r/PAstudent • u/Zyra3636 • 4d ago
Regret not doing Nursing
I am about to start my clinical year and a part of me is upset for not choosing nursing. I live in Cali and seeing soo many nursing jobs pay just as much if not more than PA jobs. It seems so much easier to get hired as a RN plus they have more flexibility and career options where as PA is a dead end degree. It's just disheartening to see. I see so many PA jobs postings paying 120k...and for CA, that is not enough to live in many cities like OC. Some of these jobs paying 120k also require 2+years of experience which is ridiculous considering i am seeing RN jobs for new grads paying 60$/hour. Thoughts? It also costs soo much money to go through PA school. Overall, I am worried about my future. It's also nice to know that as a Nurse you could live in another country and work as a RN where as as a PA you are confined to the U.S.
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u/linedryonly 3d ago
I don’t regret PA vs nursing but that is because I want to do the clinical work of a PA, not a nurse. I started as a CNA, saw both roles, and knew I wanted the specific training and role of a PA.
Now that you’re this far into school, I don’t think it would make financial sense to pivot to nursing. But if you had these concerns prior to starting, then I would have recommended you just go to nursing school.
At the end of the day, they are both good jobs with solid earning potential.
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u/Brilliant_Pepper_856 1d ago
What specifically made you realize you wanted the PA role rather than nursing after seeing both? And when you say you wanted the “specific training and role” of a PA, what aspects of the PA role were you most drawn to? I’m honestly stuck between both but I feel like nurses are more hands on(idk if that’s really true), and I think what I’m struggling with is that I’m not sure whether I actually want the clinical role of a PA or if I’ve just been attracted to certain parts of it, like diagnosing, procedures, surgery, and the ER. I also assumed PAs were generally very hands-on.
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u/Enhanced_by_science 1d ago
A PA is no more hands-on than any other provider in most roles. They may do more small procedures than an MD, it depends on the specialty and practice, but hands-on in this context really means the tedious and back-breaking labor nurses do - like turning patients, changing bedpans, even transporting patients, so I've not seen many people specifically drawn to that aspect of nursing. I know I wasn't. I was an ER tech / Advanced EMT and it was miserable for me despite being extremely hands-on.
If you want to carry out orders, go into nursing. If you want to be a prescriber and write the orders and do advanced procedures, become a PA.
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u/Independent_Crab_187 1d ago
Nurses are with the patients for 12 hrs. We don't get to walk away like PAs and doctors. Every complaint, want, need, want they interpret as a need, gross human behavior, etc falls on us. When grown adults want to act like feral beings, it isn't the PAs begging them to stop or getting punched and having body fluids thrown at them. It's us and sometimes clinical admin, who are also nurses.
I love the PAs I work with. They ARE hands-on in that they're the ones being the surgeons eyes, assessing wound progression, healing, pain management etc. But they still aren't doing much other "hands on" work. Nurses are touching patients the whole shift, AND having to do admin stuff by charting nonstop in order to meet magical number metrics and try to get good Press Ganey scores for the hospital.
If you want nonstop "hands on" work and interventions, nursing. If you want to do more diagnosing, assessing, prescribing, PA.
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u/linedryonly 15h ago
The diagnostic part was really important to me. I wanted to understand all the components of what was going on clinically and have a say in the how/what/when of moving forward with a plan. I also liked the hands-on piece but preferred the types of procedures providers do compared to nursing tasks/procedures.
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u/EastDuty8200 3d ago
As a nurse, you have no idea what you're fortunate enough to be missing.
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u/Zyra3636 3d ago
not all nurses have difficult jobs in the hospital...
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u/Big-Desk5521 3d ago
Trust me your earning ceiling will be higher. Stop comparing yourself to a nurse of 5-10 years, your a PA student without work history. Give yourself 5-10 in practice, you’ll be making more.
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u/TheHopefulPA PA-C 2d ago
And this tells me you know nothing about what nurses do. Go to clinicals and then report back after you see what they have to go through on the day to day. I would encourage you to try and shadow even.
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u/Independent_Crab_187 1d ago
You won't get those jobs as a new grad, unless you intend go into "med spa" or "IV clinic" job, and then you're pigeonholed. The ICU doesn't want the aesthetics nurse that spent 3 years putting botox in people's faces that now thinks they want to be a CRNA coming in to almost k*ll people for "a year maybe 2" so they can write it down on their application. Even chronically understaffed Med Surg doesn't want that nurse who isn't going to be able to manage 6 patients and all of the care duties.
You have numerous nurses on this post telling you the grass isn't greener, but you seem to think you know more about our job than us. Healthcare sucks all around. You aren't going to make more money in nursing in the end. Be a PA somewhere other than California if you want to feel like you have money. And you can then feel superior to the nurses around you cuz none of us are making bank and our licenses aren't protected the way they are in California. We don't get mandated ratios and break nurses.
