If you want to go back to school for nursing, go for it -

• is it really this bad? - Karen
  • M-Tec vs TRSi - Karen2
  • Bottom line - - misty
  • I love my job, am not negative about it at all, but I know what you mean - about seeing negativity here. sm
  • Just remember - Unhappy Camper
  • i enjoy it - ColleenCollect
  • Oh you will love being an MT! Stay home, - raise your kids and makes lots of money!
    • I do exactly that. - nm
      • Of course you do. There is lots of money to be - made and quality time for family. Chicken Fiddle
        • Sorry that I'm happier and more productive than you are! - Fiddle Faddle
    • LOL..yeah, lots!!! nm - D'oh!!!
  • I don't think this gig is bad at all...(sm) - Hayseed
    • I think you'd be a great writer. (U already are.) - nm - Flibertygibbit
    • If you want to go back to school for nursing, go for it - - doing the same
    • I'm bored too - boredMT
    • I got bored w/ it too, that's why I'm working my way up - ...
      • I'd be lyin' if I said my curiosity wasn't piqued... - Hayseed
        • Sign I saw at Hooter's yesterday... - MSMT
  • I love my job! - Another KSMT
  • Thank you everyone for your replies - nm - Karen
  • Quite frankly Karen, I LOVE MY JOB!!! - I am a radiology transcriptionist and
  • is our job really that bad? - amdahwd
  • In-house is best for making the big bucks. It's only been a - decent at-home experience for me. nm Not A Great O
    • sorry...not a great experience. I do love the work, - but money was better years ago. NM
  • Personally, I love this profession.... - I love my job
    • I enjoy it too. - about seeing negativity here. sm
    • I totally agree. I have only - countrymt
  • Not unless you want to make a low salary. - Probably better off in another profession at
    • I think that is all attitude. I make very good money at MT. - nm
  • Well - MTinIL
  • anybody awake? - Karen
    • That depends on why you are wanting to be a transcriptionist. sm - searching
      • just dont know - Destinyisntfree
      • I agree! - Tam
  • IMO, yes. I would love to be a surgical tech. - MSMT

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to get a BSN. I've been in the health care field, including paramedic, medical assistant, etc., and doing MT off and on throughout the past 25 years.  However, seeing the handwriting on the wall re: the future of MT, I decided not to wait until I didn't have a job to try to find one. I own an MTSO, so I make plenty of money now, probably more than I would make as an RN, but I'm not stupid-- that's only going to last another 5 years...so in the meantime I'm in school! I am in a four year program, it was extremely competitive to get in (1000 applicants, took 70). If you didn't have a GPA of 3.5 you didn't get it. So you will have to take that into consideration. There are long waiting lists at all schools though If you go to a community college 2 year program probably the grades won't be such an issue. You will also have to take plenty of prerequesites, which will keep you busy for 1-2 years. The good news is hopefully your MT job will be flexible enough so you can work around a changing school schedule, plus it's not like you have to drive somewhere to work. With your experience in medical records, you will be very strong in charting and every one in your class, including your teachers, will ask you how to spell words. You will at least be familiar with drugs and their uses, i.e. Aricept is for Alzheimer's.

Although it will be very difficult, know that at least you have a future ahead of you that can't be outsourced to India. My friend just finished the same program 2 years ago and she is working 32 hours per week, 3-11 shift at the community hospital and making over $50K plus benefits. That ought to help you get through school!

but I only work a few hours a week running my MTSO. I would guess you could work full time while doing your pre-reqs part-time but when you actually get into PT school, it probably is almost as grueling as nursing. Your best bet is to SAVE SAVE SAVE over the next few years so you can do full time school when you need to. Speech pathology is a master's program, so you will need to be in school for quite a while. Plus you need to see how competitive the program is. Nursing schools lose 50% of their classes by graduation, and only take the best 10% of applicants, so not an easy task. That being said, there is practically no future in MT and when 100 MT's are competing for the same job, it's going to be sad. So go for Speech Pathology - absolutely!

