Nursing Vs Engineering, Which One Should I Study? (Must Read)

So you want to be a Nurse or an Engineer, right?

Nursing and engineering careers do attract a large number of students because both of these well-respected professions offer interesting and fulfilling career paths.

Choosing a career is not always simple!

Choosing the right career requires considering your personality, interests, and goals.

Furthermore, when selecting a career, you must consider earning capacity, demand for roles, and pay.

So should you study Nursing or Engineering?

In short, Nursing is seen to be better than Engineering, since it offers more stable employment, a broader range of career options, and higher pay. Nursing has significantly more job opportunities than Engineers, making it much more difficult to obtain or advance in an Engineer role.

That being said, you should consider Nursing if you are wanting to directly improve the lives and comfort of your patients. You should consider Engineering if you enjoy solving everyday challenges through engineering means.

This question’s solution can be found in a person’s interests in one or both of the fields.

Both professions have the potential to lead to a rewarding career; nevertheless, your ability to adapt to the domain you pick is important.

Perhaps the best way to identify and pursue your interests is to understand the differences between the two fields, which will provide you with a more in-depth understanding.

You can then make the best decisions for yourself by considering job prospects, salaries, and, most importantly, your interests.

So let’s talk about Nursing 

Nursing requires a serious commitment, so if you are compassionate and have the desire to serve the weak and sick, this is the career route for you.

Furthermore, you must be willing to work long hours under stressful situations and prioritize the needs of your patients before your own.

Nurses with advanced degrees are in high demand around the world, and they can find work in both the commercial and public sectors fast.

To start your career as a Nurse you start to become a Registered Nurse usually takes one of three education paths: a bachelor’s degree in nursing, an associate’s degree in nursing, or a diploma from an approved nursing program.

Registered nurses must be licensed.

Students seeking to enter Nursing School should be comfortable and have a firm understanding of biology, anatomy, chemistry, math, and pharmacology.

Most students studying Nursing find the workload of studying huge, sacrificing their social life and time normally spent with family.

Many people believe that nursing entails caring for patients.

It is, however, much more than that.

Nurses are increasingly taking on leadership roles in healthcare settings, and they can diagnose, treat, and care for patients without the supervision of others.

Advanced education can also allow you to specialize in critical care nursing, psychiatry nursing, oncology nursing, or cardiothoracic nursing.

Then there’s pediatric nursing

So what are the top benefits of being a Nurse?

• Well paying
• Job security and stability, as there will always be a need for Nurses
• Multiple Career paths and options
• A job that keeps you fit as you are always moving around
• Improve the well-being of people and save their lives
• Flexible work arrangements
• You can work anywhere in the world
• People-focused role (must enjoy interacting with people)
• Well-respected career

So now let’s talk about Engineering

You should consider studying Engineering if you enjoy problem-solving and abstract thinking through the use of mathematics, physics, and other sciences.

Working as an Engineer you will use your knowledge from college every day, thinking and working out everyday problems.

It can be very tiring and at times frustrating to solve complex problems, yet very rewarding.

Engineering is a broad area, where there are many branches or career paths that can be chosen.

Branches such as Computer Engineer, Civil or Chemical Engineering just to name a few

So what are the top benefits of being an Engineer?

• Well-paying career
• Creative thinking
• Intellectually stimulating
• Variety of career options
• You can work anywhere in the world
• You can make an impact on society
• Challenging work
• A job that is always evolving

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Related Articles 

• Is Nursing School Harder than Medical School?
• Nursing: 7 Things You Need to Know (for students)
• What is it like being a Mechanical Engineer? Is it a good job?

What Engineers Do Everyday? (Explained)

There are numerous engineering branches to choose from, such as Mechanical, Civil, Petroleum, etc.

Mechanical engineering for example design, develop, test, and manufacture tools, engines, machines, and other devices.

Whilst Civil Engineering design, build, supervise, and operate infrastructure such as roads, bridges buildings, etc.

Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians typically do the following:

• Evaluate specifications in design drawings before adding or replacing tools
• Prepare layouts and drawings of the assembly process and parts to be made, usually using three-dimensional design software
• Recommend cost-effective changes in equipment design to improve reliability and safety
• Review instructions and blueprints to ensure that project plans follow test specifications and procedures and meet objectives
• Plan, produce, and assemble mechanical parts for products, such as industrial equipment
• Set up and conduct tests of complete units and their components, and record results
• Compare test results with design specifications and with test objectives and recommend changes, if needed, in products or test methods
• Make calculations for business estimates, such as labor costs and equipment lifespan

What Nurses Do Everyday? (Explained)

Registered nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care and educate patients and the public about various health conditions.

Registered nurses typically do the following:

• Assess patients’ conditions
• Record patients’ medical histories and symptoms
• Observe patients and record the observations
• Administer patients’ medicines and treatments
• Set up plans for patients’ care or contribute information to existing plans
• Consult and collaborate with doctors and other healthcare professionals
• Operate and monitor medical equipment
• Help perform diagnostic tests and analyze the results
• Teach patients and their families how to manage illnesses or injuries
• Explain what to do at home after treatment

Which Major Is Harder Nursing or Engineering?

Engineering degrees are more difficult to obtain than nursing degrees because they demand a thorough grasp of sophisticated algebra, chemistry, physics, and technical prerequisites, making them more difficult to obtain.

