Wasted LPN

PurifyMe · Dec 13, 2006

I'm really sorry that you are having such a rough time. I can only imagine how you feel. I may not know what your current situation feels like, but I can surely relate to wasted dreams, time, and energy. 6 months from getting my BS, I was diagnosed with cancer, 2 years and a bald head later, I found out that none of my credits would transfer to my home town college. I had to start over, with no drive, and no more ambition to continue, I took some time off, I am just now( a total of 4 years later) finding the COURAGE to finish/restart my education, this time as an LPN. I will bridge to the BSN program, I ouw myself that much.

Not to go on and on, I'll just tell you that your child will probably be your greatest accomplishment to date, if you don't do it for yourself, do it to show your baby that she/he can accomplish ANYTHING, no matter what the stumbling blocks are. When you can, get back out there as an LPN, then get your RN, you'll be glad you did! That's just my opinion.

wefdm21 · Dec 13, 2006

I agree with the previous poster. I feel for both of you. But I just want to say this: I just graduated in Sep 06 and was just hired PRN at a LTC this month (Dec). I was depressed at my graduation and couldn't even celebrate because I just had it fixed in my head that I would already be offered a job before graduation. I also became pregnant with 3rd child while taking my prereqs for LPN school not to mention that I just had my second child 8 months before that! It took me some time too and now I even have an interview this friday at the VA medical center. I'm from Atlanta too, you should try there after you have the baby and you feel that the time is right. You're already licensed and it's never too late. I just graduated 3 months ago and I have already forgotten everything. I figured it would come back once I got on the floor. There are people who didn't start nursing for years after school because they either stayed in their previous feild or were doing other things. I thought that I would never find a job, and things did not turn around for me until I decided to just keep having FAITH in God and no matter what never complain and talk negative about my situation. Good luck with what ever you decide.

tntech1 · Dec 13, 2006

I'm really sorry that you are having such a rough time. I can only imagine how you feel. I may not know what your current situation feels like, but I can surely relate to wasted dreams, time, and energy. 6 months from getting my BS, I was diagnosed with cancer, 2 years and a bald head later, I found out that none of my credits would transfer to my home town college. I had to start over, with no drive, and no more ambition to continue, I took some time off, I am just now( a total of 4 years later) finding the COURAGE to finish/restart my education, this time as an LPN. I will bridge to the BSN program, I ouw myself that much.
Not to go on and on, I'll just tell you that your child will probably be your greatest accomplishment to date, if you don't do it for yourself, do it to show your baby that she/he can accomplish ANYTHING, no matter what the stumbling blocks are. When you can, get back out there as an LPN, then get your RN, you'll be glad you did! That's just my opinion.

MoonieLove, if PurifyMe can over come this hey there is no excuse. It sounds like you have had a rough time but you have your health. Get out there and get started. You can do it. You have your LPN, maybe you can do some of your classes on lines. Once you have your baby take time to care for your baby and recover. Remember this is a blessing. Stop beating yourself up. You will get where you want ;:Melody: just give it some time.

Believe in yourself.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Dec 13, 2006

Maybe there are some refresher courses you can take to remind you of some of the skills you feel you are lacking. But, this is not a waste of a career to me, these are life circumstances that just get in the way. We never know where or how we will obtain our nursing experience and skills. It has only been a year, and maybe during this time, you can revisit your agency and see what else they have to offer. Homecare may be a nice idea while you are pursuing your RN...I mean, in most cases, you would have that one patient to care for, and you can use the rest of the time to study. Keep us posted!

DarciaMoonz, LPN · Dec 13, 2006

I agree with pagandeva. Maybe you can take some refresher courses as she stated. I know a few nurses who were not practicing because they had to take care of young children or had come down with ailments that kept them from practicing. They simply took the refresher courses, and went about there business. We are taught to do things based on priority, and family in my book always come first. Be grateful that you are able to experience being a mom, and that you had the strength and courage to get through school b/c there are many people who don't have even as much as you have now. Good luck to you, and keep pushing forward;)

linzz · Dec 15, 2006

I don't think you have wasted your life at all. The other posters are right, you will get back into it. I too have had to put nursing aside due to family circumstances and demands but I found all these posts to be kind of inspiring. :smilecoffeecup:

MOONIELOVE · Dec 20, 2006

I just wanted to thank you all for the love and support. My pregnancy is a blessing and so is me making it this far in nursing. So I will stay strong and when im well and ready I will get back out there and start back helping people. I just wanted to thank you guys for helping me.

THANKS A BUNCH!

