Considering a new career? If you’re considering a position in medicine or healthcare, both respiratory therapy and nursing offer lucrative options. But which is better?
Factors such as salary, education requirements, job availability, and projected future are all factors. When you’re ready to learn the differences between a respiratory therapist vs nurse associate, so you can decide which is right for you, read on.
Comparing A Respiratory Therapist Vs Nurse Associate
Both professions are respectable. Both fall under the healthcare category. Both deal with patients.
Though you’ll find other similarities, those are the main three. Outside of that, you’ll find the nurse and respiratory therapist collaboration. Their jobs overlap.
Is Respiratory Therapy Harder Than Nursing?
That all depends on your perspective. You can think of nurses like general practitioners and respiratory therapists as specialists.
As a nurse, you may be called upon to remember a broad spectrum of information during a single shift. That may include everything from the proper dosage of pain medication for cancer patients to how to properly apply a cast. The job also typically requires a lot of walking and lifting heavy or awkward objects.
Respiratory therapists, on the other hand, spend less time on their feet. They rarely need to lift patients.
They also focus on a more specific field. Think narrow and deep rather than broad and shallow. Though they might need to recall as many details as a nurse, those details fall into one or two categories rather than dozens.
Can a Respiratory Therapist Become A Nurse Practitioner?
Becoming a registered nurse (RN) requires either a two- or four-year program. What you need is determined by your college education and the state in which you live. After you finish the program, you must take the NCLEX-RN exam.
Becoming a nurse practitioner (NP) requires additional education. You need to hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and complete a master’s or doctoral level nursing program. Finally, you need to take a test for your specific NP field.
- Advanced practice registered nurses
- Certified registered nurse anesthetists
- Certified nurse-midwives
- Clinical nurse specialists
The education for a respiratory therapist is similar to that for an RN. Both nurse and respiratory therapist require a two- or four-year program. If you want to become a nurse practitioner, you can. That’s the simple answer.
The more accurate answer is that it’s complicated. It might take longer than the original RN to NP route. Either way, you’ll need to enroll in a master’s or doctoral level nursing program.
The question is will you need to take additional classes to get into the program? Or will your past classes and work history fulfill the requirements?
What’s Next?
Now that you know the differences between a respiratory therapist vs nurse practitioner, which is right for you? Remember to take into consideration the big factors: salary, education, and availability. Take your time when you decide because it’s an expensive decision.
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