Radiography vs Nursing in Nigeria
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. Radiography in itself is also a very great profession and course to study.
It might not be as prestigious or lucrative as nursing but it also has its own benefits as a profession and major role to also play in the daily occurrences in the hospital and a major deciding factor in doctor’s diagnoses.
Radiography is the art and science of using radiation to produce images of the tissues, organs, bones and vessels that the human body is comprised of. It is an imaging technique using X-rays, gamma rays, or similar ionizing and non ionizing radiation to view the internal form of the body. Radiographers are specialists who are trained to take different clear images of parts of the body using radiation (due to difference is densities of different parts of the body) and special equipments and techniques.
As a Radiographer, your work would be substantially physical but not as physically demanding as Nursing (at least in a private setting with minimal trauma patients) you would go home feeling that you have worked at most. Radiographers deal with substantially less body fluids than nurses, they have relatively brief encounters with patients which is okay if you are not really a social person. Nursing however, provides almost the same job security and availability as Radiography. 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. You must also be willing to work long hours in high-stress settings and put your patients’ needs ahead of your own.
Nursing is also a better option than Radiography if you still wish to migrate from 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 Radiographer.
Radiographers also have opportunities to migrate but there are more opportunities to migrate as a nurse. On average, a Radiographer earns between 100,000 naira to 150,000 naira per month for a start in a federal setting and about 75,000 naira to 110,000 per month in state hospitals and private laboratories while the typical Registered Nurse salary is about 109,500 naira 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. Therefore in terms of who is more lucrative, Nursing takes the crown. And therefore theoretically and a little bit in reality Nursing >>>> Radiography.
At the end of the day, no one person can do it all. Health care is a team effort. From medical laboratory scientists to doctors and all the points in between it takes a team approach. It comes down to what works for you and choosing the finest option(s) for yourself based on your abilities, work prospects, personality, income and most importantly, your interests.
Olayinka Shyllon
This article is the intellectual property of www.nimedhealth.com.ng
