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I would appreciate any advice. I am 46 years old and would like to enter the medical field. I have a BS in Business Management, however, I didn't use it. I have been a stay at home mom for the last 20 years and just worked part-time, low wage jobs.
I am looking to get into the medical field and would like to do it AS QUICKLY AS possible. I'm not looking to make a huge salary. I just want to enjoy my work. I really enjoy being with people. I'm not one to be put in a cubicle with a computer.
I like to move around and interact with people. Any recommendations? I've considered becoming an LPN, but I'm not comfortable with the idea of bathing people and giving enemas. Do all LPN's have to do these things at one time or another or can you be an LPN and work in a doctor's office or are those highly coveted positions with a lot of competition?
I realize I will have to go back to school for some additional training. I would like to go to our local community college. Additional training of less than two years would be preferred but not a deal breaker.
I've considered becoming a Physical Therapist Assistant, an LPN, a Phelbotomist, a Medical Assistant.
Being a Respiratory Assistant and a Cardiologist Technician, interested me as well, however, it doesn't seem like there is as much of a demand.
I guess what I'm asking you, who are in the medical field, is could you recommend what is in demand, pays decent and won't take forever for me to get educated in.
Thank you so much for your advice, thoughts and opinions. I really appreciate it!
Everyone is flocking to the healthcare industry. And everyone wants to pursue the jobs that require the least amount of training. Whatever you enroll in, you will find yourself in a classroom full of students that are trying to do the same thing as you. And when you finish you will be one of a million fish trying to get the same few jobs. And everyone has to start at the bottom, which means you'll be doing the dirty work. There's no shortcut. If you want to avoid these tasks, you could go the administrative route (medical billing, for example) but that means you'll be in a cubicle all day long.
One thing about LPNs is that there's a bit more flexibility in the type of job you can do. The daily work is also more varied. In an hour you may be writing prescriptions, conducting exams, scheduling appointments, collecting vitals, prepping exam or procedure rooms, etc. A phlebotomist is pretty much going to be doing the same thing all day every day--drawing blood. The only advancement opportunity is to management of other staff, and usually that requires an advanced degree (such as in biology or chemistry).
First, my suggestion is you go to the allnurses.com forum and read a LOT about becoming a nurse be it LPN or RN. It's very hard stressful work and not for the faint of heart.
MA's work in Dr's office and make very little $ and there is very little chance for advancement.
Many of the "short school" jobs you are talking about aren't worth the investment. I worked as an LPN for 20 years and burnt out, let my license lapse in this state and can't get it back without serious funds that I don't have. So I took a phlebotomy course (a skill I had lots of experience with) and got nationally certified.....LAST YEAR and still no job.
You need to do a lot of research on the fields your interested in and actually talk with people working in that field. You will find that most of these jobs are not 9-5 with weekends off, medicine is a 24/7 work environment and some of those shifts well they suck.
And an FYI about nursing I keep re-posting these links because they bear repeating over and over again.
I would appreciate any advice. I am 46 years old and would like to enter the medical field. I have a BS in Business Management, however, I didn't use it. I have been a stay at home mom for the last 20 years and just worked part-time, low wage jobs.
I am looking to get into the medical field and would like to do it AS QUICKLY AS possible. I'm not looking to make a huge salary. I just want to enjoy my work. I really enjoy being with people. I'm not one to be put in a cubicle with a computer.
I like to move around and interact with people. Any recommendations? I've considered becoming an LPN, but I'm not comfortable with the idea of bathing people and giving enemas. Do all LPN's have to do these things at one time or another or can you be an LPN and work in a doctor's office or are those highly coveted positions with a lot of competition?
I realize I will have to go back to school for some additional training. I would like to go to our local community college. Additional training of less than two years would be preferred but not a deal breaker.
I've considered becoming a Physical Therapist Assistant, an LPN, a Phelbotomist, a Medical Assistant.
Being a Respiratory Assistant and a Cardiologist Technician, interested me as well, however, it doesn't seem like there is as much of a demand.
I guess what I'm asking you, who are in the medical field, is could you recommend what is in demand, pays decent and won't take forever for me to get educated in.
Thank you so much for your advice, thoughts and opinions. I really appreciate it!
I am not in the medical field, but if I were to go into that field, I would probably choose medical assistant. Getting a position in a small 1-doctor office you could do a lot of different things including medical billing. Getting certification to draw blood would be helpful also.
You don't list where you live. My sister in law worked hospital and private practice and enjoyed the private practice atmosphere. Problems arose, however, when they moved to Miami and even though she was well qualified for the work - it required her to be bi-lingual which she wasn't. Something to keep in mind depending on where you are looking for work.
