20:24 here. I have made my last post on the nursing matter and am calling it a night. My position on the matter is clear. Hopefully, 18:41 will find what she is looking for financially and professionally in nursing or seek other lucratively satisfying fields. Good luck and well wishes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nursing always gets mentioned as a good "second career". However, it's not exactly lucrative. The average RN makes $60-75K. (check the web for about a zillion salary surveys that attest to this). You can make more in certain states (California being #1--nurses are unionized and make more than anywhere else in the US). You can also make more by working more hours (a previous poster makes "six figures" working three 18 hour shifts per week). The problem is, hospital nursing is physically demanding work. As an RN, I can't imagine working these hours as a 25 year old, let alone as a "40 something". More power to the poster who does!! Then you can make more as an Advanced Practice Nurse (NP or anesthetist), especially in more lucrative specialties like orthopedics and nurse anesthesia (although salaries are falling in anesthesia as the market is currently saturated). However, working as an NP or a nurse anesthetist requires a master's degree and in anesthesia it's a full-time 3 year masters.

Nursing can be a great career and provides a comfortable standard of living in much of the US. However, the salaries don't go far at all in DC. All the RNs I know that work in DC hospitals are 1) married to someone who makes significantly more money or 2) are young and live in apartments or 3) commute in for work from some very far flung suburb.

Not all nursing is bedside. There is Utilization Review, Case Management which covers everything from renal to workers' comp, medical records review, OR, radiology nursing, recruitment, etc.

You do a disservice to the profession by giving the impression that all nursing is back breaking though there definitely are areas that have more physically demanding work. There are many areas that accommodate different types of nursing. Agency and travel nurses can make six figures easily but no benefits (many nurses ride on a spouse's benfits).

And, yes, I am a 25-year administrative RN. We graciously agree to disagree on some points.

Yes, I agree (I'm the poster you quoted). I'm a nurse with 15 years of experience and have worked in acute care, as a case manager, in clinical research and now as an NP. I've had a large variety of nursing jobs. I actually really like nursing. However, when nursing comes up in posts like this there is always some poster that says they make 6 figures as an RN like that's the norm. It's no where near the norm and not something I achieved until 25 years into my career and a choice to move into a niche, lucrative specialty as an NP. If OP is going to be able to support a family in this area he's going to have a difficult time doing so on an RN's salary especially as a new grad. It doesn't help nursing to make salaries sound more impressive than they are.

I'm not sure why you think you need to wait until you've been a nurse for 25 years to 'move into a niche, lucrative specialty' as an NP. An NP requires a Master's degree and most NP's have some nursing experience before they pursue the degree but there are many college programs that offer BSN/MSN and NP. It is certainly not the rule you have to wait until you've been in the profession 25 years. That is misleading to readers.

As in most professions, one makes an investment of time to obtain the very top salaries. That is no different than a new law school grad who aspires to become a senior associate or partner. While most nurses do not start out making the maximum salary, even new nurses right out of school start out with a decent salary. Nursing salaries are impressive in comparison to many mid-level, professional positions. Again, I think you do nursing a disservice in some of your condescending remarks about the profession. There are government doctors who do not make the same as private practice doctors but they, like most people, adjust their lifestyles to meet their needs.

It is not unusual for nurses to burn out or seek other fields because of dissatisfaction with conditions or salaries. I sense you have issues regarding salary in your statements about lucrative salary and unimpressive salaries in nursing. You might think about a DNP (Doctor of Nurse Practitioner) or PhD in nursing to satisfy your need to move into a niche, lucrative specialty. You would not be the first 15-year nurse to move into another 'more lucrative field'.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nursing always gets mentioned as a good "second career". However, it's not exactly lucrative. The average RN makes $60-75K. (check the web for about a zillion salary surveys that attest to this). You can make more in certain states (California being #1--nurses are unionized and make more than anywhere else in the US). You can also make more by working more hours (a previous poster makes "six figures" working three 18 hour shifts per week). The problem is, hospital nursing is physically demanding work. As an RN, I can't imagine working these hours as a 25 year old, let alone as a "40 something". More power to the poster who does!! Then you can make more as an Advanced Practice Nurse (NP or anesthetist), especially in more lucrative specialties like orthopedics and nurse anesthesia (although salaries are falling in anesthesia as the market is currently saturated). However, working as an NP or a nurse anesthetist requires a master's degree and in anesthesia it's a full-time 3 year masters.