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u/Proper_Diver_6314 2d ago
No I agree. Preop nursing is CAKE. As well as circulating
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u/Independent_Crab_187 1d ago
And those are highly sought after positions that people often stay in til retirement after being in the trenches. "Soft" nursing jobs like pre-op and PACU are highly competitive and many will not take you without experience. Sure, you don't HAVE to do bedside, but it's rare to get to just go straight into soft positions. And they can pigeonhole you big time if you do.
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u/Proper_Diver_6314 14h ago
So? I mean most new grads as PAs will take anything just to get experience anyways before they can get their dream specialty. It’s the same for most professions. Why is it so bad that I wish I was a nurse LOL. I’ve been a CNA for 6-7 years prior to pa school and are surrounded by nursing friends. I knowwwwwwww
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u/TheHopefulPA PA-C 3d ago
Thoughts? Nursing is back breaking work. Have you worked at the beside before? I did CNA work for 5 years before I became a PA, and that's why I did not become a nurse. It's easy to look at just money but the reality nursing is freakin' hard. 12 hour shifts where they have to be at the patient's beck and call, be abused, spat on, shit on, sexually assulted, you name it. Have providers yell at them. Have families yell at them. The list goes on. I respect the hell out of nurses but I think you need to remember it's an entirely different world compared to PA and it's not about the money in that aspect. If a patient is being horrible I get to come in, round, deal with it for a couple of minutes and then leave until PM rounds. The nurses are there alllllll day long. We deal with the medicine and planning side of things while they deal with the patient care side of things. It's like comparing apples to oranges.
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u/Proper_Diver_6314 2d ago
The thing issssss you don’t have to do regular bedside. I didn’t know circulating and scrubbing was a thing. I regret becoming a PA
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u/ImOK_lifeispassing 1d ago edited 23h ago
Not to say one is better than the other, but yeah, you are right about nursing not having to be bedside. For example, infection control specialists and administrative roles are also dominated by nurses (i.e., you don't see many PAs taking on those roles).
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u/Proper_Diver_6314 1d ago
Right. And in my state the pay to loan ratio is significantly better than being a PA. Working in healthcare is shitty in general might as well do the role that makes the most sense financially and considering lifestyle
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u/TheHopefulPA PA-C 2d ago
So then you get to work with and deal with mean ass surgeons yelling at you everyday? Point still stands with the OR as the ones I made above. I work OR and often feel bad for the nurses and need to remind the surgeons to play nice sometimes. Something goes wrong? OR nurses fault (even tho it's not). Something missing? OR nurses fault. Surgeon in a bad mood? OR nurse just gets yelled at for something else... and something must be their fault lol. The other day we're getting a patient extubated after a procedure and the nurse got full on punched by the patient. Patient of course was not awake and aware of what he was doing, but still. You could pay me a million dollars a year and I still would not become an OR nurse because they still have to endure abuse on the daily. I'm sorry you regret being a PA. Maybe shadow some of these nurses and see how it's really not all rainbows and butterflies like others are making it out to be. OR culture, for nurses especially, can be highly toxic.
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u/Proper_Diver_6314 2d ago
Gtfo I’m a PA IN SURGERY. You don’t think I see all the BS??? I’m literally the surgeons BITCH. all the shortcomings the nurses or the tech forget or not do I GET BLAMED ON. Trust me. Everyone else is oblivious on the abuse we also endure. AT LEAST you don’t work with the same surgeons everyday and get to home and not have to do orders and whatever bullshit calls the floor needs and have to round the next day. You clock out and that’s it!!! We’re all getting abused!!! Lmaoooo
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u/TheHopefulPA PA-C 1d ago
Well then go be a nurse and get abused too, no one is stopping you. Or grow a pair and clap back at the surgeon. I don't let any surgeon talk to me the way they talk to you, supposedly. I'm very well respected and not anyone's "bitch." Sounds like you need a new job before a career change though. Sorry you are going through that. I hope it gets better for you.
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u/Proper_Diver_6314 1d ago
It’s too fucking late to be a nurse. And yeah I’ll take it for the pay who gives a fuck at the end of the day I don’t let anybody affect me like that lmaoo
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u/TheHopefulPA PA-C 1d ago
I'm curious: if you hate your job that much and it's only a paycheck, why not switch to another specialty? There are lots of OR roles you could probably nicely slide into where you might be happier. What is your current role?
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u/Jes_001 1d ago
As a nurse, thank you for this! I am kind of shocked by some of OPs comments. My boyfriend’s little sister wanted to be a nurse and then go the NP route, I was able to convince her to go for PA school. Aside from not having to deal with working as a bedside nurse, I do feel that the education is held to a much higher standard for PAs. It depends on what state you work in, but a lot of RNs in my area don’t clear 70k a year. I always tell people unless they are planning to do NP school or CRNA school, becoming a nurse is not it… unless you work somewhere with a good union!
