Hello my name is Richard and I am currently working for a DME/Respiratory company in central, FL. I am going through some troubles at work and seriously contemplating leaving. Throughout my time at this company I have worked with insurance companies, doctors, nurses, and most importantly the patients, and I love it. I am the epitome of a busy body and this industry seems to have endless work. I don't mind working every day, as long as there is something to do during the time you are there.

With that said, I am considering becoming a nurse so that I can stay in the industry and obviously because of the job security and benefits that come with it. I know that healthcare is the way to go to have stable life...well as stable as stable can be i guess. So I have some questions that I wanted answered and if you all could help me, I'd appreciate it much.

- Community College/State College vs. Technical School? What is better? Do offices/hospitals prefer one over the other? Obviously the price is a major difference but where will I get the bang for my buck?

- How does the career affect social/home life? Obviously nurses work like slaves due to the hours and workload, but is it a hard thing when you are managing a new marriage and hopefully a kid in the next couple-few years? Im sure any job can interfere with a lifestyle, just didn't know if there were certain points you readers could bring to my attention

- Gender, Gender, Gender...I have read soooo much about this gender conflict and its making me wonder; Is it detrimental to your work performance? Does it ruin your enjoyment of your job? or is it all mindless chatter that a person with a "hide" can brush off and keep trucking? or something that happens until you prove yourself once and stops thereafter?

- We all know companies put the "equal opportunity employer" label on everything, but does gender affect your ability to be hired, or move up the ranks?

Thank you readers for the attention to this post!

Richard N.