Nursing or Radiography
Hi! At the moment I'm applying for UCAS and I'm stuck between adult nursing and diagnostic radiography. I choose my A-levels/Btec based on radiography because originally I wanted to do radiography but now I'm not too sure. With radiography, I'm not 100% that I will do well because it has medical physics and maths and I'm not that great in physics/maths. Whereas, with nursing it does have some maths but it's less difficult than radiography and it's mainly biology. I'm okay with nursing but I think it's having to clean up bodily fluids that puts me off a bit. Also, I'm nearly done with my radiography personal statement but if I change to nursing, I have to restart my personal statement and I have done more work experience related to radiography. Whereas I have done no work experience for nursing. What should I do? I need to pick between one of them soon but I keep going back and forth.😭
Do what you think is best for you.
With radiography, I'm not 100% that I will do well because it has medical physics and maths and I'm not that great in physics/maths- it's like a job you go into it sometimes not knowing what to do but you learn don't you. So what's stopping you from revising and learning during University??? I doubt it's impossible.
Think long term, what are your long term plans?
Nursing does open the doors to other opportunities as well so you won't necessarily just be a Nurse you could work in other roles in the future once you've worked as a nurse for x amount of years or you could do a Masters. You could even work overseas with a nursing degree.
In regards to work experience for your application:
Have both degrees not get exceptions because of covid/pandemic?? I'm not sure how you would get care experience in an hospital or even a care home???
Is the radiography work experience not transferable at all to nursing???
Can't help you decide but if I was in your shoes then I'd think
What are the long term prospects of doing Nursing vs diagnostic radiography
Nursing placements at Uni and diagnostic radiography placements at Uni - you will be exposed to the body fluids scenario in most nursing roles..
Nursing job roles and diagnostic radiography job roles after graduating?? Is it competitive???
What are you interests?
In 3/4 years time, you'll have to wake up every day to go to work which job role would you want and the hours?
UCAS Application
Don't feel you can't change just because you'll have to redo the application. This will affect you in 3-4 years time so try to make the right choice
But remember if you don't like the course within a few months or say 1st year there's always the option to change (you'd have to look into student finance tho).
With radiography, I'm not 100% that I will do well because it has medical physics and maths and I'm not that great in physics/maths- it's like a job you go into it sometimes not knowing what to do but you learn don't you. So what's stopping you from revising and learning during University??? I doubt it's impossible.
Think long term, what are your long term plans?
Nursing does open the doors to other opportunities as well so you won't necessarily just be a Nurse you could work in other roles in the future once you've worked as a nurse for x amount of years or you could do a Masters. You could even work overseas with a nursing degree.
In regards to work experience for your application:
Have both degrees not get exceptions because of covid/pandemic?? I'm not sure how you would get care experience in an hospital or even a care home???
Is the radiography work experience not transferable at all to nursing???
Can't help you decide but if I was in your shoes then I'd think
What are the long term prospects of doing Nursing vs diagnostic radiography
Nursing placements at Uni and diagnostic radiography placements at Uni - you will be exposed to the body fluids scenario in most nursing roles..
Nursing job roles and diagnostic radiography job roles after graduating?? Is it competitive???
What are you interests?
In 3/4 years time, you'll have to wake up every day to go to work which job role would you want and the hours?
UCAS Application
Don't feel you can't change just because you'll have to redo the application. This will affect you in 3-4 years time so try to make the right choice
But remember if you don't like the course within a few months or say 1st year there's always the option to change (you'd have to look into student finance tho).
(edited 2 years ago)
Original post by Pandalovesfood
Hi! At the moment I'm applying for UCAS and I'm stuck between adult nursing and diagnostic radiography. I choose my A-levels/Btec based on radiography because originally I wanted to do radiography but now I'm not too sure. With radiography, I'm not 100% that I will do well because it has medical physics and maths and I'm not that great in physics/maths. Whereas, with nursing it does have some maths but it's less difficult than radiography and it's mainly biology. I'm okay with nursing but I think it's having to clean up bodily fluids that puts me off a bit. Also, I'm nearly done with my radiography personal statement but if I change to nursing, I have to restart my personal statement and I have done more work experience related to radiography. Whereas I have done no work experience for nursing. What should I do? I need to pick between one of them soon but I keep going back and forth.😭
Hi
Do nursing as its far better opportunity of getting a job after you qualify as there are loads of fields in nursing you can go onto and specialised in ok.