Nursing can be a great career and provides a comfortable standard of living in much of the US. However, the salaries don't go far at all in DC. All the RNs I know that work in DC hospitals are 1) married to someone who makes significantly more money or 2) are young and live in apartments or 3) commute in for work from some very far flung suburb.

Not all nursing is bedside. There is Utilization Review, Case Management which covers everything from renal to workers' comp, medical records review, OR, radiology nursing, recruitment, etc.

You do a disservice to the profession by giving the impression that all nursing is back breaking though there definitely are areas that have more physically demanding work. There are many areas that accommodate different types of nursing. Agency and travel nurses can make six figures easily but no benefits (many nurses ride on a spouse's benfits).

And, yes, I am a 25-year administrative RN. We graciously agree to disagree on some points.

Yes, I agree (I'm the poster you quoted). I'm a nurse with 15 years of experience and have worked in acute care, as a case manager, in clinical research and now as an NP. I've had a large variety of nursing jobs. I actually really like nursing. However, when nursing comes up in posts like this there is always some poster that says they make 6 figures as an RN like that's the norm. It's no where near the norm and not something I achieved until 25 years into my career and a choice to move into a niche, lucrative specialty as an NP. If OP is going to be able to support a family in this area he's going to have a difficult time doing so on an RN's salary especially as a new grad. It doesn't help nursing to make salaries sound more impressive than they are.

Anonymous wrote:my friend from high school reinvented himself in his 30s and went to Marymount to get retrained as a nurse. Very in-demand, because sometimes men want to have a male nurse. Also travel nursing is very in demand.

Maybe check out what career opptys are available to nurses or those who complete a nursing program, or talk to some nurses and find out what it in demand or what is involved? Or look at the Marymount program.

I agree that you seem to want a detailed career counseling session from an anonymous forum. Pretty difficult for strangers to do. Don't write off your experience in a "dead-end" industry, figure out what skills you've attained and want to focus on over the past 20 years, and transition them to something else you like. But don't overthink it.

This is very true in the same respect that some women prefer female physicians. If there were more men in the nursing field, I guarantee the salaries would be much higher. Without sounding sexist, men would insist on a higher salary for the type of work and responsibilities that nurses have. C'mon aboard, fellas!!

1841 your post was helpful but annoying. Shut up sometimes. Stick to the facts and stop being such an airheaded snob.

-not op

Anonymous wrote:Nursing always gets mentioned as a good "second career". However, it's not exactly lucrative. The average RN makes $60-75K. (check the web for about a zillion salary surveys that attest to this). You can make more in certain states (California being #1--nurses are unionized and make more than anywhere else in the US). You can also make more by working more hours (a previous poster makes "six figures" working three 18 hour shifts per week). The problem is, hospital nursing is physically demanding work. As an RN, I can't imagine working these hours as a 25 year old, let alone as a "40 something". More power to the poster who does!! Then you can make more as an Advanced Practice Nurse (NP or anesthetist), especially in more lucrative specialties like orthopedics and nurse anesthesia (although salaries are falling in anesthesia as the market is currently saturated). However, working as an NP or a nurse anesthetist requires a master's degree and in anesthesia it's a full-time 3 year masters.

Nursing can be a great career and provides a comfortable standard of living in much of the US. However, the salaries don't go far at all in DC. All the RNs I know that work in DC hospitals are 1) married to someone who makes significantly more money or 2) are young and live in apartments or 3) commute in for work from some very far flung suburb.

