Nursing and medical laboratory science which is better?
NURSING AND MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE, WHICH IS BETTER?
In Nigeria today, Nursing is the fourth most prestigious profession and course to study after Medicine, Law, and Engineering. Nursing is a field of medical science which is focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain or recover optimal health and quality of life. It also involves the collaborative and autonomous care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all settings.
While Medical Laboratory Science along with professions such as Biochemistry and Microbiology are seen as the lesser counterparts of the health sector and as alternatives for students who fail to meet the requirements to study Medicine or Nursing. Medical laboratory science is the use of chemical laboratory tests to detect, diagnose, monitor, and treat diseases.
Blood, tissue, and body fluids can be chemically analyzed and examined for foreign organisms and abnormalities. A Medical laboratory scientist aims to analyze a variety of biological specimens.
For a number of reasons though, I think Nursing is generally better than Medical Laboratory Science. For one, Nursing provides better job security and availability than Medial Laboratory Science. It is much easier to find employment openings and be employed as a Nurse than as a Medical Laboratory Scientist in Nigeria.
As a nurse, you have the opportunity to directly care for patients, to share in their pain and joy, play the vital roles of patient care, education, situation assessment and as support to the whole medical team and the patient. While a Medical Laboratory Scientist also plays a vital role in patient testing and diagnosis, the roles of a nurse supersede that of a Medical Laboratory Scientist.
Nursing is also a better option than Medical Laboratory Science if you still wish to migrate form the country as nurses have the highest amount of job availability and job success rate outside of the country. Your chances of settling down faster, finding a well paying job, and furthering your education are far more as a nurse than as a Medical Laboratory Scientist. Medical Laboratory Scientists also have opportunities to migrate but there are more opportunities to migrate as a nurse.
The typical Registered Nurse salary is about 109,500 naira for a start to about 440,000 naira as an experienced nurse. When factoring in additional pay and benefits a Registered Nurse in Nigeria can expect their pay value to be on an average of 210,000 naira while the average salary of a Medical Laboratory Scientist in Nigeria is about 123,000 naira per month though they may both vary depending on employer, location, the type of institution and experience.
In the end it all boils down to your passion and going for the one you love because according to the dignity of all professions, no profession is more important than the other they all have their roles to play in making sure society functions like a well oiled machine. Nursing and Medical Laboratory Science is no exception, though theoretically Nursing might be superior to Med lab science, in reality its more about doing what’s for you.
If you like to brainstorm, carry out research, and have good analytical skills then in this case Medical Laboratory Science is for you, but if you prefer to be in direct contact with patients and have the passion for providing autonomous and collaborative care for individuals then Nursing is a no brainer.
It is really important to know yourself and what you are interested in, in order to avoid choosing the wrong career or even getting frustrated in school while studying.
Olayinka Shyllon
This article is the intellectual property of www.nimedhealth.com.ng
