Pre Nursing with Kids along for the ride??

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

Published

Anyone else doing their pre nursing courses when taking care of your kids too?? How do you manage your time?? What do you do with your kids during school??

I have 3 children ages 7,16 1nd 19 !!

Believe it or not the TEENAGERS are more of a problem !!! they say they understand but they seem to always need something that stops me from studying.

Its always silly things...Mom I need a ride, Mom I need a book for school, Mom my Sax broke can you take it to get fixed, Mom do we have SO AND SO in the cabinet ? Oh By the way Mom, whats his name is coming to dinner,

I cant be there to watch the little one cause I have this and that going on, Hey MOM, Is now a good time for you to take me practicing my driving ? I need this trip form filled out, I need $ for that trip and this trip, Oh Im sorry, is my music too loud and you cant study ? Well im not sure when Ill be home, geez Im 19 !!!!!!!! :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire

And on and on and on and on....I know its normal kid stuff, but it is ALWAYS when I am studying, and when I say NO, then I get attitude and then I get mad because of the attitude, so even though they may stop, Im flustered cause of the last ten minutes and cant return to concentrating on studying..

It hard cause they are GREAT kids, great grades, college or college bound, good friends that want to hang here and not the streets thank god, No drugs, No drinking...they are wonderful kids....just not very supportive it seems..

I havent really found anything but going to the Library to work for me, but then I have to leave the smallest one with them, and you can guess where that goes !!!!

Wow...I feel better after that VENT....Thanks

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Sorry ha ha ha to the OP before I went off on my rant, you had a question,

If I only had the 7 year old, or if he was younger, I would study throught the day when he was playing, kinda like

15-20 minute power studies ( trying to nail down say 1 concept)...then I would have a strict bedtime and would study after he was in bed for 2-3 hours. All that combined can actually give you 4 + hours of studying a day...

Good Luck

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Goal: MSN in Women's Health/Family Pract.
Sorry ha ha ha to the OP before I went off on my rant, you had a question,

If I only had the 7 year old, or if he was younger, I would study throught the day when he was playing, kinda like

15-20 minute power studies ( trying to nail down say 1 concept)...then I would have a strict bedtime and would study after he was in bed for 2-3 hours. All that combined can actually give you 4 + hours of studying a day...

Good Luck

Two more things - I was reading the nursing students forum since that's where I'm heading soon (all pre-reqs done ) . They have some similar threads of being nursing student while pregnant - as I've mentioned, I'd like one more to keep the baby company and need to hurry due to my age, this means I'll be a pregnant nursing student if it doesn't happen soon. Apparently it's been done quite a bit without a problem. Even if I manage to deliver prior to starting clinicals, I'd still have a newborn. My other children are 1 and 16. I figure and hope that the 16 year old can help out (better use this while I can) and of course hubby.... somehow, it will work. But, before I get too much attitude from the teen, I'm trying to get the help. It will help things out a lot once she gets a driver's license, of course to be replaced with the stress of "where is she?" but that's another story. :D

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My children are 10,9,5, and 3. My husband is a great help but he is deployed frequently. My family is all 2K+ miles away. All I can say is that where there is a will, there is ALWAYS a way. I refuse to use daycare, it is a 4-letter word in my house. Prerequisites can be done online and once it is time to be in a program and I will have clinicals then my youngest will be in school.

I have just completed another 2-year program and we got through it as a family. Keep a tight schedule and make the time you spend with them really good quality time.

Trust me, if I can do it, I know you can too!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I also have a very supportive significant other, he works at night though, so alot of the running around falls on my shoulders.

Happymom, I also did alot of my pre reques online, but some have to be taken at school, and usually the older ones will watch the little one.

I thought that when i start clinicals in the Fall it would all fall into place, Ill have 1 in College ( Away) 1 in High School and one in 2nd grade, I thought it would all work out.

BUT...2 days a week my Cliniclas start at 8 AM, and my 2nd graders school doesnt start till 8:30 am, also cliniclas are over at 2:30, and it is 45 minutes away. School is out at 3:10 pm, so assumming I got out right at 2:30 and there was no traffic I would still be 5 minutes late for after school pick up, and I cant assume I will always be out of clinicals on time.