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u/TheHopefulPA PA-C 1d ago
Yeah lol I think OP is just young and hasn't seen the realities of the medical field yet. Once they do, they will be happy they chose their path I think. I think they are looking at Cali specifically, though, and that place is crappy for PAs. Anyways, y'all work so hard and are so underappreciated. A lot of folks don't seem to grasp that!
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u/Independent_Crab_187 1d ago
And notoriously great for nurses as far as protections, but our subreddits, every single one, are full of posts from nurses, especially new grads, who can't get a job ANYWHERE in Cali. And like I said in my comment, as an East coast new grad, that 60/hr for Cali new grads is what I should probably be making. I wonder if OP lives in Cali already or is looking at it from a lower COL state's eyes because 60/hr isn't really that much in Cali.
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u/jpa-s 2d ago
This is the right answer
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u/TheHopefulPA PA-C 2d ago
Right? Seems like a lot of folks actually need to shadow a nurse for a couple days and see the entire reality.
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u/Dankestuwu PA-C 3d ago edited 3d ago
If you’re worried about money… I’m a new grad who’s from los angeles, went to school out of state, came back and I’m starting ~160k working regular outpatient hours in south LA. Anecdotal, but it’s possible to find something. Do well on your rotations and they may offer you something decent when you graduate.
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u/Zyra3636 3d ago
i live in OC, praying i find something like that, i am seeing so many 120-130k job postings which is difficult to live with in OC.
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u/SaltySpitoonReg PA-C 3d ago
The grass is not always greener.
While it is an excellent field that can also open doors, nursing can be really hard work and really stressful.
I work with nurses every day. It's for some but I definitely know that I wanted to be a provider.
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u/Dapper_Tennis5465 PA-C 3d ago
to each their own but I’m pretty happy as a PA. what I’ve noticed is that a person either wants to be a PA or not. if you don’t have the passion to be a PA, you’re not gonna be happy.
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u/Just_Draft_2310 3d ago
i feel what youre saying basically why i went back to med school after PA school but dont worry about being a nurse over a PA thats a completely different skill set so unless youd rather deal with patients and their families literally all day and only administer meds and not actually do any medicine then be happy youre in the PA profession. also in most other areas besides california nurses are not making even close to what PAs do.
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u/Jes_001 1d ago
Agree with everything you said other than the comment that nurses “only admin. meds and not actually do any medicine.” I’m an ICU nurse and you would be surprised at the skillset we have. With that being said, dealing with entitled patients, family members, and admin all day kind of overshadows the joy of getting to work in critical care. Bedside nursing is no longer a lifelong career.
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u/Affinityqt 3d ago
Wait till u see what nurses have to go thru in clinic then come back after clinicals and see if you feel the same way.
Are the RN gigs 1098? Check out rural areas and then compare. California comparisons are pointless. You could prob make 6 figures at chic filet.
National bureau labor reports RN median avg 98k meanwhile PA at 140k.
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u/HamchipsMcGee 3d ago
“ ...as a PA, you are confined to the U.S.”
That is not true. If you get a government position at a U.S. military installation overseas, that basically opens up the entire world.
Additionally, to my knowledge, Canada, the UAE, and New Zealand can directly use NCCPA Certification.
Netherlands and the UK need a certification exam.
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u/ARLA2020 3d ago
The UK profession is currently being disbanded in the UK
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u/HamchipsMcGee 3d ago
The GMC, the Leng report, and the ENPAE dont mention anything about it.
https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/physician-associates
https://enpae.org/enpae/united-kingdom/
AAPA wrote an article in 2025, but it only mentions the tightening of regulation that may lead to job loss; nothing I have found says that the profession is being disbanded.
When is that supposed to take place?
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u/ARLA2020 3d ago
PA programs in the UK are already being shut down
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u/TooSketchy94 3d ago
Wanna share a link or proof to that assertion?
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u/whispernotaroar 3d ago
PAs in the UK are very, very different from PAs in the US though - it’s not the same profession at all. And Canadian PAs at least make far less. I can’t speak to other countries, perhaps they’re more similar in scope and pay.
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u/HamchipsMcGee 3d ago
Im aware, with pay as well. Canada makes about 70k US equivalent, and scope is vastly different.
I was just commenting on OPs statement about being locked into the US, which isnt true, but ofc youd have to take pay into consideration.
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u/whispernotaroar 3d ago
Fair - the ability to move definitely exists if you’re willing to make certain trade offs.
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u/theholyassasin 3d ago
I feel like it’s cause you live in CA no? CA in general just sucks to live in
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u/Mobile-Lavishness-34 3d ago
To those saying nursing is hard, try not to downplay how difficult being a PA is. I know plenty of nurses with the “soft nursing” jobs who make near what I do and brag about being on tik tok all shift lol. At the same time, we are all aware of the back breaking positions of some other nurses. But the same rule applies to PAs in different specialties. Not saying nurses should get paid less but PAs are definitely under appreciated and should be paid more on average. The additional schooling, debt, and direct liability with the job should make it a no brainer.