I'm just a medical student and my clinical experience is relatively limited, so take my advice with a grain of salt. It looks like a medical assistant job may be a good option. It will require some computer work, but the doctor's offices I've observed, many do a bit of running around with patients (i.e getting them from point A to point B, taking blood pressures). It is more secretarial in nature, but it allows for interaction with people, and some clinical exposure. There's no bathing of sick people, and the hours are excellent. The MAs I saw do typical 8-3/4pm type of hours. The pay is not very good, but if you are only looking for something to supplement your husband's, then that is a good job.
Another field is physical therapy. I'm not familiar with PT assistant, but the PTs I've seen keep their hands fairly clean (i.e no bodily fluids etc). They work pretty regular hours, so I think their assistants keep regular hours also. I would look into the job market for that. The other jobs you suggested I am unsure about. Good luck!
I'm just a little older than you, and went back to school to become a Respiratory Therapist in Jan 2010. All I have left is the rest of this semester, a mere 6 weeks, and Fall 2010 semester. Of course, then I have to pass 3 board exams. So it goes very fast.
You should considering visiting the academic advisement department of your local community college to learn about your options. Without a doubt, there will be a field that quite possibly you've never considered. You should investigate all the options put forth to you. Consider even doing a job shadow, to see if you even like that kind of work. You've mentioned LPN, Physical Therapy Assistant, Medical Assistant, Respiratory (which I would be glad to tell you more about if you DM me), Cardiology tech, phlebotomist. I'm going to add one more possibility-Surgical Tech. It's a relatively quick certificate program that seems to have a lot of jobs, at least where I am.
One thing that you do need to keep in mind is prerequisites. Most, if not all, your prior science classes will need to be updated. I had to take a basic biology class as a prereq, remembered a lot of things from high school with the exception of the biotechnology section as it did not exist at that time. LOL. You will probably either have to test out, or take some sort of basic algebra class as well.
I know that there are a lot of people that are unemployed in the medical field on C-D. However, I do think it matters what part of the country you are in. There seems to be a chronic shortage of healthcare workers here where I am in Upstate NY. As a matter of fact, the Respiratory Care class that just graduated ahead of mine in Dec. 2010, ALL have jobs if they've passed their boards. There are even some that have jobs contingent upon passing their boards, and are working on limited licenses.
One more thing: at all costs AVOID the for-profit schools. They are expensive, and only degree mills. Not highly regarded. AVOID!
I'm just a little older than you, and went back to school to become a Respiratory Therapist in Jan 2010. All I have left is the rest of this semester, a mere 6 weeks, and Fall 2010 semester. Of course, then I have to pass 3 board exams. So it goes very fast.
You should considering visiting the academic advisement department of your local community college to learn about your options. Without a doubt, there will be a field that quite possibly you've never considered. You should investigate all the options put forth to you. Consider even doing a job shadow, to see if you even like that kind of work. You've mentioned LPN, Physical Therapy Assistant, Medical Assistant, Respiratory (which I would be glad to tell you more about if you DM me), Cardiology tech, phlebotomist. I'm going to add one more possibility-Surgical Tech. It's a relatively quick certificate program that seems to have a lot of jobs, at least where I am.
One thing that you do need to keep in mind is prerequisites. Most, if not all, your prior science classes will need to be updated. I had to take a basic biology class as a prereq, remembered a lot of things from high school with the exception of the biotechnology section as it did not exist at that time. LOL. You will probably either have to test out, or take some sort of basic algebra class as well.
I know that there are a lot of people that are unemployed in the medical field on C-D. However, I do think it matters what part of the country you are in. There seems to be a chronic shortage of healthcare workers here where I am in Upstate NY. As a matter of fact, the Respiratory Care class that just graduated ahead of mine in Dec. 2010, ALL have jobs if they've passed their boards. There are even some that have jobs contingent upon passing their boards, and are working on limited licenses.
One more thing: at all costs AVOID the for-profit schools. They are expensive, and only degree mills. Not highly regarded. AVOID!
and, as a RRT, you can go on to Polysomnography - current supply not enough to meet demand (so far). Seems that as the populace expands, the need for sleep studies has increased. Just a thought... Good luck on the boards!
...Another field is physical therapy. I'm not familiar with PT assistant, but the PTs I've seen keep their hands fairly clean (i.e no bodily fluids etc). They work pretty regular hours, so I think their assistants keep regular hours also. I would look into the job market for that. The other jobs you suggested I am unsure about. Good luck!
PT is now PhD
PTA (PT assistant) is said to be experiencing a growth spurt = a need for more workers. Also, occupational therapy assistants.
Out of all of these, RRT is by far the best in terms of autonomy and pay. LPNs work largely in nursing homes. They don't generally bathe people (that's the CNA's job), but their work is generally limited to medication administration. The RNs have to do all assessments. Medical assistants are paid a very low wage and do, generally, pretty menial tasks, like chart prep, vital signs and answering the phone. Phlebotomy is an unregulated task in all states but California -- you do not need any formal training to draw blood. Again, phlebotomists make a very low wage and have a pretty boring job.
If you already have a BS, I'd recommend investigating a BS to BSN program to become an RN.
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