Accelerated BSN/2nd degree programs... military spouse with young kids

[sahbsn, CNA]

Hi everyone,

I am a military spouse, with a supportive, but gone-often husband. We have three children, who will be 8, 5, and almost 3 when I hopefully start an ABSN program next year.

I am no stranger to having no life, being busy from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed. I have gone to school taking 18-19 credits while pregnant, while I had a newborn, and during an international move. I drop my older kids off at school and pick them up. I volunteer with Girl Scouts, PTO, and in the classroom. I take my kids to various sports and sometimes have to help with that. My husband has also been dealing with a knee injury/surgeries and I've had to chauffeur him around too. All the driving can be a full time job

The stuff I do is not hard, but it does keep me busy. I plan to scale back on the volunteer stuff while in school... I will also have my older two in school and will put my youngest in a preschool/daycare.

I fully expect nursing school to be time consuming, and an accelerated program even more so. I've read the material is typically not too difficult to understand, it's usually the amount of material within a limited time frame that is the most difficult aspect. I'm good with deadlines, prioritizing, and working under pressure.

As a military family, we don't live near extended family. My husband deploys, goes to courses here and there, and goes on a lot of short trips for work- usually one or two weeks of each month. Part of the time I'm in school, he will be living in a different country (me and the kids will return to the states early for me to go to school), but we expect to be able to live together about halfway through.

I plan to get realiable childcare situated. Daycare/preschool, after school programs, back-up/sick care.

The program I'm looking into has online courses with tests on-site once per week, in-person skills lab once per week for 7-8 hours at a time, and clinicals once per week for a 12 hour shift. So, although I will only have two to three days where I am on campus, I want to "attend" class and study while the kids are all in school.

I am nervous to go to school, know it will be hard and that I'll be very busy, but I feel like I am capable of getting through an accelerated nursing program. I've read it's often parents who do well because they're used to not having a lot of extra time/social life. I am no stranger to parenting on my own. I just want to hear from others who have been in my boat...

If you are a military spouse, a single parent, or your significant other is gone often... if you have young children who depend on you... and you are in, or made it through, an accelerated BSN program... how is/was it? What tips do you have? Or am I crazy for attempting this with their current ages/being on my own often?

Thanks in advance for your responses!