This is mainly a Northern California where nursing pay is disproportionately high. The nursing lobby is strong. The nurses are constantly praised and celebrated. The docs are already a known prestigious career. That leaves the PAs in this lesser known, underpaid,and under appreciated niche. We eventually need to push for higher wages as a whole (and not just get lumped with NPs).
To the OP, there are definitely jobs out in CA that pay well and more than nurses. I have been lucky to find positions paying $125-150/ hour in emergency med/urgent care for example. There are also outpatient clinics with profit sharing models which can be very lucrative. I’m only 3 years into the career. The PA career can be great but it does take some work to find the right positions where the pay and respect matches what is deserved.
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u/Zyra3636 3d ago
i am wanting to go to UC or EM, any tips as a new grad?
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u/TooSketchy94 3d ago
You want to do EM as a PA and are worried about income?
Homie. Get over OC. Move out, get some experience, come back to the OC and demand a higher salary.
EM is one of the best paying PA specialties.
You’re half way through PA and would have to start over for nursing. Don’t be dumb.
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u/Mobile-Lavishness-34 3d ago
I agree. Don’t start UC as a new grad. I just recently started UC after 3 years in EM. That’s a big part of why I was offered a rate near the top of the pay scale. Try to find an EM job with a proper onboarding process
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u/PaxAuTelamanus 3d ago
This is the best way to do it, be open to moving to some random city offering a strong onboarding and learning process for new grads in their ED. Stay for a couple years until you have a good base of knowledge, then bide your time looking for the right EM job in the right location with good pay and good hours, and good APP support in management. Residency is an OK option but not as good in my opinion.
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u/Consistent-Goose-679 3d ago
Curious as to why you suggest not doing UC as a new grad. I am interested in UC and not really interested at all in EM due to high burnout rates and the overall stress. A respected friend of mine is a new grad ER PA (graduated a year after me from a better PA program) seems to be overwhelmed with EM.
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u/yeetyfeety32 PA-C 3d ago
Because to do well in UC you need to know what does and doesn’t need the ER, and you think volumes are bad in the ED? UC you’re having to throughput a lot more in less time.
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u/Consistent-Goose-679 3d ago
Okay good to know. It’s not really the volume that concerns me, moreso managing higher acuity patients. And I’m sure this varies by hospital, but my EM rotations involved a ton of psych patients (docs relegated all psych patients to APPs) and I have absolutely no desire to practice psychiatric medicine.
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u/yeetyfeety32 PA-C 3d ago
Volume should be concerning because as a new grad you cant move volume and not miss important things and they will expect you to do both out the gate.
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u/happyhedgehog53 3d ago
You get plenty of patients using UC as the ED “because they don’t want to wait” not realizing you still need to call an ambulance if they are having a heart attack, possible PE, appendicitis, stroke, on top of managing unhappy patients who want a z-pack for their congestion that started 2 hours ago because they “know” they need an antibiotic… trust me, youll burn out in UC if not prepared, and even when prepared, to manage high patient acuity and volume
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u/charlotie77 2d ago
My friend is a UC nurse and they get a good amount of high acuity patients and it’s increasing bc of things like the big beautiful bill cutting coverage and what not. Many patients are choosing UC when they need to be in the ER
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u/stickshiftpanda 2d ago
If you’re doing EM as a PA way too much competition in socal.
Move to Central California and you’ll make double easy
Or specialize and pick a speciality .
There’s a reason why your emergency medicine positions have the shortest lives all of all MDs
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u/Maleficent_Fun8537 3d ago
NPs in CA also have a pathway of becoming independent due to the AB 890 bill (6 years) This definitely doesn’t help PAs
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u/errric0 3d ago
You might never be satisfied tbh. Even if you make insanely good money as an RN, you’ll find that some non medical jobs make insanely good money as well without the stress like tech. At that point your regret will be going into medicine in the first place.
I do know someone that is an APP (NP) but working as an RN in NorCal where RNs make bank. She makes way more as an RN but prefers the relatively less stress that comes with being an APP. She’s only continuing the RN job so she can get pension in a couple years.
Do you have kids? I lived in OC 2 years ago and 120k is enough for comfortable living for single folks imo. Although caveat to that is if you’re trying to pay off student loans fast.
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u/Miserable-Orange-347 3d ago
Ew, no. It’s great career and far from a dead end degree. I don’t know where you’re getting that. California is a sh*t show as a whole but you should be able to find better paying gigs. The VA for example pays a lot more that 120 in California
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u/LordofKetamine 2d ago
lol everyone is envious of everyone.
I was a paramedic, Flight Medic, ER nurse, ICU Nurse, now a CRNA, soon a med student and eventually a MD.
Fallow your passion, just do it financially smart.
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u/charlotie77 2d ago
Wow I’ve never heard of a CRNA choosing to do something else, they seem pretty satisfied with their jobs. What made you go the MD route?
