A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

Have any of you MTs been nurses or going into nursing? - sm

Posted: Aug 14, 2011

I started taking the nursing program at my local college 10 years ago and loved it, but dropped out after a year to get married, bad decision! So, just looking to see if anyone here has been a nurse or is going into nursing and what they like/dislike about their jobs. I am also looking into the RN program in the future.

I am an LPN to MT - Jan

[ In Reply To ..]
I left nursing due to health reasons as I basically just could no longer work on my feet everyday all day, pushing the med carts up and down halls, lifting patients and hunting them around the facility to give them their medications or do treatments for them. Administration always had a "not my problem" way of looking at everything and were never supportive or had adequate resources in place, we were always running out of supplies, linens, incontinence briefs and pads and sometimes medicine. The only time administration was in any way involved and would try to make sure we had what we needed to take care of residents (I always worked in nursing homes) was when DHEC or other surveyors were in and then there was so much more stress. The constant working short of staff and trying to do your job and help pick up the work of the person or people who didn't show up was a constant at least in my experience in all the nursing homes I worked. Once in two different facilities when the end of my shift came, no relieving nurse came in and I was stuck and had a child to pick up from daycare and a sitter. I was able to get a friend pick up my child once and the other time the babysitter kept him, but she also quit that night telling me that my work problems weren't her problems and she expected me to be there when I said I'd be. Well, she was right. But, you can't leave your residents unless another nurse comes in and counts the narcotics and accepts the keys and unit. Of course, if you have small children and good personal resources to call on, that probably would not be a problem for you. Getting stuck at work when you are already totally exhausted is pure misery.

Another thing that seemed to be much worse for me as I got older in nursing was the combativeness of the residents. Of course, I worked with the elderly and most had dementia of one type or another, they didn't always get along and were not always cooperative. I could overlook getting things thrown or spit at me, at least I had a chance of ducking that, but the physical combativeness was another thing altogether. Even though I worked in a nursing home, most of those folks were stronger than you may expect and if they were going to smack, kick or punch you, you were going to feel it. The youngest resident in a facility I worked in was 18 years old and many were middle aged and the rest elderly. The increasing and never ending paperwork is certainly a pain.

For me, and I only speak for myself, the totality of everything there was to deal with along with my increasing age and health issues I felt I needed both a lifestyle and career change. I thought MT would be a natural lateral move. However, the money does not even compare. Nursing is much better than anything I have experienced in the MT world. I don't want to paint a totally negative picture of my experience, there were some good times too and many wonderful residents during my LPN time. If you are going into nursing, please make it the RN tract, that is where the best money and all the good jobs are.

I wish you the very best of luck in whatever you decide to do.

I am an MT who is now an RN - RNMT

[ In Reply To ..]
I am a new RN and the job market is tough right now, even in nursing. I have a part-time nursing job and still do transcription part-time. I do, however, think investing the time I did in RN school was well worth it, as transcription seems to be a dying field. I earn far more money in nursing than I have in transcription over the last few years. I am now in the process of pursuing my BSN and then onto MSN. Good luck and it is well worth your time if you are dedicated to being a nurse, not just from a financial standpoint.

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