I also dont like day care, but with the clinicals hours Im not sure how else to handle it but before and after school day care...so I also thought that since I would have all kids in school it would just work out, but it didnt and now Im working on a diffrent plan so I am never later for cliniclas and also never late picking up my child....

your right, when there is a will there is a way.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I have selected a college that is at least 20 more minute of driving than my initial choice because this school offers everything online and is accredited and well established. I hope that I am making the right choice. When I say "everything," of course I mean the prerequisites. :lol2: I have taken anatomy and advanced anatomy up to 300 level in my pre-mommy years, but I plan to take it again at this school. I am very eager to see how they are going to handle an anatomy lab online. It hardly seems fair that online anatomy students get to miss out on the smell.

As the time gets closer, and assuming I am actually accepted, I will defiantly have to have a plan for potential before/after school care for the children. Fortunately, being military has the occasional perk and the base child development center is one of them (imo at least). I have managed to never use it, but I will be registering for it now so that it is available for drop-in care for my 3-year-old daughter if necessary. I would like to live in la-la land and think that I will always be able to take tests at the testing center when my husband is home, but it would be more wise to prepare for reality. My bet is that every single test is scheduled for when he is out of town! :uhoh3: That is how it always is, as soon as he deploys or heads out for training the washer breaks, the tires all go flat, and we all get a delightful mystery illness that no medication known to man will treat! :bugeyes:

LeesG, does it seem to be worth it to you? Are you enjoying your clinicals? At this point, and having yet to see a paycheck, do you have any regrets? Have your children adjusted to your new status as a student nurse pretty well? On a side not, what a great example you are setting for your kids! :redbeathe Good for you!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I havent started Clinicals yet, that will come August 24th. Right now I am finishing my Microbiology pre req at the CC and I am taking Soc online. The kids are mostly good but it is a juggling act. Right now for me to have a peaceful study time I look over notes, while I let my littlest in front of the TV ( I know thats terrible !) the deal is that TV, reading books, coloring, Nintendo DS is all OK till Im done, after about 45-60 minutes I close my book and say " OK, lets take a walk, go to the park, something for 30 min. When we come back we again go to our corners...she ( I think I called her a he earlier) again, has the choices I mentioned and I study for another 45-60 minutes . Then we break for about 2 hours, she helps me cook or goes with me in the car while I pick up the older kids from work, we run to the store , play a quick game of checkers stuff like that, sometimes her and I have a 10 minute POWER cleaning....I run the vacuum and do dishes and she get clothing that was left around, hangs stuff up, put towels in front of the washer from the bathroom,dusts for me, things like that.

I do get help from the older kids, but they are both working full time this summer and when they come home they retreat to their rooms because they are SO tired ( PLEASE !!!! they are cluless !! , but I love them and both of them are in charge of their own wash , so thats good)

When I was in A&P 1 I felt that I wasnt spending enough time with my daughter, so I bougt flash cards and since she can read I would hold the card up, with the answers facing her and the diagram with the leader lines with numbers facing me and I would guess and she would tell me if I was right....i think she learned more bones and muscles that me.

All the kids seem excited for me to be in Full time school in the fall, my oldest daughter will text me on the phone and wish me luck on a test and I do the same for her as she is a Sophmore in college. My son is 16 and doesnt say much, so I though he wasnt intrested, but I had a melt down last week trying to understand Micro and said out loud to myslef, " I cant do this !" He ( my son) informed me in no uncertain terms, that I started this, I NEVER gave him the option to quit and that I needed to remember that school is hard for him too, that if we, him and I both keep moving along, We will BOTH be 09 gradutes, me with my ADN and him with his High School Diploma

( wow !!! that made we well up with a tear ! )

So I juggle, make kids do their own laundry, put others in front of the TV for a bit, then make sure I do something fun, sometimes I make crappy dinner and the house doesnt look great, and I am almost done with Pre reqs, 5 weeks to go, then 3 weeks of school off...then Nursing School August 24th....Let the games begin !!!!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

OOOPPPSSS

My son and I will be '11 grads....None the less it will be a busy May 2 years from now If I make it ....I know he will, he is smart as a whip

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Wheeeew!! Thank you everyone for your replies!! Happymommyx4, I'm also a military spouse, so that should make things more interesting right?? We PCS next year so I get to transfer and pray that most if not all of my courses will transfer over to a new college...yay...lol.

So this semester I'm going to take 2 online classes and then I have to transfer to a new college in December because we're moving (stupid deployment) and then transfer again to who knows where fall 2010. It sucks you can't do labs online. I'll probably end up having to invest in some professional child care to get my science classes out of the way. They seem so long and some are 3 days a week!! AAAHHH...I hope I can get through this...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Goal: MSN in Women's Health/Family Pract.
Wheeeew!! Thank you everyone for your replies!! Happymommyx4, I'm also a military spouse, so that should make things more interesting right?? We PCS next year so I get to transfer and pray that most if not all of my courses will transfer over to a new college...yay...lol.