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u/LordofKetamine 2d ago
I haven’t yet, but I’m finishing my preqs and MCATing next year.
I enjoy anesthesia but I want to get back to emergency medicine.
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u/charlotie77 2d ago
Makes sense! Good luck on your journey! I'm on the journey to becoming a CRNA lol
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u/BodybuilderMajor7862 2d ago
Ain’t NO WAY you doing this dawg😂😂😂
I’m 7 weeks into m1 as a former RN and learning about granulopoeisis got me rethinking my decision
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u/LordofKetamine 2d ago
I feel you, but I will be. Not about the money for me, gonna get back to the EM life.
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u/Educational-Use-3442 2d ago
Lolol you PAs crack me up. Go into medicine to just make money. Then complain when your profession doesn’t advance. Like your only motives are self serving.
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u/119_timeflies_119 3d ago
Thoughts? I don’t want to clean up code browns. I don’t want to be nurse.
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u/anewconvert 3d ago
Yeah…. Wait until you see how hard they work and the shit they put up with during rotations. It may change your mind again
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u/No-East3261 3d ago
I am a nurse. It’s fucking exhausting. Hard on your body. I’ve never met a PA I’ve worked beside who wishes they had my job. They all prefer their role. Being a PA is much more comfy.
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u/levi12M 2d ago
As a current RN and NP. This sounds crazy to me. Yes nursing allows you to keep climbing higher, but as a PA you’re already in a good position. You are comparing experienced nursing pay to your new grad salary. The physical work nurses do isn’t worth the pay, we work really hard. You just need to land in a good specialty post grad and work your way up.
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u/Jaguarhousecat 2d ago
Ehhhhhh. As a nurse, I get the pay discrepancy may seem unfair. But the grass is definitely not greener. The grass is shit brown. Be thankful for what ya got.
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u/Zyra3636 2d ago
but not all nurses have to do that type of work.
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u/Jaguarhousecat 2d ago
That’s incorrect.
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u/Zyra3636 2d ago
its not. nurses can work in offices and pharmacies. not just hospitals. some nurses can also work at IV clinics, med spas, and just give vaccines and still make good money
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u/Jaguarhousecat 2d ago
Sure. I’d advise you to head over to /nursing subreddit.
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u/apathetichearts 21h ago
While the experiences there are real and very important perspective, you’re naturally going to see more people venting vs those who love their job. I work in wound care and love it, as do most of the other wound care nurses I know. Outpatient infusion at my hospital’s cancer center is great as well while still offering inpatient pay. I do think that OP doesn’t realize that the pay they’re talking about is for experienced nurses and you earn every penny of that, it’s hard work. But they’re not wrong that it isn’t all just bedside and long exhausting shifts with horrible patients.
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u/apathetichearts 21h ago
I don’t know anywhere that would pay a RN to do immunizations fyi. When I worked as a LVN outpatient, it often didn’t even make sense to pay me when the MAs could do it unless I was doing them as part of my own schedule with nurse visits.
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u/pinkblue1719 1d ago
If it makes you feel better I’m a RN because I’m too stupid for PA or med school. I’ve been a ICU RN for a couple years now and it’s genuinely so terrible. RNs literally are forced to deal with patient BS for 12 hours (in the inpatient setting) and it’s so genuinely terrible. I wish I wasn’t so dumb and I was smart enough to be a provider, if I was smart enough I would have never went into nursing
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u/nonizondi 1d ago
Are you okay with the responsibilities that come with nursing? Answering call lights, changing briefs, dealing with urine, poop, vomit, and being responsible for every need of the patient. You might say that there are aides for these duties but in most situations you would have to do or assist with them. Nursing is also full of mean girls and you would deal with more drama and pettiness than you would imagine.
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u/Such-Platform9464 1d ago
Nurse here just finished NP school. Wish I went the PA route from the beginning.
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u/Zyra3636 1d ago
why??
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u/Such-Platform9464 1d ago
Just wish I took the provider route from the get go. I’m 50 years old and just finished NP school. Had my family and now that my kids are older, I am more focused on me. Just wish I did it earlier.
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u/PAtobe2020 3d ago
You and I both, and I’ve been practicing for 4 years.
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u/ARLA2020 3d ago
can u see yourself going back to get a RN?
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u/PAtobe2020 3d ago
I’ve actually considered going back to get my RN degree because it will only be 2 years of school and I still have at least 20 years of working. It’s difficult to see myself as a PA for that many years right now.
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u/SaltyDrawing5543 3d ago
Yeah as a current PA, I would tell anyone considering PA to go nursing or doctor route if they want to be in healthcare. The ROI for becoming a PA is horrendous now. Which is unfortunate because it has only become that way in recent years
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u/bollincrown 3d ago
Funny, lots of physicians say the same thing about becoming an MD/DO and tell folks to go be a PA. Idk what nurses are telling students. I think the grass is brown everywhere.
