. I think it is time to get out. I am considering nursing school. Does anybody have any insight into the profession? Is this a good career move for me? (I am 38.)

Thanks. Sarcastic responses without merit will be ignored.

[LittleBabyPuppy]

Nah. My mom is a a nurse, and told me to never do it. She says it's a thankless job where no matter how much nursing education you get...you're still just a nurse.

You know part of the curriculum in many nursing schools starts off with cleaning crap and changing dirty adult diapers? Just a heads up.

[kydocking]

Anyone else have any input? Salaries, career advancement, job outlook, satisfaction? Will having a nursing degree and experience as well as years of tv experience lead to medical reporter gigs or other such outlets?

Thanks

[Consider This]

Originally posted by kydocking:
Will having a nursing degree and experience as well as years of tv experience lead to medical reporter gigs or other such outlets?
Probably not. Other than the run-of-the-mill health reporters, I have never seen a TV medical reporter who wasn't a doctor.

[Fargin Icehole]

Originally posted by LittleBabyPuppy:
She says it's a thankless job where no matter how much nursing education you get...you're still just a nurse.
You want thankless jobs? Work in Production or Engineering. I wonder why I still do it after all these years of dealing with egocentric gasbags.

If you like nursing, do it and tell others to go fark themselves. Hopefully you'll be on-duty when they roll in with a massive heart-grabber and need CPR from you.

http://www.agirlsworld.com/rachel/beat-street/reviews/pix/parents2.jpg
I'll bet Focker (sorry, couldn't resist) was pulling down some good $$$. You can too. I've seen float nurse ads offering around $40-$50/hour for varying shifts.

http://www.netwalk.com/~truegger/ftrh/jefftv2.jpg
"Righteous bucks!"

[The Mockingbird]

I say more power to you, especially if you are dedicated.

[Pinkie]

If you think nursing will be more rewarding for you, I say go for. Life's far too short. But keep in mind... it's another profession with crappy hours! ;)

[LENSCRAFTER]

Well finding a job won't be tough. It's pretty much a guarantee... and job security is great.

I have many nurses in my family... some in school. First, there are a lot of bonuses to look for. Some hospitals will lure you by paying up to 80% of your tuition if you agree to work for them for x amount of years. OR there are sign on bonuses.

The classes are tough... the hours are grueling... and don't look for the hours to get any better once you have a job. They are LONG... and it takes a while to build up enough seniority to guarantee holidays off.

But like others have said... if this is what you want go for it. The medical field needs good people.

[rootboyslim]

Did you meet Greg? Greg's a male nurse.

[Pregnant Reporter]

Originally posted by LENSCRAFTER:
Well finding a job won't be tough. It's pretty much a guarantee... and job security is great.

I have many nurses in my family... some in school. First, there are a lot of bonuses to look for. Some hospitals will lure you by paying up to 80% of your tuition if you agree to work for them for x amount of years. OR there are sign on bonuses.

The classes are tough... the hours are grueling... and don't look for the hours to get any better once you have a job. They are LONG... and it takes a while to build up enough seniority to guarantee holidays off.

But like others have said... if this is what you want go for it. The medical field needs good people.I agree- I think the perks are there, you're already used to working crazy hours and there is some flexibility in scheduling.

I have a few friends and family who are nurses too. The things that stand out to me are
1) the school is long and tough
2) people will be desperate to hire you once you make it though
3) even part time nurses make good money. this has been a great option for many of my mom-friends. they work two 12 hours shifts a week and provide a great second income for their families.

[Fake Post]

Some things to think about in a nursing career.

Money is indeed good, great in some areas.

HOWEVER, you are also working under doctors, who still think they are GOD in white lab coats.

That means you will have to check your ego at the door and put up with their egos during the day.

I am told it is a fulfilling, yet thankless profession.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

[Big City]

Originally posted by kydocking:
I am a 10 year career male reporter in a top 30 market. I think it is time to get out. I am considering nursing school. Does anybody have any insight into the profession? Is this a good career move for me? (I am 38.)

Thanks. Sarcastic responses without merit will be ignored.My wife is a R.N. (trauma). Like others have said above, the hours are long, and you have to put up with a lot of crap (literally). However, your job is secure (unlike TV) and you can work anywhere in the country. If you aren't locked down to a family, get your degree and become a travel nurse. You'll clear 90-100K easy. However, you'll most likely work overnights and be treated poorly by other on the staff (in other words, just like a newsroom!) Nursing is truly a thankless job. But, if it's something your passionate about, go for it!

