getting out of aviation

[wrxpilot]

My wife is a nurse. She's been doing it now for about 5 years...

Pay. I don't know where all of you get your info, but for a regular 4-year degreed RN, it still isn't that great. Livable, definitely, but not the greatest.

Interesting comments. I agree that there are a lot of warped perspectives here regarding pay outside of aviation. So many times here at FI I've seen pilots exclaim how the money is practically overflowing in law, medicine, engineering, etc. The reality (that I've seen) is much different. There are many ways to make a "liveable" wage, but that is all it is. Enough to pay the bills and maybe buy a house in a dual income relationship. Hopefully there's enough left over on the side to go skiing every once in awhile and rent a beater 172 often enough to not be unsafe.

If you find the right situation and start your own business, I think there's the opportunity for serious money. But you will be working your ass off.

 

[pgcfii2002]

It's definately not for everybody....yeah, my parents gave me the whole "why don't you become a nurse" song and dance. Too bad I HATE hospitals.

 

[scarface]

Flying will never leave your blood. I was going to get out 20 something years ago and go into accounting. The interviewer was one of my friends from the Marine Corps and Army National Guard. After the interview he told me that he was going to do me a big favor and not recommend me for the job. I figured oh well, what the hell and went back to my corporate job, which really sucked.
After a couple of years I got on with my current job and worship the ground this guy walks on for telling me to hit the bricks. I'd have been one miserable SOB in contrast to the overall high level of job satisfaction I now have.
Don't know much about the book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" but I was at Flight School, Camp Pendleton and FMF WesPac with Kiyosaki; his guru status is amazing. But, he was a good guy in the Corps and is one charismatic individual.

 

[pgcfii2002]

I'm aiming for "Rich Son, Poor Dad"

Besides, my generation is going to have to support their parents.....right??

 

[capt. megadeth]

I wish you the best, but I don't think nursing will be much better. My sister is an RN and she goes through far more hell than I ever do in aviation. Hopefully this won't be your experience, however.

YES!!!!

I work a few shifts a month as a nurse and want to shoot myself in the head after a 12 hour shift! It's a great side job but I would NEVER do it full time. If I lost my medical, I would go to school to be a nurse anesthetist if anything. You will find it is the same old thing as the airline industry (ie. management really doesn't give a $hit, makes decisions that affect you negatively, want you to work as much as possible for as little as possible, AND you see your boss all the time, etc.) Good luck though, you may like it better, ya never know. I would much rather be flying full time than nursing. Also, you will find you don't have a lot of the benefits an airline career may provide. If you want to chat about it, send me a PM.

You guys are cracking me up with the "what is the problem? nursing sounds great!" All I have to say is:

HA HA HA HA You are high! Go work a 12 hour shift at a busy hospital, you will be beggin to sit on your a$$ in the RJ. But hey, everyone is different. I thought pilots were lazy though.

 

[capt. megadeth]

pilot's who think they know everything , don't.

Ha ha.....just wait till you get around nurses. They are like Flight Attendants....they know they are not the ones really in charge but like to think and act like they are.


P.S. Re-read schoolio's post #36 on page 3. He is right on.

 

[capt. megadeth]

.

As far as "wiping butts and drool," that is pretty much for the Certified Nursing Assistants.

Well, that's because nurses are too lazy to do it and delegate it to the CNA which is pathetic. It is still a nurse's job. I have wiped more butts than I care to think about.

MalteseX: you are talking about your wife that is in MANAGEMENT! Waaaaay different than a staff nurse.

 

[bell47]

Ha ha.....just wait till you get around nurses. They are like Flight Attendants....they know they are not the ones really in charge but like to think and act like they are.


P.S. Re-read schoolio's post #36 on page 3. He is right on.

