Good career for autism

I considered working as a nurse when I was young, and I think it would be interesting.

However, I've worked in various hospitals as a medical secretary + administrator and I've been an inpatient a few times.

I've also spent a lot of time in hospitals visiting people.

The nurses work incredibly hard, are pulled from pillar to post and there is a massive amount of multi-tasking.

There are demands of varying kinds all day long, lots of noise, smells and bright lights and, from what I have observed, few opportunities to take a break when required.

I'm not sure it's an ideal environment for an autistic person but that will depend on your particular sensitivities and ability to cope with a changeable etc environment/demands.

However, nurses can work in quieter places such as GP practices etc so there may be more suitable placements.

There are some other suggestions on this thread that appealed to me more as they would be quieter.

Hopefully you might come back and let us know what you decide to do.

Good luck!

Some dark humour….funny!

The patients can be quite cold but you soon get used to it... 

Hello. If you can do this then I think it's a great idea. The NHS needs ASD workers, it can only help and it would be a highly rewarding experience I would think. My mum is an RN and she loves her work, really loves it. There's a lot of jobs you could train in to within the NHS, you can look up what positions are available to see which might best suit you and your strengths. Good luck with this, I hope it works out for you.

Autonomistic said:

I believe the patients in a mortuary tend to be quieter

Much less chit chat from the patients I would hope...

Autonomistic said:

he world needs more autistic health care workers.

Ditto!

The assassins Guild has vacancies for people with your skill set. 

I'm told it can be a very lucrative business to get into, if you pass/ and survive the entrance examination. 

Working in a pathology lab might be another possibility. It has the human health/biology content, but is a much calmer environment than the average hospital ward, and it is not public-facing, which many autists find challenging.

Go for it! Both are rewarding careers and it would be good to have more autism in the healthcare profession. I worked in a funeral home for a couple of months, by far one of the best jobs I've ever had. 

Go for it. The world needs more autistic health care workers.

One caveat is that if you are noise sensitive then hospitals might not be the best environment to work in. There is so much noise and activity all the time, plus all kinds of machines bleeping and buzzers etc. I believe the patients in a mortuary tend to be quieter 

I think both would be great careers :) 

I think a nurse would be best and the NHS definitely needs more autistic trained healthcare staff.

Last time I was in hospital and had a meltdown the nurse rolled her eyes at me. It would be nice to have nurses who are autistic that would make my own anxiety a lot less then too.

Good luck with whatever you decide on ^^

I think it would be helpful to either of those professions to have another person who understands the way autistic people think, and how we process pain (both physical and emotional). If you're not at all squeamish then I say go for it!

Well, it would help me the medical phobe to be encountering more nurses who are themselves autistic. Please be a nurse, lol

I would encourage you to try and get an internship in both fields (or shadowing) so that you can experience things yourself. Also I think it’s important to remember that most jobs can be autism friendly in the right environment - so it’s not just the job itself but the people you work with, the management, support etc. 

Maybe turn your autism into a qualication and get a qualification that enables you to work with / support other people with autism. Similar to some nursing but more specialised.

Destiny said:

One of my special interests is in human health so I'm thinking about becoming a nurse or another of my interests relating to mortuary science so I'm thinking I could study and become a mortuary assistant

I expect this will require a level of medical training and a very strong stomach - have you both of these?

There are some decent guides online:

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/how-to-become-morgue-attendant

One possible challange for autists may be dealing with people coming to identify the deceased. Emotions can be strong and unpredictable.