Personal Narrative: A Career As A Speech-Language Pathologist

Everyone as a child has dreamed of being something when they grow up. Some wished to be firefighters or the president but I dreamed of becoming a nurse. Although as I grew up new careers and opportunities became apparent to me, one being a speech-language pathologist. My childhood dream of becoming a nurse though, is still very relevant. While registered nurses and speech-language pathologists are both in the medical field, they deal with and perform completely different tasks, and have various college requirements. Continuing my education into college has always been the plan for me. Both careers I’m looking into require a college education, but the lengths vary. A speech-language pathologist must have a four-year degree, but becoming
a registered nurse would allow me the option of either a 2-year college degree, or a four-year degree depending on the level at which I wish to work at. This plays a large part in my decision. Depending on which career I pursue will affect my college decision, and the amount of student debt I will have. With nursing I have to option of simply having a two-year degree, therefore saving a great deal of money, but choosing speech-language pathology would limit my options strictly to a four-year school. Although the lengths for education and training may be different, they have very similar earnings. While money is not everything, it should play some part in choosing a career. Luckily both careers I am looking into have earnings very much alike. It is estimated that a speech-language pathologist makes somewhere between 44k-100k, and nurses range from 45k-95k. Both these careers would allow me be well-off, and not have to worry about making ends meet. Although a nurse and a speech-language pathologist earn roughly the same amount, they perform completely different tasks on a daily basis. The basic work day routines for both these jobs vary.
A nurse would take care of the basic patient care in hospitals, or doctor’s offices. This would include, giving medicines, dressing wounds, checking vitals, and helping doctors during medical procedures on patients of any age. Nurses work with a wide array of sophisticated machinery, so it is necessary to know exactly how everything works to prevent accidents. On the other hand a speech-language pathologist would diagnose problems, and provide treatment programs for patients. A speech-language pathologist works with anyone from a child with a stutter to an elderly person who had suffered from a stroke. They teach their patients how to make sounds, improve their voice, and increase speaking skills. A speech-language pathologist uses books, pictures, toys, and simple computer systems as part of the patients treatment when necessary. These careers would also have a need for speaking skills on the job. A speech-language pathologist obviously needs to be able to speak well to inform her patients of their diagnoses, and while teaching. A nurse needs speaking skills in order to keep the patient's updated, and aware of what is happening, and of future treatment options. Along with both needing speaking skills, they also need to be extremely organized. Keeping track of patient's records can get very messy and unorganized if you don’t stay on top of things, having unorganized papers is the least of your worries in both
careers. I feel that once my high school education is over I will be able to have the basic speaking skills and organizational skills needed for these careers. The research I have done has opened my mind to all the possibilities for careers I could look into. I now know that whatever I do, I hope to improve the quality of life for others. A speech-language pathologist and nursing would be two very important jobs that would help to improve the life of someone in need.