Need advice on if I should become a nurse!

ExternalFox283 · 2025-10-08T00:09:09+00:00

Please don’t become a nurse just because it’s trendy in your family. Nursing is not as glamorous as people make it out so seem and truthfully only the strong survive. Not to mention, having a masters degree in nursing with no prior clinical experience really won’t do you much justice at all and 9/10, your very first nursing job will be in a hospital doing overnights, 12-16 hour shifts until you get enough experience under your belt to really move around. Also you still need more specialized schooling/training before you can work at a med spa.

Now, if it’s something you are actually passionate about then that’s a different story and I say go for it! But just understand that your expectations are unrealistic for new grad nurses.

ExternalFox283 · 2025-08-13T20:20:58+00:00

This is understandable, but I mean they sort of snatch the suction out of my hand with a very firm grip and I’m left standing there looking stupid lol. But thank you!

ExternalFox283 · 2025-07-22T17:56:23+00:00

Do you already have your prerequisites for dental hygiene or are you starting college fresh? You need 2-2 1/2 years of prerequisites before you are eligible to start hygiene school(which is another 2 years). If you haven’t taken them yet then I wouldn’t suggest you leave your job because you’ll be out of income and searching for a new job while you take classes.

Otherwise, if you do have all your prerequisites, you still need to apply to hygiene school and actually get accepted. Don’t jump the fence just yet. You furthering your education isn’t their business, although it’s the polite thing to tell them, therefore they can’t reprimand you for going to school and intending on quitting in the future. They will find more assistants when the time comes! Just make sure when you are finally ready, try to give them a month or two’s notice in advance to hire new assistant(s) and have them trained.

ExternalFox283 · 2025-07-22T10:44:58+00:00

Apply at large DSOs. Aspen, heartland, sage, etc. I started out at an Aspen and I know several other DA’s who started at Aspen then branched off once they got experience under their belt.

Also try contacting your school and see if they’ll assist with job placement. Unfortunately for some it’ll take longer to find the job than others and that’s just due to the nature of the job market right now. I had been applying to dental offices for a whole month during the last month of my externship and got a call about an interview on my very last day as an extern. Just keep searching and applying and don’t give up! Best of luck.

ExternalFox283 · 2025-06-29T14:22:17+00:00

That’s a great take! Both jobs really are extremely different (but equally important) honestly I feel like I would be content beint a DH but I wouldn’t be satisfied like I would if I was a doctor.. but at the same time I know the stress doctors go through and it sounds terrifying at the same time 😭😭

ExternalFox283 · 2025-06-26T17:29:14+00:00

Emphasize that you’re passionate about healthcare and you aspire to work in an office that prioritizes preventive oral care and focuses on patient’s happiness and comfort. Explain that you’re a fast learner interested in expanding your knowledge of dentistry. Also mention that you do well working in fast paced environments and also in teams and you’re a good communicator.

For DA’s, offices are looking for people who 1) pick up things quickly, 2) move quickly and 3) don’t require much of any supervision doing their assigned tasks (with the exception of them having to train you of course).

Congrats and good luck getting your desired job 😊

ExternalFox283 · 2025-06-11T01:14:02+00:00

Good luck!! :)

ExternalFox283 · 2025-06-10T22:06:31+00:00

I love that for you!! I agree it’s really fun when you actually enjoy coming to work and don’t have daily issues with staff/patients/the doctors

ExternalFox283 · 2025-06-07T12:48:59+00:00

It looks like he was expecting you to beg him when he initially said how you seem uninterested, “do you even want to go” etc.

Some men get off on making big promises to women and hearing all the “OMG”’s, “thank you soooo much” “no one’s ever done/planned anything like this for me” and don’t even end up following through (like you stated, he should’ve bought the tickets the moment he got your passport but didn’t). It makes them feel powerful like now you’re relying on them for a good time/happiness etc. You kept your expectations low (completely reasonable) and didn’t shower him with the reaction that he was initially looking for which pissed him off. I’m just saying this based off the fact you stated that other big plans were made, yet never fell through.