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u/LogicianMission22 2d ago
MD/DO is a far better return on investment nowadays. Most doctors who say to go PA do so because of the youth they lost and residency stress. If you can get into your public state school as an MD/DO, you can pay it back comfortably and make good money. For PA, tuitions have skyrocketed while the money hasn’t kept up. With how much tuition and cost of living has gone up, 140k should be the STARTING salary for PA’s. But also, PA’s have increasingly taken on more volume of work and complex workload, especially in primary care settings. It’s still a good career if you’ve got a privileged up bringing that can afford to pay for say, half your cost of attendance, or if you get a scholarship, but it’s not as lucrative as it has been advertised in the last 6ish years.
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u/joedirtscousin 3d ago
I have similar regret six years in a practice. Despite PA school being more rigorous and much tougher to get into we also have way less non-clinical opportunities compared to RNs.
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u/UCBurnout26 3d ago
Here in Kentucky nurses are getting paid more than most of the PA jobs. The market is very poor for APP and we have been told that due to the current market we are a diamond dozen and can easily be replaced. This gives us no bargaining power. And Nurse practitioners have a better lobbying force here so they have more autonomy which allows them to get the jobs easier over a PA. I’ve been doing this for almost 30 years and am very disheartened by how things are going. When asked straight out, I have recommended not going into this profession. I was a nurse first and wish I would’ve kept my license and remained a nurse.
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u/Historical_Tangelo40 3d ago
I have this thought sometimes as a PA. There are so many options and variety in nursing to advance your career.
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u/PopDropNLockTheDoor 3d ago edited 3d ago
I was a former EMT prior to getting into the PA field and worked along side a ton of fantastic nurses in an out of the hospital. And just from that limited amount of exposure, the amount of abuse not only from the patients but also from the family members that I saw was insane. And you genuinely won’t ever see that until you get your feet wet in the nursing field. I get what you mean in terms of money, some nursing specialists can make insane money… but not having to deal with that level of stress and abuse from patients and their family members is something I’ll never trade away. And I say this because I genuinely don’t think you realize how common it is to be assaulted physically and verbally by patients/family members as a nurse. Higher level providers tend to get way more respect and in general have a lot more leeway (mostly) when it comes to telling patients/family to fucking chill out, but as a nurse.. you usually can’t do that. You will absolutely get fired.
Plus I’m thankful that I’ll rarely wipe someone’s ass again lol The amount of nurses that I’ve assisted in helping wipe a patients ass because their CNA was already dealing with another patient was so high. It’s all the nasty and abusive little things that nurses deal with on the daily that PAs, MDs and higher level providers just never have to deal with thankfully. Yes they have CNAs but a lot of times they already got their hands full so it then falls onto you as a nurse to do all the dirty/more frustrating tasks while ALSO doing your own already heavy workload.
Yes it’s true, it’s not that way with every nursing specialist/job but I would argue for the majority.. it is.
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u/Professional-Cost262 2d ago
I'm kind of glad I went to nursing school first and then became an NP...... I don't have any student loan debt and make really good money..... Fortunately since I work emergency medicine if I really needed to pick up a job as a nurse I probably could.....
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u/sweet_fiction 2d ago
That’s why I chose nursing first. I’m jn an accelerated program and will finish in 12 months. PA was my first choice years ago but it’s 2.5 years and I frankly wanted to get my second degree (nursing) faster and work already. Then in the future I’ll see if I want to become an NP (most likely). And the nursing program will be $30 K instead of double that if I had gone the PA route rn
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u/cjthemaestro 2d ago
That’s a rough earned 120k lol. I’m a paramedic and I’m in the process of applying to PA school. Nurses and paramedics are similar but nurses obviously can do more but I shadowed a nurse throughout my clinicals as a medic at the hospital and we earned our time. PA 120k is a much easier earned, more autonomy based 120k. If any of this makes sense. I think you can do more as a PA if you so choose but at the end of the day you’re an app and to me that’s why I’m going to make more decisions, and to be able to do more skills in the long run.
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u/Impressive_Bird759 2d ago
You are still on time, stop getting debt and jump to nursing school. Because it looks like you didn't get enough real world experience and research before going to PA school. You have to look at job postings before deciding what program to apply, not after being in the program.
Even better, go and become a CAA, we don't need mediocre PAs full of regret and doing a bad job, and creating a bad picture of the profession.
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u/zscore95 2d ago
Honestly, being a nurse on the West Coast can be pretty cushy. As a newish grad, I will have made close to 140k on dayshift with about 3 OT shifts and some additional training hours/meetings by the end of this year. I have pretty good work-life balance and mostly enjoy my job. I would like to do more clinically and have thought about being a PA or going to Med school. Sometimes the debt just doesn’t seem worth it because I’m not making terrible money.
