OT: Better profession- Dental Hygiene or Registered Nurse??

[rluey29]

I know this is off topic, but I have been struggling with this decision and this is always the place that I turn to for opinions and advice.

I was accepted into Chiropractic School, but turned it down after reading some information that totally changed my views of that profession so now I'm at a total loss of what to do.

I would like to be either a Dental Hygienist or a Registered Nurse but I don't personally know anyone with either of these professions that I could get some honest answers from. I'm hoping that someone on here is in either field or knows someone who is that can give me pros and cons.

I wanted something that made a decent amount of money and they both make about the same. I also want something that allows me alot of time with my family. Hygiene is only a 4 day work week but I have no idea about Nursing. I love working around people and they both offer that but what is it that I don't know?

Someone please help me!!! I need advice and I'm running out of time!

 

[Tink-aholic]

Nursing would be in more demand now, and there is no guarantee that dental hygienists work only four days. If you got into nursing at a hospital, you would be the one with the lowest seniority, so expect to work overnights, weekends, and holidays. Many dentists keep emergency hours, too -- but not like hospitals!

Nursing is more "recession-proof" because a dentist can do everything a hygienist can do with a properly trained assistant.

I always wanted to be an RN, but I make the same now as a teacher and love my job. I just can't see me starting at the bottom, kwim?

Good luck with your decision.

 

[ceecee]

RN, people can put off dentistry during a recession and they do, especially cleanings. Our hygiene school has a three year wait as well.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

With nursing I think you have more flexibility. You don't only have to work in a hospital. You can be a private duty nurse, or you can work at a doctor's office or a school etc. The one thing though that I think is that you have to really want to be a nurse. It is not a career that you chose because it works well with your family or the money is good. Sort of like being a firefighter. You have to love what you do. KWIM? Good luck!

 

[aaronlisar]

Your best bet would be to call the hospital and ask the if you can job shadow a RN for a shift. I would do the same with the dental Hygenist by calling your dentist office and explaining to them that you are interested in this field but would love to job shadow. This may give you more answers then anyone on the DIS boards could ever give by seeing it first hand. With that being said, I am a LPN, being a nurse is rewarding but can be very stressful. I would like to go back someday for my RN but I need to wait until my three little kids are in school. Another thing to look at is there an actual job shortage in your area for nurses. There is no longer in my area and all the nurses graduating is struggling to find jobs.

Good Luck with the decision and schooling.

 

[iloveokw]

My dh is a dentist. I vote for hygiene - 2 yr. degree. Ours work 4 days a week and make over $50,000. No holidays or weekends. Just my two cents.

 

[aaronlisar]

RN, people can put off dentistry during a recession and they do, especially cleanings. Our hygiene school has a three year wait as well.

Our nursing program has a 5 year waiting list. Our hospital has been laying off LPN's and RN's with the way the economy has been. People don't have the health insurance so they are not going to the the hospital. So just because you are a nurse doesn't mean you won't get layed off.

 

[rluey29]

There's some good insight here, Thanks!

Around the area that I live now, you cannot find a Dental office that is open on Fridays! But we plan to move to Florida (between Tampa and Orland) so I have no idea about those areas. I will have a Bachelor's of Science before I ever enter either program. At my university, they offer an accelerated RN program for people already holding a degree, so in 1 year I could be an RN. I'm not sure of a waiting list here for that. That Hygiene schools that I'm looking at in Florida don't have waiting lists. If you don't get in when you apply, it starts all over. They are all 2 year programs for that.

I will definitely go and shadow each one. I was just hoping to hear views of people actually in those professions to give me a better assessment of what I'd be getting in to.

I've been so stressed about it. They both seem like good fields to get into.

If you work for a hospital as an RN, how is the schedule? Is it 12 hour shifts? Do you ever get weekends off? Do you have a choice of how many days per week to work?

Thanks to everyone!

 

[mamalle]

Im a nurse. I do not work anywhere staff- I do some consulting work, outpatient pacu & a busy adult er. I love that its flexible and I make good money. I do not get burned out since I work when I want to work and where. I work around the kids school schedule and dh's FD schedule. The need is only going to get worse for nursing. The patients that we see now are sick. Its scary to see so many people with such a high acuity. They cannot afford their meds and wait till its so bad before coming in. Its going to be a epidemic and something that needs to be figured out very soon or else..

 

[Belle0101]

For what it's worth - all the dentists in my area, northern Indiana, are closed Fridays. My friend that is a dental hygenist, her office just cut back to being closed on Thursdays too. They are working only 3 days a week until further notice.

On the other hand, my friend that is an RN has plenty of extra hours she can pick up if she wants. But, she hates her job. Based on the things she says I would not ever want to be her patient.

My best advice? Go with your heart, do what you love. Best of luck to you in your new endeavor!!