Moonielove

nurseangel47 · Dec 21, 2006

Dear, it's okay! I know and realize that you're feeling very overwhelmed right about now and I remember how those wonderful hormonal shifts during pregnancy can be..it's like an emotional roller coaster, huh? I think you'll do wayyyy better than you're giving yourself credit for here. You have many facets of knowledge that are, whether you remember them now or not, are deeply imbedded in your wonderful grey matter upstairs! It truly IS just like remembering how to ride a bicycle once you start pedaling again! You don't necessarily fall over, you usually regain your balance, pedal away and the rest takes care of itself! I say this with no blind faith. I once was away from nursing longer than my personal level of faith in myself was comfortable with and retook a course of refreshment for RNs just to satisfy myself with my clinical skills. I'd been teaching for quite a while (nonnursing clinicals...to cnas, not lpns nor rns...) and had done other desk type nursing jobs...wanted to reenter the clinical arena as a rn again. It was just what I needed. But you know what? I didn't even need that refresher course. I sailed right thru it with flying colors. I could've done the reentry without it, after all. I just needed that little bit of clinical support from another nursing instructor to give me a little push out of the ol' nest, that's all.

You'll do fine no matter whether you return to work as a nurse after baby's here and settled in and you're ready, or if you decide to return to school and become an RN. You're already doing what is a totally miraculous gift from God above. Mothering. That is a not to be substituted miracle in and of itself. The giving of life. Bringing forth into the world. And loving until we draw our last breath. Children are awesome presents to the world and to us and they should come first, which I'm sure, you realize. You will do fine. Just take it one thing at the time. One battle at a time. First, you're almost due. Great. You've been doing like the doc wants to insure a safe and successful pregnancy/delivery. OK. That's almost here now. How neat! A Christmas baby! Next, after getting home, settling in to some kind of schedule, healing, bonding, enjoying that little bundle of delight, only then should you even worry or wonder about going back to work and in what capacity. So you didn't enjoy correctional nursing? Neither did I. I lasted about six weeks, tops. Wasn't for me. I've had lots and lots of nursing jobs that weren't a good "fit". That's the beauty of nursing. You can find a job in lots of different capacities. Not just hospitals or LTC facilities. So, take heart, head up, anxiety to the side or on the backburner or out the window of your soul altogether. Now, take a deep breath or two. You are about to experience birthing. That in itself is all you need to concentrate on right now. The rest of life after that will work itself out. You'll see. Merry Christmas

lala123 · Dec 23, 2006

Aww, Im sorry your feeling that way! Having a baby is the most wonderful thing that can happen! Although they dont exactly come at the right times. I am going through nursing school, with a 2 and a 3 year old! I also plan to continue for my R.N. I think after you have your baby your going to want to go even further. Refresh over what you have learned, take new classes, talk to students. Plus with job orientation, That would really help!

Good Luck!

sandiLa · Jan 26, 2007

I know how you feel. My in laws helped me with my son, getting him to school when I worked nights, he goes to a private school out in another town and it's hard with the shift I worked to get him to the bus so they would keep him for me on nights I worked. Well my MIL got diagnosed with cancer and they were unable to help me, my son had just started getting involved with sports and I interviewed 3 different people who were used by nurses at the hospital I worked at and they all charged very high rates to watch my son, plus gas money if they had to drive him anywhere. I would have been working and handing them my check since I worked at a state hospital and my wage wasn't all that great. It just wasn't worth it. I tried to go PRN at first but that didn't work out because I didn't realize how involved the sports were going to be over the summer break and I wound up helping to take care of MIL too. I'm no longer employed and tried for awhile to find a job at a Dr.'s office locally so I could do M-F 9-5 which would have worked out great but there are few jobs here like that since we live in a rural area. I just decided that for now I will focus on my son and worry about what I want later. I have to have a job before the 4 yr. mark because of the liscense restriction in our state but by that time I'm hoping my son will have his liscense and can drive himself to some of these sporting events. He's so active now with sports, BoyScouts, church youth activities and friends that all I do is drive, everywhere. I'm not complaining, I feel lucky that I'm able to do this for him and my DH is understanding and we can afford to only have 1 of us working at this time.

People ask me all the time, why are you wasting your education? I answer them by saying, I'm not wasting it, I'll always be a Nurse, but I will always be a Mother, my Son will be grown and gone, I'll always have Nursing. I don't regret the choice I made and I won't let others make me feel guilty because I'm not "gung ho" and jumping in with both feet. Give it time and enjoy your child. The time will come for you too. I look forward to getting my RN degree one day, I know if I'm meant to have it, it will happen. Good luck to you. You have the most important job right now, being a Mother.

jelorde37 · Feb 9, 2007

i quit my job acouple days ago and i feel like i am already losing the skills i possess. i was watching greys anatomy today and the theme was some kind of huge emergency. while i was watching, i was asking myself what i would do if i encountered a patient like the one they were dealing with. honestly, my mind went blank but after acouple moments i remembered my ABCs. ive often heard of the saying "if you dont use it you lose it" in nursing, and i can honestly say that i feel you. im sure everything will work out just fine with you. once you get back to working, im sure it will all come back. on the mean time, while your on bed rest, you should reead your chabners language of medicine book. thats the book im currently reading to keep my skills intact while i go to school full time for lvn to rn.