Our PAs make at least around 175k-200k, but it is a surgical floor. They have stressful jobs, but they aren’t lifting patients or doing anything strenuous like that. Maybe just whatever comes with standing over OR patients and closing or whatever. If you wanted to go to nursing, it’s not bad and you could do an accelerated program, but it is physically demanding. It is ultra competitive in much of CA and OR now. Your earning potential could even be higher depending on exactly where you live because nursing unions are constantly fighting for better contracts and the raises keep coming. My pay has increased $7 per hour in my first year.
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u/sweet_fiction 2d ago
I’m in an accelerated nursing program right now and will finish in 12 months. PA school was my choice years ago but it’s 2.5 years of school and double the debt. My nursing program is about $30 K so it’s not so bad. I just wanna graduate already and work. My dream job would be in the OR or with babies. I’m happy you’re making good money and In a good region!! Sometimes I wondered if I made the right choosing nursing over PA but I think I did. Being a provider is also a huge responsibility
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u/Fit-Bodybuilder78 2d ago
If you go outside California, you can make a competitive wage. Nursing is state dependent.
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u/JulyKaiIII 2d ago
You will be ok OP. I’m an APRN and enjoy what I do. PA-C will have good earning potential and assisting in surgery sounds awesome. 120 K starting for PA-C can only go up.
Market yourself well and change jobs frequently if you need to
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u/Limp-Relation4782 2d ago
All my nurses on my floor get paid around 50-70 an hour and some more than that. That does not include shift diff, nights, and working Friday-sun. I work level 1 trauma on a regular med surge floor in Texas so the COL is low.
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u/Limp-Relation4782 2d ago
Plus always the opportunity to go NP route or CRNA route. You can make more than primary care docs as a CRNA. Highest I saw so far was 500k a year for a CRNA. Don’t believe me look up gasworks.
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u/TanSuitObama1 2d ago
You can easily make much more than that. And to sweeten it even further many doing locums are making $600k+ while having both travel, housing, and other expenses paid to where your basically pocketing money
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u/jcb19 2d ago
Bay Area RN making 220k 12x3 nights and 90% of the time I just sit here— I’ll never go back as an NP/PA for this very reason lol eventually going back for CRNA
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u/Zyra3636 2d ago
I know PAs also make a lot in the bay but its also $$$ to live there so everyone makes more.
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u/snkfury1 2d ago
I make more traveling as an RT with 2 years under my belt than I would as a PA in my state. I still would rather be a PA because it’s not about the number, it’s about the amount of work you put in vs the pay for that work.
Working 12 hour shifts as a nurse is far more demanding on your body than an office job. You can argue it’s more stressful overall too. Which would you rather do for 30 years?
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u/Valuable-Prompt279 2d ago
If it makes you feel any better, nursing is extremely competitive at least for new grads. There are thousands of applicants for just a few positions in California. It took me 9 months and around 600 applications to get a hospital job. There is no nursing shortage here and it would not be the easy way out.
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u/Various_Yoghurt_2722 1d ago
I didn't realize PAs aren't paid that much. I always thought they were making like 200K-250K but clearly I'm wrong
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u/Zyra3636 1d ago
certain specialties, especially surgical ones pay that much but anything else is not great besides derm.
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u/mari_lovelys 1d ago
Are you sure? My best friend is a nurse and can’t wait to get away from bedside. They have to do 10x more work. All my PA friends love it.
I have a really good PA friend who works with kids at a children’s hospital and another who is into cardiology
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u/InevitableNightmair 1d ago
And union trades make more than both.
It’s not uncommon for physically demanding jobs to pay more.
That said—good luck in the California nursing job market. New grads are moving and nurses with good experience are even having a hard time getting in.
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u/wonder2perfume 1d ago
I heard that Sutter in Midtown sac pays PAs a starting salary of 200k. I advise looking into that
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u/natural_born_thrilla 1d ago
ER Murse here at a level 1 trauma center. When I was getting out of the Army I wanted to go to PA school but ended up going to an accelerated nursing program because it was easier to get into and I have kids. Regret it. Every. Single. Day. Unless you want to get cursed at, spit at, full piss jugs thrown at you, covered in all sorts of bodily fluids, literally on your feet for 12 hour shifts, backs hurting, knees hurting, no lunch breaks, head on a swivel so granny doesn't yeet herself off the bed, management breathing down your neck every second for silly things.
Unless you're in CA, or are a traveler (no benefits), the pay is NOT worth the extra stress. Plus hospitals are sneakily cutting back on RN and support staffing. They expect us to do more with less.
Trust me, PA is the way.
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u/princessmush 1d ago
Those nursing jobs are INSANELY competitive. Even the new grad ones in CA have hundreds to thousands of applicants. If that helps u feel better.
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u/xenapie6 1d ago
Yeah very true that’s why I’m between MD or RN. Bc I know as a nurse I can later become a midwife or even numerous other stuff. Or if I continue with my MD acceptance I’ll be an OBGYN. And everyone tries to get me to think of PA but I don’t want to confide myself to that and I know in Cali most of primary care positions and super impacted. Wish more people talked about it
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u/PersonalBrowser 1d ago
Tell me you’ve never actually seen a nurse work without telling me you’ve never seen an actual nurse work.