[Lazlo Toth]

My wife is a nurse. She hasn't worked in a hospital in 25 years. She became a nanager in an HMO in the early 1980's. Then she became a consultant for doctors contracting with HMOs. She was part of a business later that helped doctors' offices sort out all the requirements of the various third party payers. Now, she works for a major health care plan (that has its own doctors, clinics and hospitals) as a telephonic case manager for the company's employees on workers' comp.

So, there are a lot of possibilities besides just hospital / dr. office nursing.

[News Is Broken]

Look what happens if you replace the word nursing with television and doctor with news director (and remove the bit about white lab coats. meh):

Originally posted by Fake Post:
Some things to think about in a television career.

Money is indeed good, great in some areas.

HOWEVER, you are also working under news directors, who still think they are GOD

That means you will have to check your ego at the door and put up with their egos during the day.

I am told it is a fulfilling, yet thankless profession.

Hope this helps. Good luck!It's still true! So if you're a former newsie, you ought to fit right in. :D

[Lazlo Toth]

And just think how good you'll look in the uniform....

http://mash.sipe.cz/her/farr.jpg

[Murphy Brown 2003]

I'm wondering if it has to be nursing. Why not look into becoming a Physician's Assistant? It's only two years, just like nursing school (though you might have more prerequisites you'll need before you get in). You work less hours and make more money. Plus, you have A LOT more autonomy and you come with a diagnosis and treatment plan for your patients and in 48 states, you get to prescribe meds too.

Nurses are wonderful, but as others have said, it's a pretty thankless job.

[The Mockingbird]

Originally posted by News Is Broken:
Look what happens if you replace the word nursing with television and doctor with news director (and remove the bit about white lab coats. meh):

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Fake Post:
Some things to think about in a television career.

Money is indeed good, great in some areas.

HOWEVER, you are also working under news directors, who still think they are GOD

That means you will have to check your ego at the door and put up with their egos during the day.

I am told it is a fulfilling, yet thankless profession.

Hope this helps. Good luck!It's still true! So if you're a former newsie, you ought to fit right in. :D </font>[/QUOTE]Lol, apparently you haven't met about half of the anchors out there. I had one that thoughtI was supposed to get her coffee.

I put an end to that notion really quickly. We ended up getting along in the end though, once she started to respect my judgement.

I did make it a ritual to get her coffee on her birthday, though.

[Bureau Chief]

Seriously, if you have the brains to be a nurse, why not go to pharmacy school? We did a package recently on our local school here and the starting salary is about $80,000!

[Murphy Brown 2003]

Originally posted by Bureau Chief:
Seriously, if you have the brains to be a nurse, why not go to pharmacy school? We did a package recently on our local school here and the starting salary is about $80,000!Pharmacy school is much longer I believe and the list of prerequisites is longer as well. That's why I suggested Physician's Assistant. It's only two years post-bachelor's and it's a graduate degree at least. Of course, there are prerequisites for that also, but I would think if someone's looking for security, a good income, and a guaranteed job practically anywhere in the country, it would be a good option. Average starting pay is $75,000.

[kydocking]

Actually I did look into Physicians Assistant, but you have to take the MCAT, which is very difficult. Additionally the 2 year PA programs also require prerequisites which generally take another two to two and a half years to complete unless you already have a lot of science credits (Most folks with a journalism degree do not.)
Thanks for the responses! Please keep them coming.

[sunnychic]

My husband is a nurse. If you want to wipe butts all day and clean throw up and tell families that their family members are going to die, then you should do it. My husband works in the ICU of a very busy hospital and tells me of all the horrendous things that doctors pull on on unknowing patients. My husband is dedicated and it is hard for him to not take the stress home. Also, because there is such a shortage of nurses many are being put into hospitals with little to now experience and it puts peoples lives in danger. BUT you will never have a problem getting a job and you will make a lot of money.
Also, on the bright side, it can be rewarding if you make a difference in peoples lives. My husband often recieves heart felt thank you's, cards, and small gifts from people who say that he is the best nurse that has ever taken care of them or their family member. BUT, he has been in the ICU for a three years and is already looking at what other career options he wants to look in to. It is a very emotional job if you do it well, there are plenty of nurses who do a half-a** job and don't care about what they do, which is really scary! I hope this helps!

