I made my decision to go into nursing. It took a 4 day stay to Childrens Hospital last year with my 5 week old daughter.
What I saw there in what seemed like a year changed my life. I have never been so pasionate about anything, not even when I was majoring in business at UNO.
I will begin taking my biology pre-requisites at Delgado this fall. I am so excited and ready to start.
Unfortunately, my excitement is short lived. My mom is telling me that nursing is not for me. She says that its hard work. She doesn't believe I will succeed at getting accepted to charity. She also mentioned I was not nursing material. And because I have 2 daughters, she believes I won't be able to do it.
I never thought I would hear this from my mom. I am so hurt by her words and lack of faith for me. How do you guys know for sure you have what it takes to be a nurse? I am starting to believe maybe she is right.
actually, I have a 2 year old and 1 year old twins, so 3 children plus my wife, who is a stay at home mom, I worked part time while going to nursing school, and just graduated 2 months ago and now work in an ICU. My 1st born child had a coarctation of the aorta, had a surgery to repair it when he was 1 week old and was in the hospital for a month and 1/2, my twins were premature and had to be in the ICU for feeding issues for a month....I don't understand YOUR situation entirely, but I KNOW what it's like to go to school with a family and having to work, and when hardships occur, it's very difficult.....just don't make excuses, do what you want and you'll be happier for having done so....when trials come up, it'll be difficult to get through them, but stick with it, it only gets easier.
gradRN2007,
I don't know if you have any children so you may not understand. Its very difficult to see your 5 week old child in a hospital bed with IVs in her tiny little arms. Yes, it was only 4 days BUT it SEEMED like a year. 4 days of testing and nurses coming in and put of the room can make any mother scared to death. The only thing I wanted was to take my little girl home. Of course, 4 days IS nothing like nursing school, and I don't believe I ever said it was. My daugther was not sick for only 4 days. She did not leave the hospital cured. She will be on medication for approximately the next 7 years and will need yearly kidney check ups for the rest of her life. My decision to be a nurse was not because I spent 4 days in the hospital, it was b/c of the tremendous job I saw those nurses do. The care they gave my daughter I could never repay. Yes, it is their job, but THEY did it with true feeling. They were genuine. Not all nurses are like that.
And YES I did graduate from the university of new Orleans with a Business degree. I took science classes and I did well, so I'm not a stranger to science.
Also, I am greatful to not have to work while I attend school. With regards to my kids, I have a good support system and a wonderful hubby who is with me all the way. My parents won't have to worry about taking care of my daughters b/c they are moving out of the country once their retirement home is built.
I am aware that nursing involves seeing all sorts of things. When you mention puke and poop, do remember that I have children. Puke and poop are on the menu almost every day. To me, a true nurse isn't worried about puke, blood, or poop. Its obvious it comes with the territory. The important part is healing the patient or having the compassion necessary to prepare him/her in the final stages. Young or old, a patients well being should always be top priority.
RE: "my kids were not emotionally scarred by having their mom busy"; to the contrary! My kids benefited greatly from witnessing my drive, ambition, and hard work to achieve my goals. I felt guilty and so sad about taking so much time from my girls, but in the long run, I feel the whole experience was positive for them.
I congratulate you "goodgrief" for your determination. Hope your babies are all doing well. You are just another example to inspire me to continue in this path to nursing. You overcame the obstacles and succeeded! I am so thankful for the positive feedback I have received here. Keep them coming :)
I suggest going to work in a busy hospital as a nurse's aid. You will get a feel for what goes on behind the scenes, the drama, and the pay-off. Other people's opinions are from their own experience. Before you spend a lot of money..try it, several things are sure to surprise you.
Also, if you decide you don't like it, you just saved yourself a lot of time and energy to put forth somewhere else.
i have not read thru all the comments, so i will be replying directly to your post by telling you a little about my story. When i was 17, i had my daughter. Her father was not in the picture; i was still living at home. i decided (like you) that i wanted my child to have a better life than i had. When my daughter turned 2y/o, a friend told me about LVN school. The main attraction for me was getting ahead in life and always being able to provide for her. Right before i started classes, i overheard my father saying "what does she think she's doing? This is just a phase she's going thru; she'll never finish".
His doubt fueled my desire to succeed. There were MANY times when i wanted to give up, but i kept hearing his comment in my head, and i pushed on until i finished. i've been a nurse now for almost 22 years. i did not have the passion you have. i did not have the excitement you have. All i had was the desire to change my situation for my daughter's sake, and the determination to prove my father wrong. i love what i do now and can't imagine doing anything else. If i had listened to the one person who had no confidence in me, i would probably be a welfare mom now....but i refused to let someone tell me i couldn't do it.
You have passion, excitement and a desire to succeed. Yes, it will be hard, but it will be worth it. i wish you luck in whatever you decide!!
Nurse material.I am 35 the mother of 3. I have been working as a cna in hospice for 15 years. I am now after years of hard work as a cna considering lpn at bishop state community college . since i have throwed this around everyone around me says why do you want to do that girl just do what you been doin well, i come from no one with careers they all have medial jobs most with no benefits and are only seasonal work. I asked god to guide me in the right direction if it is for me then he will help me do the rest. I know everything in the world seems to be easy when you look at er and house, but not house that show is the best example that if you take what you know and the things you have learned and use them to your best abilities you will get the job done and the problem solved. Every time you think about our society what are the things we know are easy challenges we seem to to the route for settling for failure or not even tryin. please try apply yourself do what is in your heart and do what you feel and think is best for you. Please yourself an don't worry about anyobne else sometimes the ones people look to fail surprise us an surprise us and superseed us as well.