Peter Jensen, who is head of psychiatry at Columbia:  At least half the children who fit the criteria for ADHD are not diagnosed. Half of the kids diagnosed are not treated (parents get too much flak for "drugging their kids"). ADHD is in 3-5% of population, found in some third world countries too though their survival skills are different from ours so testing doesn't always translate into another culture.  Taking sugar and food additives out of diet (i.e. Feingold diet) only makes a difference for 3 months- then no difference (placebo effect). Interestingly, if ADHD is not treated, those kids have a much higher risk of accidents, drug and other substance abuse, drop out of school, and being arrested for a felony. Oh and one more note for all the folks who say it's from being overstimulated...we don't have a TV in our house and my boy still has ADHD - it's genetic. Plus after an appropriate evaluation by a pediatrician who specializes in ADHD, a social worker and an audiologist, he has been treated with medication and behavior modification since second grade. In the challenge program in every subject possible now (middle school) including Algebra II. Reads at post college level. 

Bottom line is 4 years old is too early to make a diagnosis. Keep her home another year and let her develop at her own rate, but keep an eye on how she is able to compensate at school later. As I said, ADHD is a genetic disease and it could be possible for her to have it. It could also be possible that you tend to be negative towards whatever your ex says, so don't let that sink your daughter's ship...

I'd check with a college counselor/advisor on programs they have for women over 30 to return to academia and enter new careers.  Then I'd ask to take some career tests to see what your interests are and what you'd be be suited for.  Also, there is scholarship money available for women over 30.  Ask about it.  

Since I've already raised my kids, I'd also like to state that jr. high and high school are the years our kids need us at home the most.  Those are the years they can get into the most trouble if left to themselves.  If he's already 9, why not just enter college part-time to finish in about 6 to 7 years?  But definitely go talk to a college counselor.

I went back to school at 45 with 5 kids (26, 24, 19, 14 and 10).  I have a few comments.  First of all, school at 45 is very different than school at 20.  One thing I noticed is that it is much easier.  Classes have been watered down, except for math classes, which are a little different.  Kids do not write as well as we had to when I was first in college.   Second, for whatever reason,  it is much easier to pull As than when I was younger.  I go to class every class and I study because I have less distractions and yes, less hormones.  I am not partying anywhere, and my car knows the way to school.  No  one is making me go.

I took my first CNA class this semester and basically changed adult diapers and helped feed elderly folks.  I also helped with showers and changed colostomy bags.  They can dress it up any way they want, but frankly, that is what you are doing.  No blood or guts, just a lot of poop.

As far as money goes, I already had an associates degree, so they will only pay for classes that are absolutely necessary to your degree.  I did not qualify for any scholarship money due to age or income or anything else.  Basically I paid for my classes and the hospital I work for is supposed to reimburse me when I finish my class.

The hospital I work for, when I am clinicals, is supposed to have a few scholarships available which equate to about 4500 per year.  As my work time will be cut back to approximately half, I am going to have to figure out how to make it.  Also, I will have to figure out how to maintain hospital benefits at only half time...as....this does not work out.  

That is my returning to school story.  I hope that it is helpful. I would like to know what first year nursing students are doing if anybody has that information as far as patient care, etc. and what books, etc. they found helpful.

My two career choices are either nursing, really interested in psych, or a dental hygienist.

I know more about nursing than the dental and was wondering if anyone could give me any insight on either one, as far as school, working conditions, salaries, anything basically.

I think I would enjoy nursing more, but the schedule for the hygienist appeals to me more with 2 young kids at home.  In my area, the schooling is about the same and the salary seems about the same too.

TIA!

I am really ticked at my QA department these days.  Had a report – not the best dictator, which is why I listened to it for a total of 3 times to be accurate!  Clearly the doctor said hyperglycemia.  At first I thought hypercholesterolemia but upon playing it over 2 more times I could hear the “glycemia.”  QA changed it to hypercholesterolemia and put a note on the “corrected” version that had I run spell checker it would have caught this.  Okay, first of all with this particular VPN system you must run spell check before uploading!  And second of all, no, spell checker would not flag a correctly spelled medical term!  Come on now!  Pick up the medical dictionary and look.  It is in my book.  Heck I hear that word on television.  Get a clue already.