[Murphy Brown 2003]

Originally posted by kydocking:
Actually I did look into Physicians Assistant, but you have to take the MCAT, which is very difficult. Additionally the 2 year PA programs also require prerequisites which generally take another two to two and a half years to complete unless you already have a lot of science credits (Most folks with a journalism degree do not.)
Thanks for the responses! Please keep them coming.Most PA programs only require the GRE OR the MCAT. I understand what you're saying about the prereqs though. If you don't have the Bios and Chems, you'll spend a year or two just doing that.

[MitchCumstein]

Nurses are the biggest saints in the world. I think it takes a special person to be one. My mother is a retired RN, my late father was a doctor.

I do have a friend who works in a Minneapolis hospital. She told me last week she almost lost her arm while scrubbing between a 500-pound man's fat rolls. She had to lift up his fat and scrub around in his crotch or something.

That said, she makes about $35/hr. scrubbing those fat rolls.

Still, I'd rather be reporting on the opening of ice-fishing season in Rhinelander for $13k/year.

My mortgage broker just sent me a letter about 6 months ago saying he was leaving the mortgage biz to become a nurse. I was shocked because he's about 350 pounds and spent a lot of time in the hospital himself lately.

I think if you love helping people, go ahead and do it. Find an area (pediatrics?) with limited fat roll scrubbing.

Another field to look at is chiropractic care. They are being taken more seriously these days. You can help people get back on their feet- in all walks of life - and you don't need to go to all-out med school, and you make some good coin.

[ April 13, 2007, 09:14 PM: Message edited by: MitchCumstein ]

[Pregnant Reporter]

Originally posted by Bureau Chief:
Seriously, if you have the brains to be a nurse, why not go to pharmacy school? We did a package recently on our local school here and the starting salary is about $80,000!no kidding, they make crazy money! when I graduated from J school in 1992, I had a friend who graduated with whatever degree you have to be a pharmacist.

She had three offers, the lowest of which was 50k, and I was scrounging around for something in teevee that paid more than $6.00 an hour.

When I worked in Austin I knew a guy who was a Wal Mart pharmacist. He only worked part time and still cleared over $70,000 and spent the rest of his time pursuing his music career.

I'm happy for them, but no way am I smart enough, at least as it pertains to science, to ever do that job.

[Bureau Chief]

My wife has been working in a hospital lab for 30 years. She hates most doctors, and what she calls them behind their backs cant be printed here. Nurses have to put up with them the most and frequently have to clean up the messes they make, both emotional and physical. Many hospitals have tuition assistance or payback help as a recruiting tool, but beware, its an easy way to get trapped at a hospital with poor working conditions.

Nearly all fields in health care are begging for people, so much so that they are even recruiting from other countries. Most are heavy on the science and math requirements but one to consider is physical therapy. Its in great demand as we all get to be old farts and not nearly as demanding in the math area. I have been trying to get my daughter interested in pharmacy but she says "its boring". Well for 50 to 80 thou a year, I could stand to be a bit bored!

[ April 16, 2007, 08:06 AM: Message edited by: Bureau Chief ]

[rascal9]

I have been a nurse for 13 years now, and have always worked in the hospital, where the pay is the best. It is a very hard life, full of weekend, holiday, and night shifts that keep you away from your family and friends. Doctor's office jobs are mostly for $8 an hour medical assistants, few docs can afford a "real nurse". In the hospital you will always find fascinating stories, and many times you will find yourself thanking God for your health and life. That is the good part. The bad part is that people are so difficult when they are stressed out; they will often blame you for things outside of your control, and rarely does someone even notice how hard you are working to help them. All the staff around you are also very stressed out too, so it is very hard to get someone to lend a helping hand unless you have an established friendship. Otherwise, you are mostly on your own. Hospital staffing/workload is extremely poor throughout the industry. Overall, nursing is a good bet for someone who has to bring home the bacon, and doesn't care that they rarely get 20 minutes to choke down lunch. If you have a need to help people, it is a great place to find out how hard that really is. Worthwhile, but hard. It is a steady gig, and if you're smart and educationally inclined, you can enter advanced practice, and have some doctor level responsibilities. Overall nursing is very draining, and I don't really recommend it unless you are very high energy, and naturally thick skinned. It is kind of like working in a complaint department, which gets old after the first 2 years. That's my 22 cents.