Concertrate your personal statement solely on the one you wanting to do as otherwise they will think you not interested in the one or the other.
You can do a nursing job in outpatient departments as not as much bodily fluids to clean up compare to likes of A&E and surgical wards but to be honest with you on this you do find it more easily the more you do it as get used to it.
You'll be working over 7 days a week regardless of which one you pick.
Pay is same for both after qualification as well.
Promotion in adult nursing is more easier to do if you want to climb up the career ladder as you can apply for a band 6, then band 7 etc every few years providing you meet the necessary qualifications for the role you apply for ok.
I'm a registered midwife and yes I see lots of bodily fluids with the job but I got use to it while I was a student midwife and it don't bother me now.
The above poster whilst well meaning clearly has no idea what radiography is like (and this is endemic of all AHPs unfortunately despite uni courses trying to promote interprofessional working).
Radiographers have never been in higher demand and you are guaranteed to get a job when you finish. If you want you can have a job lined up the winter before you are due to graduate.
Many departments have a progression path for radiographers to gain band 6 within two years if competencies are met. There are several ways to progress beyond band 6 via clinical skills/reporting, management, teaching, sales, apps specialist, etc
But I think you are over-simplifying a difficult decision. It sounds like you are comparing needing to do maths (which you probably need more of in nursing than radiography tbh) to clearing up bodily fluids (which radiographers have to do as well as it is a core part of patient care). Nursing is a wide ranging profession.
What I would do is take a year out, get some experience, maybe work on the bank as a HCA, get onto wards and into outpatient areas, even community if you can. This way you will work directly with nurses every day and see what the job is really like. For the sake of a year it's worth knowing what you want to do.
Radiographers have never been in higher demand and you are guaranteed to get a job when you finish. If you want you can have a job lined up the winter before you are due to graduate.
Many departments have a progression path for radiographers to gain band 6 within two years if competencies are met. There are several ways to progress beyond band 6 via clinical skills/reporting, management, teaching, sales, apps specialist, etc
But I think you are over-simplifying a difficult decision. It sounds like you are comparing needing to do maths (which you probably need more of in nursing than radiography tbh) to clearing up bodily fluids (which radiographers have to do as well as it is a core part of patient care). Nursing is a wide ranging profession.
What I would do is take a year out, get some experience, maybe work on the bank as a HCA, get onto wards and into outpatient areas, even community if you can. This way you will work directly with nurses every day and see what the job is really like. For the sake of a year it's worth knowing what you want to do.
(edited 2 years ago)
Original post by FXX
The above poster whilst well meaning clearly has no idea what radiography is like (and this is endemic of all AHPs unfortunately despite uni courses trying to promote interprofessional working).
Radiographers have never been in higher demand and you are guaranteed to get a job when you finish. If you want you can have a job lined up the winter before you are due to graduate.
Many departments have a progression path for radiographers to gain band 6 within two years if competencies are met. There are several ways to progress beyond band 6 via clinical skills/reporting, management, teaching, sales, apps specialist, etc
But I think you are over-simplifying a difficult decision. It sounds like you are comparing needing to do maths (which you probably need more of in nursing than radiography tbh) to clearing up bodily fluids (which radiographers have to do as well as it is a core part of patient care). Nursing is a wide ranging profession.
What I would do is take a year out, get some experience, maybe work on the bank as a HCA, get onto wards and into outpatient areas, even community if you can. This way you will work directly with nurses every day and see what the job is really like. For the sake of a year it's worth knowing what you want to do.
Radiographers have never been in higher demand and you are guaranteed to get a job when you finish. If you want you can have a job lined up the winter before you are due to graduate.
Many departments have a progression path for radiographers to gain band 6 within two years if competencies are met. There are several ways to progress beyond band 6 via clinical skills/reporting, management, teaching, sales, apps specialist, etc
But I think you are over-simplifying a difficult decision. It sounds like you are comparing needing to do maths (which you probably need more of in nursing than radiography tbh) to clearing up bodily fluids (which radiographers have to do as well as it is a core part of patient care). Nursing is a wide ranging profession.
What I would do is take a year out, get some experience, maybe work on the bank as a HCA, get onto wards and into outpatient areas, even community if you can. This way you will work directly with nurses every day and see what the job is really like. For the sake of a year it's worth knowing what you want to do.
