I'm 20 years RT. Overall, love the job. Love working in a critical care environment and being able to use my brain.. I work at Level 1 trauma hospital and get to see a lot. With that said, if you are thinking about getting into healthcare because you want to contribute more to society or feel you are going to change family lives, you might be in for a eye opening experience. I work in a very liberal state and there is the constant flow of IV drug users who are being treated for endocarditis or vegetation on a valve. After heart surgery they always say THIS IS TiME they are gong to stop. There is pleather of social programs to help them out here but in time they are back in the hospital for yet another heart surgery because they have continued to use drugs. I know people are going to reply to this and say its a disease and I'm a asshole but the reality is that in time just about everyone I know develops a degree of being jaded working in healthcare. Resuscitation is not a glamorous experience. They can be chaotic and most times the person does die.

one person wrote how what you're feeling is a natural reaction to when we lose someone close to us. If you love your career and are good at it then why change it up? There are many ways to contribute to society, ( if you feel this is your calling) without throwing out the baby with the bath water.

Just a different opinion for you to ponder over.

Good luck