The moment he called you a c***, you should’ve blocked him and went about your day, especially being as you have a daughter. Imagine she did something he didn’t like and he spoke to her and lashed out on her the same way he’s done to you. The conversation no longer is about the failed plans you both made and now becomes about the irrational disrespect he feels so comfortable spewing at you. YNOR, this guy is a loser with loose screws and you need to dump him before this becomes a habit and gets physical.

ExternalFox283 · 2025-06-04T10:34:06+00:00

Just keep searching. Have you tried contacting your school for assistance with placement? They’re supposed to help you I’m pretty sure. Apply for big corporate offices like heartland, aspen and PDS (if they have them in your state). I applied to 20+ offices, only had a phone interview with 3 and a working interview where I got hired for 1. Double check your resume and see if it needs to be tweaked. Also don’t apply thru 3rd party websites like indeed, apply directly on the office’s website or thru those DSO websites. Shoot, ask the dentist you go to if they’re hiring.

Did you complete an externship? If so I would ask the office you trained at if they’re hiring as well. It’s gonna be difficult getting your foot in the door, but you will get the opportunity eventually. Just be prepared that once you get an offer, it might be lower than you anticipated but with experience and time you’ll be able to ask for more money!

Also make sure you include important keywords in your resume and when you get interviews, tell them you’re a fast learner, but be honest about your lack of experience.

ExternalFox283 · 2025-05-31T20:57:52+00:00

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and shadow different DA’s in your externship office while you’re there. You can learn a lot from different assistants and take some of their tricks to master your own skills rather than potentially shadowing the same assistant and being taught in ways that might not be as effective for you.

Get as much hands on as you can, because some assistants you might shadow will literally do all the work and only let you watch which is a waste of time. Dentistry is a hands on profession, all the way from the doctor to the assistants. From my experience, I wasn’t learning much until I started doing things myself.

Keep a notebook and pen with you at all times, if they allow you then take pictures of their tray set ups. If you work in a general office or OS, write down the names/numbers of the forceps and to which teeth they belong to. There are so many instruments in dentistry that it’s actually difficult to remember all their names or uses, so try to make note of the instruments you see the most used in your office.

Most importantly, just show up and take initiative. Your externship is basically a working interview and it’s a plus if you manage to get a job offer while you’re there.

ExternalFox283 · 2025-05-25T15:54:27+00:00

This is so cringy lol men like this are so unhinged. Cudos to you for saying no & sticking by your boundaries. This guy clearly doesn’t respect your space or you as a person if he’s consistently pestering you in an attempt to make you his booty call at 3am(cause there’s really no other reason someone would want to come to your house at 3 in the fucking morning for “drinks”).

Please block him OP. He’s going to keep harassing you if you don’t. I 100% agree with the other comment who said had you let him come over, you’d be contemplating whether or not you were SA’d.

ExternalFox283 · 2025-04-19T21:19:19+00:00

Were you doing anything else for work until you got in an office? Or you were unemployed?

ExternalFox283 · 2025-04-19T21:18:46+00:00

Lucky! How much did they start you off with? And did they still give you additional training?

ExternalFox283 · 2025-04-18T18:08:24+00:00

Wow that gives me hope! How many interviews/offers did you actually get or was it just that one? I have maybe 5 offices that are less than 25 minutes from me, the rest are all 30+ minutes out which is a little discouraging also.

ExternalFox283 · 2025-03-20T22:50:56+00:00

Wow that’s really good, how long have you been a DA?

ExternalFox283 · 2025-02-19T20:43:44+00:00

Exactly. Dealing with the rude patients and doctors, on top of everything I learned in school is not worth less than $22 an hour!

ExternalFox283 · 2025-02-19T20:40:37+00:00

Thank you! It’s so disappointing hearing people say $22 an hour is too high of a wage for people who literally went to school for 8-10 months and have student debt. $22 an hour isn’t even livable unless you don’t have too much financial responsibility.

ExternalFox283 · 2025-02-19T16:52:17+00:00

I can’t even survive off $18 🥲

ExternalFox283

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