So this semester I'm going to take 2 online classes and then I have to transfer to a new college in December because we're moving (stupid deployment) and then transfer again to who knows where fall 2010. It sucks you can't do labs online. I'll probably end up having to invest in some professional child care to get my science classes out of the way. They seem so long and some are 3 days a week!! AAAHHH...I hope I can get through this...

There are some online options for science classes with labs. You should check with your school first to make sure they accept them - mine did. It's more expensive and a lot of work but worth it for me. I got to be home with my kids and not have to worry about the 3 days a week away plus child care. It was great - there are a lot of extras, dissecting, x-rays and everything.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Anyone else doing their pre nursing courses when taking care of your kids too?? How do you manage your time?? What do you do with your kids during school??

I have been done with my pre reqs for one semester...just applying and waiting now. I got pregnant with my 1st child almost as soon as I decided to go into nursing. I have been going strong ever since. I think it is hard, but totally do-able. I just remind myself that I am doing this so I can provide for her. She just turned 2 in May...so she can be a handful. She goes to daycare and has since she was 6 months. I found a very good provider and my daughter loves her. I used to wait until she took naps to do homework, but naps are happening less frequently now so i have bought her books and things and she does her homework while I do mine. Also, Dora the Explorar helps out a lot. One bit of advise I can give you is don't wait til last minute to study. If you only have 10 minutes here and there, take them. Chances are that isn't going to change later, so cramming is not even an option.

Good luck, and I hope that helps!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Wheeeew!! Thank you everyone for your replies!! Happymommyx4, I'm also a military spouse, so that should make things more interesting right?? We PCS next year so I get to transfer and pray that most if not all of my courses will transfer over to a new college...yay...lol.

So this semester I'm going to take 2 online classes and then I have to transfer to a new college in December because we're moving (stupid deployment) and then transfer again to who knows where fall 2010. It sucks you can't do labs online. I'll probably end up having to invest in some professional child care to get my science classes out of the way. They seem so long and some are 3 days a week!! AAAHHH...I hope I can get through this...

Actually, I have found plenty of reputable schools that offer the labs online too. I know, that is crazy isn't it!? When I took anatomy back in 1995 I spent the lab time knee deep in cadavers and holding my nose so I cannot imagine doing anatomy online.

Check out American Military University (AMU). They offer anatomy and advanced anatomy online. I will post links at the end. It is super military friendly and the cost of tuition includes books. Undergraduate tuition is $250 per credit hour which is pretty steep of course but you don't have any hidden fees beyond that and no commute, lab fees, or child care expsenses. You can even get course extensions for PCSs. It is open to military spouses as well and it is accredited. If you are eligible for pell grants, and you already know that depending on rank you very likely are, then you do have to declare a major to be eligible for the grant, but that doesn't mean you have to finish the major. ;) AMU is also eligible for CAA ($6000 per year for college for military spouses). If you're not already familiar with CAA then check that out too because it is not dependant on income. You could be a 4 star generals wife and still qualify.

What sucks is the residency requirements in most states. In FL they consider us residents if we have orders to a base here and that is really fantastic! My pell grant will cover the entire cost of tuition. YAY! When we PCS I will very likely have to wait 6-12 months to go to school again if I am not done by then. Back at our last post in Texas we had to meet residency requirements just like everyone else and who knows what the rules in the next state will be.

Here are those links for AMU.

http://www.amu.apus.edu/index.htm

http://www.amu.apus.edu/schedule/bymonth-step4.htm?courseid=113516

This is for tuition assistance for military spouses.

http://www.amu.apus.edu/TuitionandFees/Military-spouse-career-advancement.htm

Oh, another school that offers anatomy with labs online is St. Petersburg College. You would be paying out-of-state tuition though unless you happen to be stationed down here. SPC is also fully accredited.

Yet another option that I am considering and might also work for you, is to do an LPN program. There are TONS of online bridge programs for LPNs to become RNs. That would mean only 1 year of going to school and having to worry about childcare. So you do a year of school and become an LPN and then do an online program to become an RN while you're working as an LPN. The civilian contractors that hire nurses for MTFs hire LPNs all the time. At our last post, the LPNs who worked in the MTF clinics started at $15/hour. Not too shabby for 1 year of education. If you're looking for intellectual stimulation, I am not sure that starting as an LPN is the way to go, but it is definately a viable option. I have considered it because we should be at this post for another 3 years so time is a BIG consideration for me as well.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment