young children and CRNA school

Nursing Students SRNA

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I am currently in an ADN program (only 6 more months left!) and plan to start the RN-BSN program about 10 months after I graduate. I already have a BS, so I really only need the nursing classes. I am planning on starting in ICU right away and getting the required 2 years experience before going to CRNA school. I have a few questions though. My husband and I would like to start having children in the next few years, and I'm already 28. I was thinking about trying between the BSN and CRNA school. Would it be extremely hard to start CRNA school with a 1 or 2 year old infant? I know this seems crazy, but I want to start school as soon as I can/am ready to. Do any of you currently have young children? If I wait until I'm done with school I will be 33 or 34, and I don't want to get pregnant right after I start a new job. If I put school off I'm afraid it would be harder to go back. I keep telling myself to take it one day at a time, but I keep thinking of the future. I know this is something we have to figure out, but advice from anyone with (or without) children would help.

Also, I took 3 semesters of chem between 95 and 97. The schools I will be applying to don't have time limits for chem, but do you think I should take some as a refresher? I received A's, but wouldn't be able to do chem problems now without a refresher. I am not sure how in depth chem will be in CRNA school.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks,

Laura

I guess I am speaking from the most experience. I am 23 days away from graduating from CRNA school and I have a 4 and 6 year old. I did not plan to go to CRNA school with kids, but everything fell in to place for me to attend at this time. The first 13 months of my program were didactic and I have been in clinicals for the last 14 months. I spent most of my time during didactics in the library and away from home. I would see my kids and make the most of the time we did have together. Since I have been in clinicals, I have had a little more time to spend with the family. As I prepare to take boards in Jan., I will once again spend a lot of time away from home during the day. The key is to make the most of the time you have with them.

It has been a long and HARD road but I have a wonderful very supportive husband who has taken great care of my kids. If you do not have someone in your life who is very supportive and willing to take up the slack with kids, etc. Then I would certainly wait until after CRNA school to have them!!

Good luck to everyone.

Sprout :nurse:

:balloons: :balloons: :balloons: CONGRATS on finishing so soon!

YOU are my hero! Thanks for giving encouragement.....I, too, think that anesthesia school is "doable"; however, the part about the supportive hubby that takes great care of the kids is an absolute necessity (if not a hubby, another person who you feel does as good of a job, if not better in taking on that responsibility).

Sprout, I am just finishing up the first semester in my program and it is supposed to be the hardest! It is an integrated program and I agree with your statement that clinical does seem to allow more time with my family. The main focus is that although the quantity may TEMPORARILY decrease, the quality should be there! As I sit here typing this, I have just finished my careplan for tomorrow's shift, enjoyed a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving day with my family, and am now going to sleep since I was on call last night and got about 4 hours sleep! :zzzzz

God Bless and Take Care!

GC Shore

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Glad to read your post! I am looking to go into CRNA and would like more information about the programs and the work in general. Why did you decide to go this route? I am not so worried about my grades I think i am more worried about the interviews for the program. I may not need to worry about this yet since I am just starting my pre-reqs for nursing. But I plan yo go all the way...

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Specializes in Anesthesia, ICU, Oncology.

Oh wow!

I've just read my post from 5 years ago! It brought tears to my eyes! Today I write a reply to this thread as a CRNA! I graduated May 2009 and now have been working for 7 months and loving it. It was all worth it. Good luck to the rest of you!

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People with no children have no right giving advice! What do they know? I am in an accelerated nursing program with a preschooler and a husband who is in his last year of medical school (oh did I mention I work full time too?). It can always be done! Mom's have this incredible power to get it done. I plan on having another child right before CRNA school. It just takes planning. Anyone can do it if they are motivated.

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Oh wow!

I've just read my post from 5 years ago! It brought tears to my eyes! Today I write a reply to this thread as a CRNA! I graduated May 2009 and now have been working for 7 months and loving it. It was all worth it. Good luck to the rest of you!

Thank you so much for doing a follow-up post after all these years! Do you have any kids yet? So you did the ADN, BSN while doing critcal care , then CRNA route? It seems like everything worked out perfectly as you had planned them. Congrats!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Medical-Surgical.

GCshore,

Thank you very much for your post. I am in the process to get into anesthesia school, waiting for an interview and I have a 18 month- old. I have a great support but I am still a little nervous

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Specializes in CNA, Aspiring CRNA.

i recommend waiting until crna is complete. easier on you, hubby, marriage, and let's not forget the little ones! children are an overtime job. a huge responsibility, as a mature mom . . . 30+ . . . we often have so much more to give after having accomplished a few things.:nurse:

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Thank you, everyone, for your encouraging posts-- I am hoping to apply for CRNA school this next fall and I have a 3 & 5 year old at home....I have wanted to do this for so long but am nervous the sacrifice will be too great for my family- a decision we all have to make, at some point. Thanks for the honesty & the positive outlook....praying for wisdom!

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Specializes in OR.

You can do it!!! Like previous posters said, as long as you put your mind to it and have a supportive husband, there is nothing you can't do.

My aspirations are to go on to CRNA school...I have a 2, 4, and 7 year old. I just recently applied to a BSN program (so I have a way to go). However, we just finished putting hubby through his Ph.D. (history). Any graduate school is challenging. If have a die hard work ethic, you can do anything you set your mind to. Here is how it went putting my husband through graduate school:

- I worked full-time and took care of the kids.

- hubby was full-time student at UF

- hubby was graduate teaching assistant

- hubby wrote a book that was published by a major academic publisher

- hubby wrote contributions to several articles

- hubby was contributor to encyclopedia sets (which we have been given complete sets)

- hubby traveled to many conferences

- hubby studied, graded, and wrote with three demanding babies around

- hubby still walked the dog three times a day :p

Even with all that, hubby still took time for the kids...made them dinner sometimes, took them to the park. He maintained a 3.95 GPA. Anyway, my point - it can be done and done well if you have support. :) A lot of mothers go to work all day...don't see their kids at night except long enough to come home, give them baths, feed them dinner, and put them to bed. Is there really a difference? Nothing in life is easy...always going to be a challenge.

I wouldn't get pregnant "while in" the midst of a program...because you never know what can happen and YOU will be the one carrying the baby. Roll with it :) I'm 36, BTW. Had my first child at age 29. You will often find that what you "plan" often doesn't work out that way...you have to be very flexible with everything you do and keep a positive attitude...no matter what. :)

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