However, this does not mean Nursing is a walk in the park.

With good high school grades required, entrance exams, and limited spots, it is difficult for many to gain entry into Nursing.

With Nursing, you will need to rely heavily on Anatomy and Physiology, Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Psychology, Sociology, Algebra, and a little Statistics.

Chemistry, Physics, Calculus, Algebra, and Statistics will be heavily used in Engineering school.

Nursing school is difficult to get into, difficult to stay in, and pays less (at first), but there are plenty of jobs.

Engineering is difficult to enter, difficult to maintain, pays more (at first), and has fewer job opportunities, making it even more difficult.

As a result, the level of difficulty will depend on your skills, strengths, and level of interest.

If you want to learn more about the difficulties of engineering and nursing, there are related articles.

• Why Engineering Degree Is Difficult? (Explained)
• Nursing: 7 Things You Need to Know (Explained)
• Architecture Vs Law, Which One Should I Study?

Harder To Be A Nurse Or Engineer? (Explained)

Nurses have to deal with working shift work and dealing with sick patients making, making Nursing physically and emotionally harder than being an Engineer.  

Most nurses will tell you that the most difficult part is when a patient dies despite their best efforts to care for them.

Long hours, night shifts, dealing with cranky doctors, and a lack of respect or prestige from others are also challenges for nurses.

When you have to think of complex problems and create complex solutions in a short amount of time, engineering becomes difficult.

Although there are similarities between being a nurse and being an engineer, they are completely different occupations.

For instance, as a Nurse, you spend time working in teams, with others to help solve patient issues.

Compared to an Engineer you typically spend time working independently on solutions.

Do Engineers Make More Than Nurses? (Explained)

Nurse Practitioners make more than Engineers, with a median pay of $115k per year compared to $90k per year for Engineers.

However, wages will vary on the number of years of experience, type of engineering branch, geographical location, etc.

Job Role	Median Wage / Per Annum
Nurse Practitioner	$115,800
Registered Nurse	$75,330
Civil Engineer	$87,060
Mechanical Engineer	$88,430
Aerospace Engineer	$116,500
Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers	$91,410

According to US Labor Bureau and Statistics, the median annual wage for nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners was $115,800 in May 2019.

The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.

The lowest 10 percent earned less than $82,460, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $184,180.

Median annual wages for nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners in May 2019 were as follows:

Nurse anaesthetists	$174,790
Nurse practitioners	$115,800
Nurse-midwives	$105,030

In May 2019, the median annual wages for nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Hospitals; state, local, and private	$122,420
Outpatient care centers	$118,530
Offices of physicians	$113,190
Offices of other health practitioners	$112,590
Educational services; state, local, and private	$108,790

Related Articles 

• Should I Study Engineering or Medicine? (Solved & Explained)
• Nursing: 7 Things You Need to Know (for students)
• What is it like being a Mechanical Engineer? Is it a good job?

Can I Career Change From Nursing To Engineering?

Yes, you can change your career from Nursing to Engineering, which will require you to gain an Engineering qualification. 

This will mean going back to college either part-time or full-time.

Can I Career Change From Engineering To Nursing?

Yes, you can change your career from Engineering to Nursing, however, to practice as a Nurse you will need to be qualified.  This means going back to college either part-time or full-time. 

According to MedicalNewsToday, there are 2 types of nurses, licensed practical nursing (LPN), or in some states referred to as licensed vocational nursing (LVN), and a registered nurse (RN).

Educational requirements vary for each and depend on the degree to which a nurse plans on accelerating their career.

The education that an LPN/LVN or an RN receive differ, as does their scope of practice.

An LPN/LVN receives a 1-year certificate or degree from a vocational hospital or trade school.

They can perform certain nursing duties, but they are not able to provide the same level of care to patients as an RN.

To obtain a license as an LPN, they must take and pass the National Council Licensure Examination or NCLEX-PN.

An LPN/LVN may continue their education and pursue either an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) through bridge programs.

These can take anywhere from 2 to 4 years, depending on the chosen degree.

Some RNs choose to obtain an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN), a 2-year technical skill-focused program.

There are many ways to enter into a nursing career and become an RN, but the preferred degree to obtain is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).

This is a 4-year college program.

It includes a curriculum based on coursework, lab time, and clinical skill development through a hospital or other medical experience-based program.

To practice as a registered nurse, the National Council Licensure Examination or NCLEX-RN must be taken and passed.

Career Planning 

Are you having trouble deciding on a professional path and what to study?

It’s a difficult decision and one that I’ve struggled with after graduating from high school.

The good news is that there are proven courses that can assist students in making informed career decisions.

Here’s one worth checking out. 

Career Decisions: From Insight to Impact

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What I like about this course is it provides you with the tools to help you understand best practices for making career decisions.

Perfect for people who want to know what to study in college and what job path to choose.

So by the end of the course, you should have a clearer path on what to study and a career path to pursue. 

The course is conducted by Sharon Belden Castonguay who is an adult developmental psychologist by training and a career counselor.

Sharon draws on decades of expertise with research from the domains of psychology, organizational behavior, and sociology.

This course will assist you in developing the skills you’ll need to make the best decisions for you, from deciding on a field of study to researching potential career paths.

Check out the reviews below, they are fantastic 

What Are The Student Reviews Saying?

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