Former foster kids who are becoming nurses...

[Fawnz]

I notice that a lot of millennial are having a hard time in this economy, and I am no exception. However I feel like I face unique circumstances on top of that because I am a crown ward.

Some of my peers think they understand my disadvantages and try to offer me advice, but it doesn't apply to me at all because I don't rely on my parents at all...and my friends honestly can't see how much their advice depends on their parents.

For example, they might have the option of living with their parents while going to school, thereby getting free room and board, so they don't have to get a job...so they can devote all their time to school and have a higher chance of passing. So if they can say something like "just go to school", but I have to worry about room and board, transportation, and how I'm going to manage working while in school.

There are plenty of other advantages, that I think foster kids are more keen on.I'm just wondering if there are any crown wards out there that are attempting college/nursing. What sorts of difficulty comes your way, and how are you managing?

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Welcome to AN! The largest online nursing community!

I think what we have here is a failure to communicate.....many of our members are in the US and forget that AN serves and international community.

OP....it is difficult to understand what you are going through....You have been dealt a rotten deal. Instead of "Why me" say "why not me?". The point is...now what you do with your adversity and how you rise above it will define you and your future. Unfortunately, when you post questions on the internet you may not always get there answer nor the suggestions you are looking for....nor ones that you want to hear.

There are many homeless and parentless children/children in the world today. It's sad fact of our environment. Unfortunately you need a license for everything except.....being a parent.

I think the membership didn't see that you are a "crown ward" meaning you are in Great Britain.....or Canada. Here in the US there are resources for under privileged children in foster care to obtain their education.

I think your post might be better served in the Nursing in England forum.....thread moved.

If you are from Canada....I can move it there as well.

[babyNP., APRN]

For financial advice, file your FAFSA. You will more than likely qualify for both grants and loans. Since you were a previous ward, there are probably even special scholarships aimed at your demographic. You can work part time. You can get a room mate, or two, or three, or whatever.

I just wanted to point out that there is no such thing called the FAFSA in the UK and that the UK does not have the kind of scholarship mindset that the USA does; my English DH laughed at me when I asked why he didn't apply for more scholarships while in school.

OP, doesn't the NHS still help you out if you're in nursing school? I think it's called the NHS Bursary. I'm not a foster kid, so I won't ever know your struggles. I wish you the best.

FWIW, I've worked with a few agencies in the US with some foster kids doing volunteer stuff. It's a hard life and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Everyone has hardships, but you were born with yours with no one to lean on and that's very hard.

[shotcaller28]

If you keep your mind closed to everyone that is not a foster kid then you won't get much advice. The world is bigger than that.

I didn't imply believing it will happen will make it happen. I said you have to believe that you are worth it and it will happen. Why will it happen? Because you make choices to make it happen. Why? Because you are worth it.

The UK may not be like the US scholarship wise but I will not believe every nurse educated in the UK paid for nursing school out of pocket the entire time. There has to be financial aid out there somewhere. Look for it.

You could submit essays. Use your situation to your advantage. Show people you deserve the scholarship money.

I will not continue to beat a dead horse but I will stand by my financial advice and time management advice.

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

I just wanted to point out that there is no such thing called the FAFSA in the UK and that the UK does not have the kind of scholarship mindset that the USA does; my English DH laughed at me when I asked why he didn't apply for more scholarships while in school.

OP, doesn't the NHS still help you out if you're in nursing school? I think it's called the NHS Bursary. I'm not a foster kid, so I won't ever know your struggles. I wish you the best.

FWIW, I've worked with a few agencies in the US with some foster kids doing volunteer stuff. It's a hard life and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Everyone has hardships, but you were born with yours with no one to lean on and that's very hard.

Student nurses in the UK receive a bursary to support their education and there are no university fees to pay

There may also be support from organisations such ad the Florence nightingale scholarship, Google nursing scholarships UK and you'll find there are some organisations that do offer assistance to disadvantaged students, there are also services the universities to offer some support

Many student nurses join the nurse bank in their local hospitals and work to support their studies, it's worth investigating this avenue as well

[GypsyNinja]

I'm surprised by many of the comments here. I believe you do have to be a foster kid or crown ward to understand where the OP is coming from. No, you do not have to be the OP to understand the financial hardships, family separation, dysfunction etc. The impression that I got was that she was trying to reach out to others who may be in her situation, since she clearly explained from the beginning that she is not feeling understood by her friends who DID grow up w/their parents and do not have the same kinds of difficulties that she may have. In no way, do I see where she had a closed mind or conveyed any sense of "why me?". In my opinion, it seems like a lot of the posters on here were the ones with closed minds because they were not willing to question whether or not her circumstances were different because she was a crown ward, but instead, they automatically jumped to conclusions that it was absolutely not any different from her situation. Instead of replying about how your life in nursing school was also hard and why she should just tough it out, pull herself up by her bootstraps (which I think is clear that she already has, getting into nursing school is not trivial), maybe we should offer empathy and try to understand where she is coming from. Sometimes all we need is a person who is willing to listen. This should be a safe place for people to communicate with each other and feel validated. Not belittled. I appreciate every commenter on here has had difficulties but this isn't about who has had it worse and what the OP is doing wrong. Everyone here has the opportunity to post their own topics about what they went through if need be.

[GypsyNinja]

It actually does make the hardships worse. I am a foster kid and can tell you this from experience. Living out of state does not automatically mean that you have no family support. Support is not just financial. Support comes in many different forms, like emotional support for example. True, it is a normal adult thing to do, to live on your own. But do you have any idea what that is like when you have no familial ties? To say something like "you can do this, think positive" is well-intentioned. But I think it is also a bit insensitive to say that when you may have no idea how hard it is to do so under the circumstances that the OP is facing. Just as I can't claim to know what it is like to be a nursing student while being a single parent, I'm not sure how you can claim to know that her situation of being a crown ward while being a nursing student is no different when you may have never had to face these circumstances.

[GypsyNinja]

I didn't see where the OP was making excuses. It looked like she was asking for some advice from people who have or are in the same sort of situation. I think what the OP was responding to was the fact that a lot of the comments were directed at their own hardships and how her life is no different from theirs. Which seems uncalled for because I don't see the need to be insensitive about it. Please point out where she implied that she should get special treatment for being a foster kid. I'm confused by what you mean when you say you have "played the adoption card". It almost sounds like you tried to use that to your advantage or that you are implying that the OP is trying to get sympathy for her situation. Being adopted is not the same thing as being a crown ward or foster kid. Being condescending won't get your point across.