As someone who has gone down the wrong career path a number of times now, I suggest that you look into being a PA now rather than later. If it isn’t right for you, no problem, but if it actually would suit you better, now is the time to find that out.
Not to contradict featherlou, just to give you another take on PA vs. RN:
One of my fellow orientees this week was an RN who started out in med school, but found it unsatisfying when she realized it wasn’t really personal or patient-focused. She wanted to treat people, not diseases, or numbers, or dollar signs. I’m sure we’ve all had doctors blow in, give us the once over, scribble a prescription, and blow out to hurry to the next stop on the “assembly line.” I think PAs are much the same.
And you sound like a lucky guy WRT your fiancee. I know first hand how invaluable an understanding and supportive partner can be; I couldn’t have done it without mine.
I found way too much in common with the OP to not follow suit and pay up after lurking for so long. I just started back to school part time to get my pre-reqs. The goal is to start nursing school by next fall. Good luck, Soul.
Doesn’t a BSN as a second baccalaureate only take two years? 
It seems odd that RN would need more training than a PA.
Soul, I’m halfway through a Associate’s Degree RN program. It is not something you can “fit in” around any other classes. You wouldn’t have time to go to those other classes or do the classwork, anyway. The sheer amount of time required to do well in nursing school is staggering. Trust me on this.
If you decide to do this, great. We* need more men in nursing. Our class started with eight out of a total of 75 students and is down to two out of 55.
Have you looked into the acceptance rates at your chosen school? It can be very competitive. Whatever you do, go talk to the people in the nursing education department. I’m sure they will be very helpful.
- by “we” I mean society. I’m not getting the big head and counting myself as a nurse yet!
NO. PAs are not better educated; their education has a different focus.
RNs are considered the last line of defense against error. Therefore, we must know if the order the MD (or PA with MD approval) is giving us appropriate and/or contraindicated for that pt.
There’s another kind of doctor? (You get the once over? The ones here barely make eye contact for the ten seconds they’re in the examination room.)
Different juristictions have different categories of nurses, with your background in Sociology you might find doing psych nursing a good fit… those are usually quicker programmes. Then its usually easy to find some way of getting your RN completion paid for by your employer or something. On the other hand, I often find the cheapest way to do something is to pay for it yourself instead of being up to your eyeballs in contract obligations etc.
Good luck, and any questions feel free to message me, whathave you.
Oh and Licentious Ectomorph, how is it going?
So far so good, though nothing exciting. The first week was just orientation, learning hospital policy and the computer system, etc. Tomorrow’s my first day on the floor, but I still don’t think I’ll be doing much of anything yet. I know they want me to spend a day or two with a tech and one with the secretary so I can get the lay of the land, so to speak. Then I’ll be working with a preceptor and gradually getting more responsibility until I get my own patients. Thanks for asking.
How about you? Say, weren’t you job hunting?
We’ve got a medical student in the house? (Or is that intern? Don’t want to insult anybody.) Excellent - an inside source. 
Huh? Who’s the med student/intern? Not me, I’m a nurse.
Yeah Im always job hunting because I love my job/do not respect my boss/ don’t always love my patients families and my coworkers…some are wonderful some not so much. But I didnt get the Infection Control job I applied for… well when I read who DID get it I was flattered to be considered in the running. So, its ok, better luck next time.
But that’s the great thing about nursing, so much mobility is possible in the field. I started in Neurosurgery, have taught, and am working with dementia patients now. Looking to branch into occupational health or infection control. So, lots to chose from.
Oh, sorry - I mis-interpreted your getting your own patients.
I’m following this thread with great interest . . . Mr. S is on the brink of starting school for a two-year RN degree. He’s supposed to get the schedule for the preliminary 8-week CNA class this week.
We both think he’ll be good at it and enjoy it, but I’m very interested to see how he does in this first class.
Yes. In Spain there’s a classification between “clinical”, “surgical” and “surgery optional” specialties - the first ones are much more patient-oriented. In fact, you never have a visit with your surgeon… if you’re having for example gyn surgery and your obgyn’s not the surgeon, you will not speak with the surgeon except for “hi, this is Dr Surgeon who’ll cut you up and sew you back” “pleased to meet you ma’am.”
My SiL is a GP. The way Medicine works in Spain is, it’s a 6-year major, followed by this huge all-in-the-country-against-each-other exam (MIR) to be able to access your specialty training, followed by 3-4 years of specialty. Family Doctor (GP) requires 3 years spec.
SiL took 3 years to pass the MIR; nothing unusual specially since she was spending more time working “part time” (pt my ass) as an aerobics instructor than studying. That sprained ankle was a blessing if you ask me, it shifted her focus to the right place and she finally passed the damn MIR. Thing is, 3-5 years between graduation and passing your MIR is actually normal :smack:
When you pass the MIR, you can choose your spec/location depending on how well you did. Anesthesyst spots are made of platinum-iridium with a light coating of kryptonite (color of your choice); GP and Sports are on the other end. SiL got a low number so all of a sudden she had her whole family telling her she should pick some sort of surgery or whatever… (her same-age cousin who passed the MIR at first try is an osteosurgeon).
Bro had to sit her down and say “I’ve known you for ten years. Three of them we’ve been married. In all those years, what have I heard you say you wanted to be? A. Family. Doctor. You never talked of being a surgeon, or a pediatrician, you actually find it irritating that so many people assume a female doctor will want to be a ped or an obgyn. So why did you always talk of Family - because you didn’t think you could do better, or because it’s what you wanted?”
“It’s what I want.”
“Then fuck your father, your idiot cousin, your brother, the MIR and the horse they all rode in!”
SiL works the afternoon shift in an Outpatient Center. She’s the only doctor in that shift; she gets both patients from “her” roster and those who’ve felt sick too late to get an appointment with their regular one but who prefer to go to the center rather than to the ER. Mom babysits The Nephew for a couple of hours every afternoon; they finish by going to pick up his mother at work and taking a bit of a walk together. Last Friday, SiL finished one and a half hours late because of a complicated case.
The family doctor we had when I was 11 is still my hero. He got Mom to finally stop feeding me dishes that made me sick 
(liver and cauliflower).