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Career Path

Choosing my Career Path As an ICU RN

2012

Career Path

Alternatives Criteria

BSN-ICU Nurse

BSN-ER Nurse

Home DayCare Provider

Tea her u! to "th #rade

Stay at Home $om

Salary%PayS ale& ,-.&-)/'()*+ ,0)&*-' . )'hrs there !lus u! to *( min ommute '

,-.&(1.,0(&(0/ )'hrs there !lus u! to *( min ommute ) - 6ears '

,).&'*' ,'/&/*1 ' #et to stay at home ' 6ears -

,'1&1(.,"*&""' * U! to 0 hrs in s hool *( min ommute * - 6ears ) 6es * 8ery little *

,(2 )

Hours A3ay 4rom Home 5hile at $y Career

#et to stay at home . ( 6ears . None given unless 7y state or Hus7and ) No )

6ears in College - 6ears * $edi al Insuran e 6es . A7le to save 4or a Retirement Plan Age to Retire 6es . "( or earlier .

6es 6es "( or earlier -

None given unless 7y state or Hus7and ' 8ery little ' Do not retire )

Around ". *

Usually 4ind odd 9o7s a4ter hildren have le4t '

Num7er ) : . %. 7eing the most li;ed < ) 7eing the least li;ed+ =>ne o4 my 5or; ited is in 3ith the Salary line= Analysis? %Begins on the ne@t !age+

2012

Career Path

Analysis

5hen de iding on a areer !ath there are many Auestions that are needed to 7e as;ed in order to hoose a areer that 3ill ho!e4ully ;ee! ea h individual satis4ied 3ith 3hat they hoose %Hansen& '(("+2 5hen I 3as gro3ing u!& I too; areer evaluations to see a areer !ath that I should start loo;ing into2 I then 4ollo3ed that 7y investigating ea h riteria that ea h areer 3ould have& and the 9o7 des ri!tions2 They have al3ays stu ; in my head& 7ut as I got older& my areer !ath de isions 7e ame more om!le@ 7e ause not only do I 3ant a areer 4or 3hat 3ill ;ee! my heart ha!!y& 7ut also 3hat 3ould ;ee! my 7an; a ount 4ull2 Bust a 4e3 month ago& I 3as indeed de iding on 3hi h !ath to ta;e 7e ause I have hanged my mind on my areer hoi e several times& and this is 3hat I ame u! 3ith? $y areer needs to 7e one that I 3ill en9oy doing& so I as;ed mysel4& CTi44any 3hat is it that you an do& that you 3ould do 4or 4reeDE $y ans3ers 3ere to 7e a aregiver& nurturer& and an edu ator2 That is ho3 I ame u! 3ith 7eing either an RN& Tea her& or a mom2 I then thought to mysel4& that ideally a stay at home mom is my !ersonal ultimate gi4t& 7ut soon realiFed I am a hard 3or;er& so ialiFer& and though I love 7eing home& I love 3or;ing& and ta;ing in those e@!erien es2 Then I thought that may7e a Home-Day-Care !rovider 3ould 7e ideal2 I 3ould 7e home& have hildren& ma;e money& and 3hat more ould I as; 4or2 The realiFation ame into my mind that I am the only em!loyee in my home& the 3or; an 7e unsteady& and I am still stu ; in the home2 C5hat 3ill I do 3hen I get si ;DE I as;ed mysel42 That too 3as not an o!tion& though I love hildren2 I ;ne3 I needed a areer 3here I le4t the home& so no3 the de ision 3as to 7e a tea her or a nurse& another health are areer2 5hi h health are is 3hat I have 7een doing 4or over ). years2 The tea her areer does sound re3ardingG I get my summers o44& and other
2012

Career Path va ations o44& 7ut the !ay is not so great2 The e onomy is also 7eginning to hange 3here televised tea hing is 7e oming more dominant& 3hi h to me& means that eventually 4e3er and 4e3er tea hers 3ill 7e needed2 The 4a t that 4e3er and 4e3er tea hers 3ill eventually 7e needed& s ared me so my ne@t 7est de ision 3as to 7e an RN2 Ho3 I got to my de ision on 7eing and ICU or ER RN is 7e ause 7a ; in He7ruary my mother 3as in a oma and 3as in the ICU 4or over a month2 In that time& I studied nurses& I 3at hed them& Auestioned them& and 3ould even at times !i ture mysel4 doing their 9o72 I ;ne3 3hen I starting daydreaming a7out 7eing an RN I 3anted to go 3ith the individuals that 3ere !ossi7ly Con their 3ay outE or needing e@tensive are su h as having a tra h& or a 4ield 3here it 3as very 4ast !a ed 3here I 3ould see many di44erent ty!es o4 individuals& and di44erent diagnosis on a daily 7asis2 A4ter evaluating the money I an ma;e& the three days a 3ee; )' hour shi4ts& and the a7ility to really save 4or my 4uture& I ;no3 that 7eing and RN in the ICU is right 4or me2 I 3ill 7e a7le to are 4or a 4e3 !atients& tea h their 4amilies ho3 they an ma;e their loved ones li4e 7etter& and 7e nurturing to not only the !atient& 7ut to the 4amilies2 It is a 3inner 4or me2 I 3ill 7e 4inan ially a7le to a44ord health insuran e& and many lu@uries o4 li4e that I 3ould not 7e a7le to have I not hosen to 7e a nurse %8oh3in;le& '()*+2

2012

Career Path Re4eren es Hansen& Dr2 Randall S2 %)00"+2 Quintessential Careers2 In )( Ti!s 4or Su ess4ul Career Planning2 Retrieved > to7er )-& '()*& 4rom htt!?<<3332Auint areers2 om< areerI!lanningIti!s2html2 PayS ale& In 2 %'()*+2 PayScale2 In Registered Nurse& Emergen y Room2 Retrieved > to7er )-& '()*& 4rom htt!?<<3332!ays ale2 om<resear h<US<Bo7JRegisteredINurseIK'1RN K'0K' IEmergen yIRoom<HourlyIRate2 8oh3in;le& Beremy2 %'()*+2 About.Com2 The se ret to Saving $oney2 Retrieved > to7er ).& '()*& 4rom htt!?<<4inan ial!lan2a7out2 om<od<!ersonal4inan e<a<se ret-to-saving-money2htm2

2012