nurse vs teacher

which would you chose and why??? I am currently a SAHM and i am going to finish my teaching degree since i am almost done....however i want to be a nurse as well. Do you think i should go for it? Being that teaching is so hard to get a job? I wouldnt have to work till we are done with kids and they are in school but im thinking of taking a few nursing courses and working pt maybe for now....WWYD?

Re: nurse vs teacher

I am currently a SAHM. I have a BS in Elem Ed. I couldn't find a permanent position and went into Pharmaceutical Sales.

I did that until I had DS.

I always wanted to be a Nurse. The programs are very competitive and it is hard to get a spot. I started at night a few years ago, but it was too much for me at the time.

There are a lot of pre-requisites that I didn't have. You will need higher level math courses, 2 sciences with labs, Anatomy and Physiology 1 and 2 and a few others.

There are programs at Suffolk, Farmingdale and Molloy.

Good Luck!

Re: nurse vs teacher

I did the RN program (4 year program) thru Molloy for my BSN - It was many pre-reqs but you can look them all up online www.molloy.edu and they can even send you a catalog with what is required. I thought it was a great program, and now I work FT as an RN, I had a job as soon as I graduated, before I passed my boards... Good luck!

Re: nurse vs teacher

You can also do an accelerated nursing degree so long as you have a BA or BS with like a 3.2 or something like that. Stony Brook and Adelphi offer them..They are very intense but only one calendar year to 18 months long. (And I mean intense as in 6 days a week, 8 hour days for SB anyway)

Re: nurse vs teacher

I am a teacher and became one when I was divorced with 3 kids. It's been a great job to have as a single parent and I always say I picked the right career for the wrong reasons. However, it is not a job that ends when you walk out of the school. If you could afford to go the nursing route you may find it more amenable. There are lots of different ways to be a nurse. You can do part time in a dr's office, full time in a hospital, you get the picture. You may find it more flexible than teaching.

**disclaimer** I say this as a former SAHM who had to work full-time. It was a big change of lifestyle for me and the kids. If you don't have to go full-time, you may not want to.

Re: nurse vs teacher

I am a guidance counselor and I love it.

To me nursing and teaching are such different vocations it is hard to compare.

With teaching/education you have all hoildays, summers, out @ 3pm, weekends....

I will say my friend who is a nurse is able to find a flexible schedule, which affords her the oppurtunity to be home with her kids on more days (she works a cple long days.nights).

My honest opinion is...which would you enjoy more? This is the true key to happiness

Re: nurse vs teacher

I would say Nurse. more flexible hours, more $, and easier to find a job

Re: nurse vs teacher

i am a teacher, but i would vote nurse for you.

teaching jobs are practically impossible to come by, especially if you're not in a hard to staff subject. you might finish your degree and not be able to get a job for years. being a teacher is great, but not if you can't get a job

Re: nurse vs teacher

I would do nursing. I was a teacher and hated it. I came very close to going to nursing school, and now regret not doing it.
But this is my personal experience. You have to look at the pros and cons of each.

ETA: I just re-read your post. I think nursing would work well for you. You will have no issues getting a job, working PT as a nurse is no problem.

Message edited 10/17/2009 9:35:39 AM.

Re: nurse vs teacher

You've been agonizing over this decision for quite some time now..... no?

I think it's time to get off the pot and MAKE A DECISION...

I don't mean that to sound harsh but honestly... I procrastinated & procrastinated applying to graduate school... Once I FINALLY did it, a huge weight was lifted. You could have been certified by the time you finally make your decision, you know?

Message edited 10/17/2009 10:35:44 AM.

Re: nurse vs teacher

have you thought about speech therapy?? its a good combination of the medical side of nursing, and the education side of teaching.
you can work in a hospital , school, nursing home, or even early intervention, and basically set your own schedule.
i'm a speech thearpist in a school and really do like it! i work with kids who need help learning how to say certain sounds, but i also work with kids with special needs who need help with general language skills. its fun!
right now i don't have kids, and the school schedule is great! when we do have kids, i'm looking into doing early intervention part time. theres PLENTY of jobs out there. i have a full time job and stiff get e-mails a couple times a week from a contract agency that pays $70 an hour.
its kind of a long road to get certified ( have to have your masters) BUT it really is worth it because its such a great career with lots of options as far as work setting and schedule.
good luck!!

Re: nurse vs teacher

Re: nurse vs teacher

Regardless of which profession, I'd suggest getting started before having a second baby. Once baby#2 gets here, you'll wind up putting it off even further.

Close your eyes, plug your nose and jump in. I think that was the hardest part for me when I made the decision to change careers. My only regret is that I didn't do it when I was first thinking about doing it- I'd already have 10 years in my profession if I had.

Re: nurse vs teacher

I am friends with lots of teachers and openings are virtually non-existent, in so many parts of the country, even in areas like math, science and special education and ESL. I think that education is such a flooded field that you would be going into it with basically a wing and a prayer right now.

I work in health care and nursing is such a great field to get into. There is so much flexibility, tons of populations to work with where you aren't dealing with blood and gore, and they make really good money. I work in home care and most of our nurses are per diem nurses and visit with the clients on their time.

I also am friend's with a woman who is a nurse at Sloan Kettering in the city. I think she works like 2-3 12 hour shifts a week and also gets paid good money to be "on call". She also said that on the days she is on-call there's only like a 25% chance she will actually end up having to go in.

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I teach in a college and I am off from the middle of May until after Labor day. It was a no-brainer for me

Re: nurse vs teacher

I'm a guidance counselor, and love it. But I worked impossibly hard to find a job. My first job was a maternity leave replacement position. I was 23 and living with my parents, so it didn't matter that I was making sub pay and had no health insurance. Other friends of mine that are teachers started their career in the same way. But a woman with children might not be able to accept a position like this.

My MIL is a nurse, and loves the profession. She works 3 12-hour shifts, and then has four days off. Makes a great salary. There are many positions: in hospitals, clinics, doc's offices...

There are plusses and minuses to either field. GL with your decision!

Re: nurse vs teacher

Re: nurse vs teacher

i started to do the teaching thing and i quickly changed into the nursing field! i am loving it

Re: nurse vs teacher

Depends on your previous education.

You can be a nurse in a 2 year program. You cannot be a teacher that fast. I think it's easier to go to school to be a teacher (as in being accepted). But it's SO hard to find a job.

You do need pre-requisites in science, etc.. to go into nursing.

For the $$$, time of education, flex time, etc.. I would go into nursing.

Re: nurse vs teacher

i would say to really think about what each job entails.

Yes, there's some flexibility in nursing, but there's also some sacrifice, too, for that flexibility (working nights, weekends, holidays, etc). I dont know what the job market will be like when you finish the program, but right now, new graduates are having a very hard time finding jobs. After everything that happened with the economy this year, many hospitals placed hiring freezes and nurses that wouldve retired couldnt b/c their pensions tanked. on one of the nursing boards i go on, all new grads are venting/freaking out about not finding jobs. Im sure it'll change eventually, but just a heads up.

But really- the best advice i could give is to REALLY think about what each job entails. I could never be a teacher (i volunteered teaching CCD just to be sure and Yeah, no teaching for me! ) BUT, i also dont think most people really know what being a nurse entails (i definitely didn't) and while yes, the money is great, sometimes it definitely doesnt feel like its enough for all that you have to do (though, again, i'm sure every job probably feels like that). Just really think it through.


Why do you want to be a nurse?


why do you want to be a teacher?