This is the same QA that I go round and round with about hyphens.  I type “The patient is well developed and well nourished.”  It is to be done this way as per the BOS, yet a few will put in hyphens.  To the best of my knowledge you only use hyphens when the sentence reads:  Well-developed, well-nourished male/female in no acute distress. 

There are some really great QA people out there (((hugs))) and unfortunately some that need to go back to MT school.  Sometimes I wonder why I fight so hard to keep our jobs here in the U.S.   I know that I am not QA quality with less than 5 years under my belt, but please do not treat me like complete *****.  When I see some of these QA fixes and research it makes me wonder how they came into their positions.  I once had a CMT/QA person tell me there is no such thing as a DIP joint.  Okay, pick up an ortho book by Stedman’s.  Yeah, it’s in there!

Sorry to go on and on.  Just needed to get this off my chest.

Remember, you will be on your feet most of the time. Be sure that the school you go to is accepted by different places of employment. I worked in a hospital, and the Director of Pharmacy would not accept candidates from certain schools.

I've been an MT forever, and am now 58.   Retirement for me will be out of the question, but as we all know, the MT profession has taken a nosedive in past years, and the outlook is bleak.

From what I've read so far, an ultrasound tech can become certified at the proper schools without having to already have had extensive college.  (Only 2 years here, and that was in English, not pre-med, biology, science, etc.)   

Have any of you tried the same thing, or know people who have?  I definitely have to do SOMETHING, and time is obviously running out.  I also don't care for nursing. 

Any feedback appreciated!!!     

I would like to further my education in a more stable field that will never outsource.  I am constantly worrying about the state of the MT field.  I asked my husband if he would be okay with me going back to school to become a dental hygenist. He said absolutely not and to stop panicking.  He said Speris is not sending all the jobs to India, and he refuses to babysit at night when he works all day.  I am so ------.  I need his help to succeed because I do not have any family to depend on.  How can I realize my dreams.  Thanks for letting me vent.  So mad I can spit.

a new career after 16+ years in this business!!  I love MT but it's time for something with a steady paycheck and longevity.  Good luck to you and to the rest of us in your shoes!!   :)

I can not believe how rude you all are...  I make a simple statement and everyone jumps all over me?  If you all lived in our neighborhood and saw house after house with tree down, where you can see the roots are barely in the ground because they were planted so shallow, with no room to grow because the curb and the sidewalk are on each side, and you talked to all of my other neighbors who all feel the same way, then maybe you wouldn't be so quick to pass judgement.  I think it's ironic that everyone else I've talked to in person finds it surprising that trees as big as these were, that have been there a decent amount of time (2+ years) did this.  I have six trees in my backyard that were only planted 2 months ago, but were planted the right way and are fine...  I am not an expert on Arizona weather, having only lived here 2 years, but it doesn't take a genius to look at the way these trees roots are so shallow to know there is a problem.  The other tree snapping in two is not something I blame on the landscapers, it was obvious that it has a very thin trunk and was never very strong. 

God forbid anyone make a passing comment on what is obviously "your board".  And no need to respond anymore, you've made it very clear that newcomers are not welcome.

I was worried about because, let's face it, my short term memory isn't what it used to be LOL. Plus the program is ONLY full time. They had 1000 applicants and picked the top 70 of us. If you didn't have a 3.5 GPA, you didn't get in. But I am doing really well in school - after I got past the shock of the first 6 weeks - tons of work- and I am at the top of my class. My husband, bless his heart, is doing all the cooking and we are basically kind of ignoring the dirt. My house will be clean again another day. I am finishing up my second semester, have 3 more semesters for a BSN, and then another 2.5 years to get my masters and be an advanced practice nurse. 41 is definitely not too old! You will have to work smart to save your back but it can be done. Also MT is starting a slow slide out...you would be smart to start your second career now while you still have a job... IMHO

good luck!

How frustrating - 1 day in school and now a "bug".  We had this in our house before the holidays.  Everyone in the family had a turn with it, and now again!  I think antiseptic and antibacterials are needed in these schools.   Can't afford to be down for even 24 hours!

Just needed to vent my frustration here - my poor kiddies!