Not all nursing is bedside. There is Utilization Review, Case Management which covers everything from renal to workers' comp, medical records review, OR, radiology nursing, recruitment, etc.

You do a disservice to the profession by giving the impression that all nursing is back breaking though there definitely are areas that have more physically demanding work. There are many areas that accommodate different types of nursing. Agency and travel nurses can make six figures easily but no benefits (many nurses ride on a spouse's benfits).

And, yes, I am a 25-year administrative RN. We graciously agree to disagree on some points.

Nursing always gets mentioned as a good "second career". However, it's not exactly lucrative. The average RN makes $60-75K. (check the web for about a zillion salary surveys that attest to this). You can make more in certain states (California being #1--nurses are unionized and make more than anywhere else in the US). You can also make more by working more hours (a previous poster makes "six figures" working three 18 hour shifts per week). The problem is, hospital nursing is physically demanding work. As an RN, I can't imagine working these hours as a 25 year old, let alone as a "40 something". More power to the poster who does!! Then you can make more as an Advanced Practice Nurse (NP or anesthetist), especially in more lucrative specialties like orthopedics and nurse anesthesia (although salaries are falling in anesthesia as the market is currently saturated). However, working as an NP or a nurse anesthetist requires a master's degree and in anesthesia it's a full-time 3 year masters.

Nursing can be a great career and provides a comfortable standard of living in much of the US. However, the salaries don't go far at all in DC. All the RNs I know that work in DC hospitals are 1) married to someone who makes significantly more money or 2) are young and live in apartments or 3) commute in for work from some very far flung suburb.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Funeral Director. 2 years for the degree, and it is a wonderful career. Being 40 and over is not a problem. I can personally tell you that it is a field that is desperate for qualified people.

It is a wonderful career because you are assisting people in a very needful period of their lives. Job satisfaction is very high, and funeral directors are some of the funniest and most engaging people I have ever met.

I used to plan seminars and other events for this industry and they were, without a doubt, my favorite association.

I'm not the OP, but can you tell me the duties of a funeral director? Oh and the average starting salary plus what it goes up to?

It's been a while, but I think they were starting somewhere in the $63-65K range, and on an average were making about $115K? It may be more now, I haven't worked with them since 2010.

Their duties include embalming, transportation, service arrangements, sales of containers, etc.

Here is a link:

http://job-descriptions.careerplanner.com/funeral-directors.cfm

Anonymous wrote:Funeral Director. 2 years for the degree, and it is a wonderful career. Being 40 and over is not a problem. I can personally tell you that it is a field that is desperate for qualified people.

It is a wonderful career because you are assisting people in a very needful period of their lives. Job satisfaction is very high, and funeral directors are some of the funniest and most engaging people I have ever met.

I used to plan seminars and other events for this industry and they were, without a doubt, my favorite association.

I'm not the OP, but can you tell me the duties of a funeral director? Oh and the average starting salary plus what it goes up to?

OP, consider forensic accounting. I think you'd really like it. Good luck.

Funeral Director. 2 years for the degree, and it is a wonderful career. Being 40 and over is not a problem. I can personally tell you that it is a field that is desperate for qualified people.

It is a wonderful career because you are assisting people in a very needful period of their lives. Job satisfaction is very high, and funeral directors are some of the funniest and most engaging people I have ever met.

I used to plan seminars and other events for this industry and they were, without a doubt, my favorite association.

PP that is a good point. Most of the new ones starting out are very attractive and young. There are of course some older ones but they have been in the game for a long time. You also have to be a good schmoozer (sp). But you said you did well in sales before so perhaps you are good at that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd suggest looking into medical device sales

I was talking this over with one of my friends (yes, I know it's hard to believe, but I do have friends) that other day and he suggested that same thing. I was also thinking about possibly looking into the Pharmaceutical companies as a salesman. It seems as though everyone is on some kind of medicine these days.

Not to shoot down a good idea, but its very difficult to break into medical/pharmaceutical sales if you aren't very young and attractive.