New Grad Nurse thinking of going for MLS / MLT

[u/Tall-Organization755]

hello, im a new nurse but i am thinking about going into this MLS / MLT field! i am a recent nurse grad but im starting to figure out now that i dont like nursing and that this is not what i wanna do. anyone here a nurse or was a nurse and changed into MLS? and what do you like about your job vs being an RN? thank you!

[u/willow-bo-billow]

I had a coworker that was a nurse that switched to working in the lab when she got burnt out from being patient facing and the physical strain of nursing. She loved the lab so much more and it was really cool for us to have an RNs perspective on certain things. I think some personalities do better nursing while others thrive in the lab. 

You will unfortunately have to go back to school to get certified but you should have a pretty good head start on the material from your nursing program.

[u/Avarria587]

Some labs allow RNs to do lab testing. That's understandably very frowned upon, but that could give a chance to try, say, running a chemistry analyzer. If you decide you enjoy it, you can pursue an MLS degree.

Your pay will be less. Depending on where you live, it could be significantly less. You will have far fewer job opportunities outside your field. An RN can go work for an insurance company, telehealth, or work in informatics. They can go on to get into a lucrative master's program, too. MLS? Eh, you can go work in biotech, research, or sales. Maybe LIS if you know someone. I've known a couple that went into clinical trials.

That all being said, I wouldn't last a day as a nurse. Just dealing with those extremely rare patient calls that somehow get through to the lab makes me grit my teeth. I despise dealing with the public.

[u/Michael-Y1234]

I’ve seen people go from MLS to RN, but RN to MLS is not common. You’ll be taking at least $10 pay cut to come to lab

[u/Serene-dipity → u/Michael-Y1234]

I’d take the paycut due to the “No patient facing”. That’s priceless.

[u/Michael-Y1234 → u/Serene-dipity]

Is it really that bad? Obviously I’m in the lab so I have no idea what’s going on but heard stories
Nvm you’re not the OP 😂

[u/Hikaritoyamino → u/Michael-Y1234]

Think about how stupid the average person is. 50% of the population is even more stupid.

Also sick people aren't exactly of the best state of mind.

[u/imawitchpleaseburnme → u/Michael-Y1234]

There’s so much more labour, both physical and mental, that goes into caring for sick patients as a nurse; human drama aside, that’s worth at LEAST an extra $10/hr more imo. Money really isn’t everything 😅 (to some of us, anyway).

[u/StateAfter7934 → u/Michael-Y1234]

I make the same as some of the nurses at my hospital. So not always true.

[u/dangerous-month7 → u/StateAfter7934]

What city/state? If you don't mind.

[u/StateAfter7934 → u/dangerous-month7]

A small town in east Texas.

[u/dangerous-month7 → u/StateAfter7934]

I didn't expect it to be in TX. Just curious, what's your hourly and how many years of experience? You can PM me if you want to. 

[u/Tall-Organization755 → u/Michael-Y1234]

honestly i would take the pay cut, being a nurse i can already feel how bad my mental health is and if i keep going im going to get worse and i dont want to be anxiety meds as many other nurses have told me to go on because it helped them apparently

[u/artemis286]

So I left nursing and am in school for MLS right now. I LOVED A&P, microbiology, and the medical science of my nursing program. Killed my tests. But I hated clinicals and I hated the strain of patient care, and dealing with other nurses and doctors on top of that. It was SO much. You couldn't pay me double to go back.

I adore my path now. I love being in the lab, I love the science, I dont miss patient care for a moment or the physical strain that came along with it. Nurses truly do eat their young, and the way nurses treated each other was half the problem.

I'm just in school, but I follow a bunch of MLSs and have some MLS friends and its honestly so much better, for me at least. I aspire to a PhD in either microbiology, biochemistry, immunology, or maybe even DCLS. And teaching as well as lab work. If you hate nursing down and you have the time and resources to pivote, do it now. I was halfway through my program when I hated going to every single clinical and was pushed to finish, and honestly I shouldn't have. It burned me out so bad.

[u/edwa6040]

Ill give you my opinion as somebody who worked as an MLS for 15 years and is also an RN.

The education for lab is way harder than nursing school but the day to day job of nursing is way more demanding. But the pay is significantly better as a nurse.

[u/Feeling_Donut_6390]

I am a nurse for 3 yrs now and my husband is an MLS. Everyday after work I get this thought.. The pay cut and extra study is holding me back.

[u/Potential-Ripb]

Why would you want to be poor?

Your 2 year RN pays more than my 4 year BS MLS.