Exactly what I mean. If you read his post her pay is $50,000/yr as a nurse his is $0.00 as a pilot. He's getting his ratings and spending money and the hospital where I am gives you $3,000 PER SEMESTER towards school if you will work for them after you graduate. They also pay right at $40,000/ year starting out of school. I will also be able to go just about anywhere I( read that, "I" ) want to, to work. In aviation you can't just pick somewhere that you want to live and go there and get a good job. I perfectly understand that I will NEVER, EVER be rich being a nurse, nor would I if I stayed in aviation, but I am a firm believer that I am getting into a profession that I am very interested in and is light years ahead of aviation in job stability. Oh, by the way MEGADEATH, you should explain why you don't need the ratings because your a "chick". That's what your avatar says anyway! Do you think that you should be given a job just because you're female and a more qualified pilot should be passed by? You should let all the guy's on here know. bell47

 

[AirCobra]

Some Facts About Nursing:
Going to nursing school is not like walking down to the FBO and getting a pilots license. Nursing schools usually have waiting list of one to two years and to get in you need a lot of prequisites like Microbiology and Anatomy which may no be avaliable the semester you apply. Attrition at school and clinicals is about 30%. If you make it through you then have to take the NCLEX which has about a 40% first time pass rate in some programs.

Your first job will be at a nursing home or as a floor nurse at a hospital. Stay too long at a nursing home and your clinical skills will erode to the point it will be hard to get a job at a hospital. Floor nursing on the other hand is when people will usually leave nursing. Due to cutbacks at hospitals patient ratios have gone from 5 to 1 to 8 to 1. You will run your a** off and always be behind. You patient care will be comprised as you try to cut corners to save time and you will be liable if you injure a patient. When they a 12 hour shift it really means a 15 hour shift. The 12 hour thing is time on the floor. You can't take a load of patients cold so you will need to arrive an hour before your shift starts, and you will have no time to chart while you are on the floor so you will have to stay after your shift ends. Spend too much overtime charting and they won't pay you. Screw up giving meds-get sued, Screw up giving bood-get sued, screw up moving a patient-get sued. No one will mentor you, no one has time. Pay is $15.00 to 25.00 per hour. Have fun.

 

[bell47]

Some Facts About Nursing:
Going to nursing school is not like walking down to the FBO and getting a pilots license. Nursing schools usually have waiting list of one to two years and to get in you need a lot of prequisites like Microbiology and Anatomy which may no be avaliable the semester you apply. Attrition at school and clinicals is about 30%. If you make it through you then have to take the NCLEX which has about a 40% first time pass rate in some programs.

Your first job will be at a nursing home or as a floor nurse at a hospital. Stay too long at a nursing home and your clinical skills will erode to the point it will be hard to get a job at a hospital. Floor nursing on the other hand is when people will usually leave nursing. Due to cutbacks at hospitals patient ratios have gone from 5 to 1 to 8 to 1. You will run your a** off and always be behind. You patient care will be comprised as you try to cut corners to save time and you will be liable if you injure a patient. When they a 12 hour shift it really means a 15 hour shift. The 12 hour thing is time on the floor. You can't take a load of patients cold so you will need to arrive an hour before your shift starts, and you will have no time to chart while you are on the floor so you will have to stay after your shift ends. Spend too much overtime charting and they won't pay you. Screw up giving meds-get sued, Screw up giving bood-get sued, screw up moving a patient-get sued. No one will mentor you, no one has time. Pay is $15.00 to 25.00 per hour. Have fun.

Learn to fly, private-CFI at a pilot mill school for $35,000 then spend the next couple of years flying some P.O.S. 172 instructing at the same school for $15 bucks and hour for flying time only, work in the office for free just to be availible for charters to fly some peckerhead on an old worn out Aztec or Baron just for multi time. Hours worked 50-60 flightime paid for 15, grand total $225 for, lets say 50 hours worked = $4.50/hour. Then you build up enough time and go fly for a freight company in a old worn out Navajo for $ 15/hour but YOOHOO you get to fly that piece of crap through ice and t-storms! Now after eating raman noodles and vienna sausage for the last few years you get that RJ job, they only pay you $18,000/yr. but who cares you are a JET PILOT! UH OH there's a layoff looming around. Now your back on the street. Now you have to move 1000 miles to get a job flying a worn out caravan hauling UPS. HAVE FUN! bell47