This Semester

So you're probably wondering why most of my posts so far are all about Diagnostic Imaging when my blog is titled my nursing experience. Well you're not alone. Some people in my life are wondering the same thing. They often wonder why I went to school for so long and worked so hard to just take a detour and do something else. Its not that I have given up on my dream to become a nurse. I haven't. I didn't work my ass off for the last year and a half to get A's and B's in all of my pre-nursing prerequisite courses (e.g. Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, Nutrition, Chemistry, etc) for nothing.

I had planned on applying to the nursing program this year and enter the Spring of 2009. It wasn't until my advisor allowed me to take a couple of courses out of sequence. She warned me that one failed nursing course could affect my application (the application process is a point system). And two failed nursing courses could result in dismissal of the program. So I took caution. I didn't want to fail any courses being outside of the nursing program. Nor did I want to affect my overall grade point average. Anyway, I spent 3 weeks in Pathophysiology and realized that applying to the nursing program this year was not in my best interest.

I told my mother, advisor, and friends/classmates that I decided I wasn't ready. For the most part they took the news really well but they were surprised of my decision seeing as though I am a pretty level headed, smart, and focused student. They were even more surprised (or maybe not?) about what I told them next. I told them for the next year and a half I'll be studying a program called Cardiac Technology. They were a bit worried for a minute that I have been in college for so long without a major and that I changed my mind yet again. But I assured them that I didn't. With me not applying for nursing this year I have to do something. Since I want to become an ICU nurse choosing this program would have its advantages. Those advantages are experience, knowledge, increase marketability, and supplemental income.

When I told them about the advantages, it was no surprise that they were a little bit more relaxed and intrigued about my decision. Of course they were more interested in the negative/disadvantages than the positives. I told them that everything has its pros and cons. But this program has only one disadvantage for me. That is its locaton. Harper College is about 50 miles away from where I currently live. And in a town I never been to (Palatine, IL). So its different but I think I'm up for the challenge.

So why Cardiac Technology? Well to make a long story short I wanted to enroll into a short term program (less than two years) mainly diagnostic medical sonography (specializing in obstetrics and gynecology). So I did some research about local programs in my area. Most of the diagnostic medical sonography and radiologic programs in the Chicagoland area either required a degree in a health related field (which I do not have) or is/was extremely expensive and/or not accredited by CAAHEP.

The career definition of a Cardiac Technologist is a diagnostic cardiac sonographer who is a highly skilled professional who specializes in ultrasound equipment to record dynamic visual images of the heart and its circulation. They work in hospitals, clinics, and physician offices producing echocardiograms to assist the physician in diagnosing heart disease. The graduate also receives instruction in carotid and peripheral vascular ultrasound and EKG related diagnostic testing. According to the US Department of Labor Outlook Handbook edition 2008-2009, employment of cardiovascular technologists and technicians is expected to increase by 26 percent. Starting annual salaries have been in the range of $40,000-$50,0000.

So with all that said, classes aren't starting for another three weeks but I'm anxious to learn something new and start a new journey.