Hi, my mother told me the same thing, "You don't want to be a nurse, be a teacher." I taught 2nd grade, booooring. I love nursing, it is amazing. I always wanted to do it, took some classes wondered if I could, and now I am an RN! 1st year was tough, but love it. It is amazing, changing, challenging, and I learn so much. Usually a chuckle or two a day. Go for it!
Specializes in MED/SURG STROKE UNIT, LTC SUPER., IMU.
I have three children myself, 12yo, 8yo and 2yo. I am in my last semester of nursing school and will graduate in August. It is a lot of hard work, but if this is what your calling is......turn everyone off and concentrate on what brought you here. If this is your calling.....yes, through school you will question yourself, you will stress, you will wonder how you are going to get everything done and learn everything you need to know to care for your patients. You will also have a group in the same position as you, develop some lifelong friendships, develop courage, independence, and self confidence. You will set a sterling example for your children and you will LOVE CLINICALS!!!! When you get on the floor caring for patients....it is the most rewarding thing! It is never too late to back out if you truely find out that this is not your thing, but there are so many jobs out there for nurses. You could work in the hospital, clinic, schools, camps, health department, poison control,etc. There are so many options that if you don't like the hospital explore your other choices out there. Keep your mind and heart open and your ears closed to the negative!!! GOOD LUCK!!!
thankyou so much but i am really worried about math because i was never good at algebra and i am tryin to prepare myself and just don't where to start. i think math is gonna give me trouble everything else i am very confident.thankyou for words of confidence
Look up math for nursing on the internet. Nursing math is not really that difficult once you memorize how many mL are in an ounce and so on. Nursing math is about fractions. You must convert fractions in case a pt needs half a dose, etc. Knowledge is empowering.
TIP: When in doubt, look it up. If your books don't have it, look to the internet. When you look up something immediately, your mind is able to apply it as the missing puzzle piece in what you are studying and you will understand it. If you understand it, you will be able to recall it later. Just a few tips I have learned after 4 years of college..GOOD LUCK, but more importantly, GOOD SKILLS to you.
Also, I am a student, too, and have four kids, 2, 4, 6, and 8, and am due in Dec. with no.5, and I refuse to miss a T-ball game. You can do anything you want to. Remember, you are the only person that can put limits on you.
:icon_roll:icon_rollI am at home wondering if this is really for me i am tryin to figure out how to prepare myself for school in august . Some friends who just completed LPN are gonna give me some books and other info because they do change up in the classes.I have been a hospice CNA since 1996 I have seen a lot of things in this time as well learned alot of things too. I love to take care of people. I have seen and have had the experience of up close with certain diseases and wounds I do have the stomach for it ate a whole plate of food and helped clean and debris a stage 4 wound on a patients buttocks. I know in my heart this is my calling I guess I am scared looking at what nurses do and not having the knowledge makes it seem chinese to. I am tryin to prepare myself especially for math. i have been out of school for 19 years but the ole sayin the devil is a lie I will try I really want to persue my dreams of being a RN but I am taking small steps to gain more confidence so I wiil start with LPN first but any things to study or things that will be helpful really needed for me to for go my future as a LPN
I am starting my pre-requisite biology classes this fall. I have never been so excited about starting classes! Monday I am going to buy my text books and start reading up. I have been out of college for 6 years. I want to be ahead in the reading. If I don't understand something, I will definitely be googleing it! I am not sure if you guys know, but they have a show on TV called NurseTV. I came across it one day and love it! It shows 2 or 3 nurses of different positions and experience on what they do at work. There is no dramatization, its real patients. I saw an episode where it involved a 5 year old little girl with a heard condition. My question is, as a nurse, how do you keep your emotions outside the hospital? Is it ok to cry? I have always heard that nurses and DR.s are supposed to show no emotions and not get attached but how is that humanly possible? Eventually, I want to be a pediatric nurse. But in any age group, how do you remain emotionless when you lose a patient? I have read some articles here about nurses losing babies and older patients. Just reading their stories has made me cry. I don't want to ball up and cry hysterically with the family, but I don't want to seem cold and just say " its going to be ok" during nursing school are you taught how to manage your feelings?
goodgrief
114 Posts
actually, I have a 2 year old and 1 year old twins, so 3 children plus my wife, who is a stay at home mom, I worked part time while going to nursing school, and just graduated 2 months ago and now work in an ICU. My 1st born child had a coarctation of the aorta, had a surgery to repair it when he was 1 week old and was in the hospital for a month and 1/2, my twins were premature and had to be in the ICU for feeding issues for a month....I don't understand YOUR situation entirely, but I KNOW what it's like to go to school with a family and having to work, and when hardships occur, it's very difficult.....just don't make excuses, do what you want and you'll be happier for having done so....when trials come up, it'll be difficult to get through them, but stick with it, it only gets easier.