Taylor
Info/Experience/Opinions on XRay Tech?
I am currently enrolled in college and will soon be joining the nursing program, but I am having second (or third) thoughts. A few months back, I was asking around and wanting to explore different options to choose as my lifelong career but then settled back down with nursing. Now, I am thinking of becoming an XRay Tech... any suggestions? Thanks in advance! #radiology #healthcare #hospital-and-health-care
5 answers
Richard A.
Richard’s Answer
You'll have more opportunities for career growth as a nurse. As a nurse you can consider becoming a nurse practitioner, CRNA or go into administration.
Brooklyn C.
Brooklyn’s Answer
I think a big part in your decision might be the amount of hands on you want with the patients. I’ve been an X-ray tech for the military going on 6 years, and I really enjoy it. It’s hands on enough where I know I’m helping make a difference with the patient’s medical care, but hands off for some of the dirty work some nurses have to do. Shifts are also generally easier, and you get to see a wide array of patients, from NICU to geriatric patients. Nursing is a very hard, yet rewarding career choice if you enjoy helping people. But xray can lead you down that same path, and with so many modalities, you can branch off snd better yourself through the years once you get bored. Good luck with your future!
Shelley DeReu RN, BSN, ARRT(N)
Shelley’s Answer
Hi Taylor, I am a nuclear medicine technologist and worked for 20 yrs, then became a nurse to expand my career. Radiology offers all types of opportunity for job expansion such as CT, MRI, interventional radiology and surgery when you have a basic radiologic technologist degree. There are outpatient facilities and hospital/shift work as well. One of the most exciting things for me in medical imaging was operating the equipment. Medical imaging is a smaller division of health care workers so departments are smaller and can be very close knit. Nursing is just as comparable to medical imaging in regards to opportunity to expand or specialize in the profession. There are more opportunity to do so but many of those areas you may have no interest in anyway. Both offer travel jobs, outpatient and hospital, and procedural areas. Nursing has more flexibility with the shift work and I find getting a job in nursing is easier than in medical imaging. I really encourage you to shadow in a department. We have students arrange to shadow different modalities often so it would be a common thing for you to call and ask to do. Call your hospital, ask for medical imaging, ask to speak to the department manager or director and leave a voice message stating you would like to shadow in the department or arrange it through your school. When you do shadow, consider if you could see yourself doing that job, working on that equipment, helping patients in that way. Good Luck Taylor!
Beth Garrett
Beth’s Answer
It is important to really love your job. Personally, I think the total lack of monotony in Nursing is what keeps me super engaged in my career. I change sub-specialties about every 5 years. Peds, IV Therapy, Home Care, Immunoloy, Research Coordinator, Pediatric Research Site Monitor, Home Infusion Therapy, Nursing Administration - all have been super interesting.
So, look inside yourself and see yourself 15-30 years from now - will you still love your choice of occupation at that point? Did the job help you to grow and improve? Or had you become stagnant?
Follow your heart.....
