introducing myself - RN or master's degree??

Hello to all - I'm glad to be here! I am in the educational dilemma of a lifetime and trying to figure out what in the world I'm doing! :-)

I'm 32 years old with a bachelor's degree in English education. From 1997 to 2003 I became certified with ICEA as a childbirth educator and doula, and with DONA as a doula. I loved my work as a CBE and a birth doula! I made the decision at that point to go to nursing school, with the end goal of becoming a midwife.

My dilemma is that I have three beautiful children ages 10, 8, and 6, and a great husband. I do not want to be so taken in by nursing school and all that it entails that I miss the next two years with my family. So I'm here to learn from you guys - the ones who are "in the trenches." For those of you who have finished an ADN program (the only option available within 2 hours of where I live), how was it for you? Was it worse than you thought? How many hours a week would you say you put into it? For those of you with children, was it a huge sacrifice? Did you miss events in their lives because you were too busy with school? Now that you are a nurse, do you like it? Are you glad you put in the time to become a nurse?

My other school option is to pursue a master's degree in health education and stay on the educational, non-clinical side of things. That interests me, too, although I really want to catch those babies :-).

Anyway, that's me in a nutshell! I look forward to learning from you. I an almost through the first semester of A and P and will have an A coming out of the course. Can't wait to be done!

Jennifer D.
finding my way in NC

I made the decision at that point to go to nursing school, with the end goal of becoming a midwife.


My other school option is to pursue a master's degree in health education and stay on the educational, non-clinical side of things. That interests me, too, although I really want to catch those babies :-).