RN to DSS?

[Green34RN]

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Hi. Just wondering if any nurses have made the transtion to dentistry? I have been working as a nurse for two years now, and I knew 6 months into my first job in intensive care that nursing isn't for me. I have another year left on my contract with the hospital I work at, and I am looking for options.

The dentist wasn't someone I saw often as a child. It wasn't until I got dental coverage with my first job that I was given some exposure. I like the flexibility, autonomy, and pay that comes with the job, while affording the opportunity to care for patients. 🙂

Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[EngDentist]

Hi. Just wondering if any nurses have made the transtion to dentistry? I have been working as a nurse for two years now, and I knew 6 months into my first job in intensive care that nursing isn't for me. I have another year left on my contract with the hospital I work at, and I am looking for options.

The dentist wasn't someone I saw often as a child. It wasn't until I got dental coverage with my first job that I was given some exposure. I like the flexibility, autonomy, and pay that comes with the job, while affording the opportunity to care for patients. 🙂

Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks

I myself have switched professions and will be starting dental school this fall. But the person who interviewed me at UDM told me that she had been an RN before she decided to pursue dentistry.
Good luck, it can be done. Do shadow a dentist just to make sure you like it.

 

[Omahahahaha]

A girl I graduated with was a nurse before she came to dental school. If you want it, go for it!

 

[aphistis]

My GPR program director is a reformed scrub nurse.

 

[Green34RN]

Sorry for the mistake, and thanks for the replies. I am definitely going to shadow a dentist before I make any life altering decisions.

 

[BLEND]

Go for it. I have been a RN for 5 years and switched.

 

[docs87]

I am also an RN and just applied to dental school for 2012, what kind of dat and gpa did you guys have? and where were you accepted? thanks 🙂

 

[NAVY DDS 2010]

I know a student who at 44 yrs of age decided to go quit being a nurse to pursue being a dentist then become an oral surgeon. So, it is never too late to quit one profession and become a dentist. Age is just a number. Good luck in your decision making.

By the way, you can always pick up a shift or two on the weekends to pay for dental school. The guy I know did.

 

[CleverThought]

Not exactly the same situation, but I am in nursing school and decided to pursue dental school. Like yourself, I found out that nursing isn't for me. I work at a hospital, and although I love the patient interaction I don't love nursing.

I say to go for it! Do you have your pre-reqs done or will you have to go back? I know that a lot of nursing classes aren't accepted as credits. Such as the chemistry nursing majors take doesn't count and you have to take gen chem 1 & 2 and organo 1 & 2.

Best of luck!

 

[newyorkblork]

Hi. Just wondering if any nurses have made the transtion to dentistry? I have been working as a nurse for two years now, and I knew 6 months into my first job in intensive care that nursing isn't for me. I have another year left on my contract with the hospital I work at, and I am looking for options.

The dentist wasn't someone I saw often as a child. It wasn't until I got dental coverage with my first job that I was given some exposure. I like the flexibility, autonomy, and pay that comes with the job, while affording the opportunity to care for patients. 🙂

Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks

I'm not by any means an expert on this sort of stuff, but aren't there a lot of different nursing avenues you could pursue before making a (slightly random?) switch to dentistry. You didn't mention "Dentistry is an interest" in your list of reasons, and "flexibility, autonomy, pay, and patients" can be found with a modification of your current position. A starting dentist will make 80-140; I *believe* given the same 3-5 years you would need to complete Dental School, you can make that as a "Higher Level Nurse" (not sure of exact titles 😛).

Have you looked into becoming a nurse practitioner (additional pay, additional autonomy) or simply a nurse in a field other than Intensive Care? What propelled you through Nursing School before realizing that Nursing isn't it, and how do you know the same won't happen with Dentistry?

I'm not trying to discourage you, and as you see from other posts the RN->DDS switch is definitely doable, but it will cost you a lot less years, money, and stress if you can find a happy way to be a different kind of Nurse, rather than switching to Dentistry!

Plus I'm just kind of a curious cat, so forgive me if I'm being nosy 🙁

 

[Aceofspades]

I think going from RN to CRNA would make more sense. CRNA's have independence in some states and are heavily pushing for it in others.