 

[Minnie116]

I was a Dental Hygienist for 12 years. when I did it, I chose not to do it full time. I worked 3 days per week before kids, when my dd was born I took a year off...when she was 1 I worked 1 day/week, when she was 2, 2 days/week, when she was 3 I worked 3 days/week. Then I had my son and have been home ever since (he is now 5)

Like others have said, it is not something to get into for the money or flexibility. I never had to work nights or Holidays. And you will not have a Dental Hygiene emergency. Yes, there are Dental Emergencies, but they affect the Dentist and Assistant, not the Hygienist. You definitely must have a strong stomach. It is not just easy cleanings where you do a little scraping and then polish the teeth. I did a lot of deep cleanings which were not a pretty sight.

I went to school and worked in Florida.

I can not compare it to an RN, because I have never been an RN and don't know the first thing about nursing....

 

[fall08CP]

My mom is a hygienist and LOVES it. She makes really good money ($40+/hr) and gets to choose her own hours. She usually works mon/tues/thurs/fri and the occasional saturday. She's had no problem getting vacation days as the dentist can always call a temp agency. Honestly, I would do this job in a heartbeat if I could stomach the blood.

 

[tasha99]

Both are great jobs. I think there would be more choices in job type as an RN (long term care, hospital, etc.), but I've never heard of a hygienist who had to work the midnight shift.

 

[kgc07]

I will be graduating with my RN in May. The program I am in requires you to get your LPN license and then your RN (3 semesters for LPN and two for RN). The good thing about nursing is you can work in SO many areas. If you find you don't like working at a hospital there is no reason to stay, there are so many other jobs. At the hosptial in my town you can work 12 hour or 8 hour shifts. Yes, you will have to work some holidays.

 

[emh1129]

I'm in nursing school now (will graduate next May), so RN has my vote.

 

[smidgen21]

I'm an RN. I work in outpatient surgery Mon-Fri 8:30-5pm. I do not take call, I do not work weekends and I do not work holiday. IMHO It's about the d@*% best job in the hospital.

However, I have a friend who is a hygienists, and she works 4 10 hour shifts. And the dentist she works for takes her on a cruise every year (training seminar). That would be a nice perk.

 

[mombare]

One more thing to think about...my friend is an RN in surgery and works great hours, although she is on call occasional weekends for transplants. She makes great money, although that particular department isn't as flexible as she would like. She is applying for the nurse anesthesist (sp?) program. Our very large hospital system pays for nurses to go through the program and pays a stipend while they are in the program (26 months or so). When she graduates from that program she will start out at approximately $140,000 per year! Makes me really wish I could stand the sight of blood!
As for dental hygienists...my dentist is only open 4 days per week, and they treat their employees well. They do "fun" days every quarter (theater, movies, arts, etc.) - and they close down the office on one of their normally open days. It seems like a great career...again, wish I could stand the sight of blood!!

 

[rluey29]

I had thought about doing the Nurse Anesthetist program if I chose to become an RN. At my university, you have to get your RN degree and then log 3 years working in the ICU. Then you have to apply and be lucky enough to get in. Of course I would be in Florida when I actually applied so I don't know how they do it there.

That's great if her hospital pays for the program!

I'm hearing good and bad things about both careers here. This is a very hard decision. I'm always afraid that I'll go through with one of them and wish years down the road that I had picked the other one! KWIM?

 

[mombare]

My friend does have RN experience, and this specific program requires at least 1 year of ICU experience. She is currently working on getting into the ICU, but is still hoping to apply for the fall. Otherwise she will apply next year - great money, that's for sure!! Another of our friends is doing the same thing...she just transferred from surgery to ICU. The nurses in ICU have warned her that many struggle coming from surgery to ICU because there is just so much more to do, in addition to "being on the floor".

 

[pal-mickey]

I'm an RN. I have worked in many different depts, such as a med/surg floor, an outpatient dept, recovery room and currently in an endoscopy unit. There is alot to know to be a nurse and alot of responsibility. If you make a mistake you can cause a patient serious harm or kill them. I don't think being a hygentist has the same level of responsibility,IMO. As a RN you may have to work all different hours, weekends and some holidays. Working holidays and weekends depends on the type of unit where you work. I work in a unit that is open on Saturdays. I work every-other Sat. My dept is closed on holidays, but 2 people are on-call for 24 hours on that day. We also take call every night and 24 hours on Sunday. The amount of call depends on the rules of the dept. The good thing about being a nurse is the flexibiliy. Meaning you don't have to work Mon-Fri. That's helpful if you have a husband who would be home on the weekends to watch your kids while you work. Also you could work 3,4 or 5 days a week. The hours could be 8, 10, or 12 hour shifts. Some hospitals have weekend programs where you work Fri-Sun 12 hours and are paid for full-time. And as others have said you could work at a hospital, doctor's office, surgery center, or for an agency. It may not be easy to clean peoples teeth, but it is not any easier to clean their vomit or other bodily fluids. It's all in what you think you may like better.