[nurswannabe]

I just want to introduce myself. I am just starting my nursing education and am overwhelmed at all the eee classes I have to take... chemistry, anatomy and physiology! Yikes! I have owned a daycare for almost 9 years and think that nursing is a perfect choice for me. I have taken all the career and personality tests I can find, and they tell me to be a doctor, entrepeneur(SP?), psychologist, teacher and etc. (I have been the one I can't spell, and I didn't get rich. I thought entrepeneur meant rich!) LOL! Anyway, I decided that an advanced degree nurse will be almost like being a doctor without all the school since I am on the down-slope side of thirty. It seems a lot like childcare, only with all ages, and I can make a lot of $$$! I never made more than 30,000 a year in daycare so money is an issue. (I just read all the posts about nurses who do it as a "calling" as opposed to money. Don't bother posting to rip me apart for the money preoccupation because I thought a lot of what was said was a bunch of bull----.) Seriously, I am very excited to get on with it and start school! I loved the little college I attended in the past. I have a few psychology and GE classes out of the way. I took a few child dev. and teaching classes at JC. I am a little intimidated by the 18 units of classes on my fall schedule, but I can do it. I have two great kids who are old enough to help out around the house and I won't be working at all. F/T student. I can sure use some friendly works of encouragement from all of you!

Thanks for reading, Tera

[Mister Chris]

Hello, Some encouraging words. Great choice to be a nurse, though some would not agree. I have found nursing very satisfying and at the same time, frustrating, scarry, exciting, always interesting and inspiring. Personally I found out that now - looking back it grows on you, and becomes a 'way of life'. A way of life that I would not now want to change - even though during my training (Hospital based not Uni.) I nearly quit many times. I have made many new friends that have stuck through thick and thin with me, shared my ups and downs and I have found that I have helped others by reciprical support. I still enjoy the daily and sometimes nightly task of caring as a nurse. Yes it is sometimes hard and emotionally draining, but the rewards far out-weigh the down side. I have been very fortunate (and priviledged) to be a nurse now (after 35 years). Working through many specialities from psychiatry, mental and physically handicapped, paediatrics, A&E and ICU (very scary!), surgery and medical wards, community and now nearer my own age group - geriatrics! Yes I love it, and if I had my time over again I think I would do nursing, without any hesitation. Go for it! If you can stand the training and all the 'stuff' getting into a nursing position, moving positions until you find your speciality or calling, I know you will become a great nurse. You sound like a great Mum - you already qualify in several nursing subjects!
Good luck.

[nurswannabe]

Thank you Mister Chris for the thoughtul and inspiring words. I reread my own post prior to reading yours and wondered if I sounded a bit naive yesterday when I wrote it. Although, you have made me realize I do bring some valuable experience to nursing from my years of childcare and mothering. You have renewed my faith in my choice of careers!

I have spent all morning and afternoon, off and on, reading the forum about the grossest things that nurses have dealt with in their careers. Some of them are pretty hard to believe and down right nasty! Utlimately, not one of those stories has scared me off. I have dealt with almost all the bodily fluids and some personalities mentioned in the gory formentioned posts. Importantly, I have learned to watch where I stand and keep my mouth shut for fear of what may fly at me! I was telling my dh earlier that nursing hours will be cake after doing daycare for up to 70+ hours a week. School will be a breeze of fresh air even for the difficulty of the courses next to dealing with 4 fighting preschoolers and 4 argumentative preteens every day! Don't get me wrong, I love my kids and my borrowed kids. I will miss them, but hanging out with all adults and taking time for myself to learn again sounds like heaven! Nursing just doesn't intimidate me...I can't wait to start! Thank you again, and one day I hope to be an almost geriatric nurse giving soothing words to a newbie like me!

[CHATSDALE]

take it one day at a time and you will find that the time will slip away and you will learn a lot more than you think college after a certain age is a lot easier than you think maybe you learn to put everything in its own place studying and family and a million other things that will come up

don't apoliagize for being interested in money.....money is the gold stars our teachers use to give us for a job well done...only i like the color green better than (the image) of gold