Just my dos cintos . . . . . Originally Posted by IL Nurse4now I am only 18 years old and heading off to a private school in the fall that is 70 miles away. I have been working as a CNA (Nurse Tech now) at a very good local hospital for a year. The problem I am faced with is that I am terrified of going away right now. I know it will be a good opportunity and all that but I would rather stay here and attend a community college for 2 years then get my Bachelors in Nursing here at the hospital's college of nursing. If I stayed here, I could continue working PRN as I go through school and would have an easier time getting an RN job in the future. I plan to become a CRNA too someday, and I am looking forward to going away for that, and of course I will be older then so it should not be a problem. I know nobody can tell me what to do, but any advice or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
What is the program like at the school you will be attending? Is it comparable to the one closer to home? Will you begin your nursing classes right away or will you have a year or two of prerequisites first? You must have wanted to go there for some reason. It's scary to go away from home, but most people adjust and wind up enjoying it. The reason I asked about when the nursing classes start was b/c if they start later you would have time to "settle in", so to speak. Actually, seventy miles is not to far to go home if you need to. My hubby interviewed for a job that far away and was going to commute so that I can finish school where I'm at and not have to transfer. You could also work PRN there too. If you do not try it, you may regret a missed opportunity. If you get there and find that you truly want to come home and attend school you can always transfer at the end of the semester or school year. This late in the year it may be too late to get into a nursing program for the fall. Most places, even community college, have their spots filled early. If you wind up deciding to transfer, at least you will have some classes out of the way if nothing else. Good luck!
P.S. It is perfectly normal to be scared to move on at home or away, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it is a bad decision to do so.
Nursing News