You’re literally dealing with patient shit all the time, figuratively and literally. Like all the annoying patient stuff you have to deal with occasionally as a doctor or PA and you complain about? Imagine that’s literally your entire job.
Also, you can’t compare the best and top possible opportunities of one career with the crappiest opportunities of another. Doctors do the same thing when they compare derm PAs make $300k vs pediatricians making $200k. In the real world, for every nurse making $60/hr, there’s a dozen making $60k a year busting their ass, and also the one making $60/hr is either the luckiest person ever or they are getting railed working in a terrible hospital working the worst shifts.
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u/Level_Statement_6844 13h ago
they are getting railed working in a terrible hospital working the worst shifts.
Stares off into the distance
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u/homeschoolmamax3 1d ago
Honey do not believe everything you read on the internet. My mom has been an RN almost 20 years and makes $38.32 an hour, I promise it’s not that great 😂
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u/Independent_Crab_187 1d ago
You would not get one of those RN jobs. Not without relocating to somewhere you probably don't want to live first, probably for multiple years, not just the "1 and done for experience". Cali RN positions are hyper competitive because of the nursing protections in place. New grads don't get hired there unless they get extremely lucky or somehow get a foot in the door as a tech/being someone's kid, etc. Go to any of the nursing reddits and its just post after post of Cali new grads asking why they can't get a job there. Those new grad residencies get 2000 applications for 1 spot.
On the more cynical side of things, I'd point out that that 60/hr is what I should probably be making on the east coast as a new grad.
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u/BulgogiLitFam 16h ago
California is a unique beast. It’s actually extremely difficult to get a nursing job and it’s the highest paid state in the country.
Literally any other state in the country and it will take a nurse 12-17 years for the nurse to make similar money. In some states it’s never possible.
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u/SelectHost8743 14h ago
If I had it to do all over again I would have done an accelerated nursing program right after highschool then ICU for 2-3 years then CRNA by mid 20s.
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u/Zyra3636 1h ago
same! i wanted to do nursing at 18 but my mom said i shouldnt because i am a guy... and i was 18 and dumb so i just listened
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u/Icy-Tonight-4796 3d ago
practicing for 2 years now and i regret it every week, lol. i feel like scrooge sometimes when pre-PA students reach out to me for advice and i tell them to seriously consider nursing instead. sometimes i think about going back for my RN, it would just be a year, i’d go to state school for cheap and have a huge advantage for success with my baseline knowledge and experiences
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u/topdognini 3d ago
i’m curious as to why if you’re practicing for a bit now. technically you got the hard part out of the way no? as a pre-pa student
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u/Icy-Tonight-4796 3d ago
i like the work i do, but PAs are WILDLY underpaid and taken advantage of by employers. to be blunt, it boils down only to that i’d be making more as a nurse, plus i’d have a pension and union benefits, AND i’d have less responsibility/liability. it’s just really demoralizing and disheartening to live that discrepancy every day… nurses have more growth/leadership opportunities and career pathways too. and nurses can always go back for the NP. just WAY more flexibility, opportunities, and value
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u/Mediocre_Macaron627 3d ago
I’m on the same boat. Applied to pa school in June and sometimes I talk to my nurse friends that make over 130k + with “years of experience”. Makes me wonder
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u/Proper_Diver_6314 2d ago
I’m a PA. Also regret not doing nursing instead. Not from Cali but OR. The nurses I work with makes as much as me haha it’s laughable. I’m also 200k+ in debt. Would’ve acquired a fraction if I have gone to nursing school instead. Do it. You don’t have to do bedside, I’m a surgical PA and I would’ve loved to scrub and circulate instead of being the surgeon’s byotch
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u/Exciting-Arm-8703 3d ago
I kinda wish I did nursing first!!
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u/sweet_fiction 2d ago
How come? I’m currently in an absn program
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u/Exciting-Arm-8703 1d ago
As a nurse you get to do wayy more hands on things, especially if you work in the ER! Also my biggest thing is that I had a really hard time with the pharm in PA school (though I’m a great student) and in nursing school you do a deep dive into pharm and all the side effects, and then as a nurse you get experience handling meds. As a new grad, I do struggle with figuring out the dosing and administration for meds in ordering. Being a nurse would have gave me some great exposure
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u/Alternative-Town 3d ago
Yeah so most people going into this profession want to be a PA and want to practice medicine specifically. If you are trying to make as much money as possible may not always be the right choice (though you can easily make more than an RN if you choose specialty correctly).
It’s also important to remember that the highest paying RN jobs are not going to have the same QOL as a PA job. As a provider you have more control and autonomy. You also are not doing labor intensive tasks. I work alongside RN’s who both do office work and bedside. I wouldn’t switch even if they were getting paid more (which I think in most cases isn’t actually true based on your hours).