<p>Thanks for all the great input. I have to admit I was suprised by the support for nursing-I expected the PT field to win out. She has read all of the responses and I’m still not sure what her decision will be in the next few weeks- I’m just hoping she makes the right one for her. It’s hard for all of our kids to know at 18 what they want to do with the rest of their lives.</p>
<p>SIL is a PT. It has been a great job for a Mom. She has worked for the county and for the last 18 yrs has had her own business. She works with birth-elementary age. She contracts with the state. She goes into homes and schools. She does the accessment and has other PT’s and aides, an OT and a speech person who work for her. She can take off when she wants.</p>
<p>I’m an RN, though an ADN grad, so my options have been limited to the hospital due to the better pay. Yes, there are a zillion things you can do with nursing, and unlimited ways to apply knowledge. With advanced degrees, there is a high level of autonomy in private practice, or specific areas of expertise, such as cardiac nursing or orthopedics. </p>
<p>Had I been able to live life over, I’d have been a PT. I like working with people one on one, and the PTs I know have been true healers, given people freedom with increased motor abilities, recovery from injuries, lots of teaching about how to take care of yourself. There’s a lot of opportunity for advanced knowledge, and is more an independent practice than many clinic NPs get. Hospital work for a PT, I think is better than hospital work for an RN. One patient at a time, no shifts, fewer weekends. School work is better than school nurse, or so I’d guess. Again, one patient at a time, though both have IEPs to work on constantly. </p>
<p>One thing that is difficult about nursing, that anyone going into it needs to understand, is how rough the shift work can be, to families, to relationship, to your own health. New grad, chances are you’re working nights, weekends, missing family and community events that add immeasurable value to quality of life. Advanced practice, advanced degrees take you out of that world, potentially. But I work with many MSN degreed RNs who stay in the hospital due to our better pay. Very hard to give that up after a time. PTs make good pay without those quality of life issues.</p>
<p>Another plug for PT. I have been a PT for over 20 years and was able to follow my husband all over the country. Most places are still hiring PTs, I also receive job opportunities in the mail every week. I have also worked in a variety of different settings; hospital, nursing home, home care, rehab. I do have to work the occasional holiday or weekend, but not as often as nurses do. Nurses also can work nights, which PTs do not do. When I had my children it was very easy for me to go part-time. I still choose not to work full-time but only work 32 hours per week. My boss is always asking when I am planning on going full-time.<br>
Regarding the physical aspect of the job. Yes our job can be physical, but nursing is physical as well. Injuries can happen to both.
PT and nursing are both very different. Can she volunteer or observe at your local hospital?</p>
<p>My wife (RN - 2-year-degree), relatively new grad, sees only one patient at a time. Never works nights. Never works shifts. Goes to the gym after work almost every day. Works one weekend a month, planned well in advance. Service schedules her visits in consultation with her, but it is essentially an independent practice, with huge amounts of autonomy. Virtually never sees a doc; virtually never receives an order from a doc. Recommends med changes and other procedures to docs who virtually never see her patients. Never works in a hospital. Has an office only for purposes of doing paperwork (most of which she does at home, while watching tv), and an occasional meeting. </p>
<p>I’m sure there are nurses (especially who work in hospitals) with quality-of-life issues, but we’ve never seen them. Simply choice of specialty.</p>
<p>Mini, what kind of job does your wife have? This sounds like a very unusual situation for someone not long out of school. Is she a visiting nurse?</p>
<p>I agree with the above poster, as it does not match up with the experiences of the nurses I know and work with. Most of them are stuck with working shifts, often including overnights and weekends, particularly if they work in hospital settings.</p>
<p>I vote for PT. I believe PTs are respected more and paid more, don’t have to like it but that’s how I see it. Depending on the focus of Physical Therapy she could work for athletic teams or in a health club or even privately on her own. I think there is more flexibility as a PT, great job for a mom (thinking down the road). </p>
<p>Plus, getting into a 5 or 6 year program for PT is amazingly difficult, she should not walk away from that. Congratulations!</p>