I do want to try radiography but I'm scared that what if I don't enjoy it once I start the course, what if I don't understand it and am not good at it and what if after I graduate, I'm not able to to find a job? With nursing, I have heard that most nursing students receive offers before their 3rd year has ended, so this makes me kinda want to pick nursing.
Original post by Tracey_W
Hi
Do nursing as its far better opportunity of getting a job after you qualify as there are loads of fields in nursing you can go onto and specialised in ok.
Concertrate your personal statement solely on the one you wanting to do as otherwise they will think you not interested in the one or the other.
You can do a nursing job in outpatient departments as not as much bodily fluids to clean up compare to likes of A&E and surgical wards but to be honest with you on this you do find it more easily the more you do it as get used to it.
You'll be working over 7 days a week regardless of which one you pick.
Pay is same for both after qualification as well.
Promotion in adult nursing is more easier to do if you want to climb up the career ladder as you can apply for a band 6, then band 7 etc every few years providing you meet the necessary qualifications for the role you apply for ok.
I'm a registered midwife and yes I see lots of bodily fluids with the job but I got use to it while I was a student midwife and it don't bother me now.
Do nursing as its far better opportunity of getting a job after you qualify as there are loads of fields in nursing you can go onto and specialised in ok.
Concertrate your personal statement solely on the one you wanting to do as otherwise they will think you not interested in the one or the other.
You can do a nursing job in outpatient departments as not as much bodily fluids to clean up compare to likes of A&E and surgical wards but to be honest with you on this you do find it more easily the more you do it as get used to it.
You'll be working over 7 days a week regardless of which one you pick.
Pay is same for both after qualification as well.
Promotion in adult nursing is more easier to do if you want to climb up the career ladder as you can apply for a band 6, then band 7 etc every few years providing you meet the necessary qualifications for the role you apply for ok.
I'm a registered midwife and yes I see lots of bodily fluids with the job but I got use to it while I was a student midwife and it don't bother me now.
Hi! Due to the covid restrictions, most hospitals and care homes said they aren't offering any work experience, so is there any other way I can get work experience for adult nursing?
Original post by Pandalovesfood
I do want to try radiography but I'm scared that what if I don't enjoy it once I start the course, what if I don't understand it and am not good at it and what if after I graduate, I'm not able to to find a job? With nursing, I have heard that most nursing students receive offers before their 3rd year has ended, so this makes me kinda want to pick nursing.
What if you don't enjoy nursing?
You don't need to stress about getting a job. Demand for imaging doubles every five years but the number of training places don't! If anything there are fewer training posts than there were 10 years ago. I imagine the competition for a course place is hotter than competition for jobs.
Original post by FXX
What if you don't enjoy nursing?
You don't need to stress about getting a job. Demand for imaging doubles every five years but the number of training places don't! If anything there are fewer training posts than there were 10 years ago. I imagine the competition for a course place is hotter than competition for jobs.
You don't need to stress about getting a job. Demand for imaging doubles every five years but the number of training places don't! If anything there are fewer training posts than there were 10 years ago. I imagine the competition for a course place is hotter than competition for jobs.
I understand but I'm not confident in my maths and physics because I'm doing BTEC applied science, whereas other students will be entering with this course when they have done A-level Physics and A-level Maths so they would have more experience and have gone through some of the modules that come up in diagnostic Radiography.
Original post by Pandalovesfood
Hi! Due to the covid restrictions, most hospitals and care homes said they aren't offering any work experience, so is there any other way I can get work experience for adult nursing?
Have you thought even about doing part-time paid HCA/ auxiliary nursing as an alternative to gain some experience in nursing. ( apply through local NHS recruitment pages )
There are also private healthcare providers that you can look into for home care assistant's !!!
Covid19 has as you said restricted a lot of this for time being.
Although experience isn't necessary it do help to have some kind of experience if possible, a friends of our family youngest daughter has just started her nursing at university and she only just turned 17 and left school in summer and has no experience in nursing at all.
Our students radiography/diagnostic radiography do a 4 year course unlike 3 in England.
Original post by soniaxxxo
hi, im applying for Diagnostic Radiography this year aswell. What unis have you applied to
Hi, I’m also applying for Diagnostic Radiography. I’ve applied to RGU, Glasgow Caledonia and QMU. What about you!
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