anxiety about starting LPN school

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Hi I'm just starting LPN school in Chicago and I am having so much anxiety!!! It feels like everything bad keeps happening at once. i'm a single mother of three and i have been working as a medical assistant for seven years. I've also worked on the side as a CNA for six years. So my goal is RN but thought that pacing myself may be better financally. Now that i've started i changed my position at work to working the registry as a CNA to adjust to my school schedule and because the cenus is low i've been getting canceled!!! Now i'm panicking on how i'm going to pay my bills, my kids need things, etc. and i sometimes find myself second guessing should i really be doing this school thing now? I've talked to others who have finished the program and they say they stuggled as well but my goodness. With the stresses of everyday life and trying to go to school how does one keep a balance. I've been praying for God to show some favor on my situation............... Is anyone else experiencing hardships while in or starting school?????

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I have similar troubles, but I know if I just keep plugging away at each problem as it comes, it will all work out. I've got three kids as well, 4, 6 and 8. I'm not single, but my dh works on the road and is rarely home, and I can't depend on his schedule for help with the kids. I'm constantly trying to find sitters and daycare for school and work, and I just got my schedule for spring and didn't realize I start clinicals right away- now I'm stuck looking for someone to get the kids off to school and daycare on clinical days since I need to leave the house by 5:15 and no daycares around here are open that early. I have to keep turning down hours at work (I'm casual on call) because my husband has been working weekends and isn't here to watch the kids and my daycare lady keeps having to take days off for her own sick kids.

It's exhausting!! But I just keep telling myself that it will all be worth it in the end!!

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rma - if you're looking for "balance" with school, job, kids, bills, etc., it may not be possible. school is a struggle in and of itself, and the added burden of your responsibilities will compound the challenge.

I hope that you have been circumspect and thought this through. does the school that you are attending have a PT schedule?

do you have family nearby?

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To Busia-Yeah I hear you its rough..I do have a long time boyfriend but just as your situation he's a truck driver and ultimately on the road during the week so no help to me really.....I also work registry where i can choose my schedule but sometimes thats sucks because they cancel your shift when the census gets low. I have heard that when they do that i can file for partial unemployment-so i'll see how that goes cause maybe that can help. I can say i am blessed to have a wonderful daycare provider who wants me to finish school so badly that she offers to keep my children extended hours at no extra cost to help me out...so yeah its definitely a struggle for us both but that struggle has got to be what keeps us motivated!!!! I wish you the best!

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Specializes in psychiatric, med/surg, cardiac, LTC, HHA.

I too hear you, I begin Nursing school on Monday. First off, its M-F 8am-3pm and its a 2 hr commute one way in good weather! I have a 6 month old son, i found a babysitter, but can hardly afford the bills as is. I am currently unemployed, moved to CO from MI and am waiting on my CNA here through the board of nursing. My husband works, but his income barely covers his bills and rent... so i have NO IDEA how im going to do this, i too have second thoughts on how this is gonna work out, but Im staying positive, and its worth it.

I know im going to have to sacrafice time with my family, but they will appreciate it later, and i guess im just gonna be exhausted for the next year

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To katrenua04:

I feel you we have to stay positive even when it gets hard because anything worth having will not come easy!! I try to use that as my motivation, especially when i get a ton of homework to finish in so little time and have to tend to my kids and boyfriend! But just think one day when we have graduated we can look back on these trying times and say it was all worth it :-)

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First of all I would like to congratulate everyone on getting into their respective programs. That to me was a trial in and of itself! I am glad to see that I am not the only one who is in a state of despair on how to accomplish my goal of becoming a lvn. I admire you all because you seem to have a large amount of determination, especially with those little ones that you must care for.

I myself have no children but I still panic. Like you all I do not know how I will pay my bills, keep up with my homework and basically survive the next year. My dear boyfriend's ears are nagged off every day with my worry of if I made the right decision to start school this year. There were so many things I could have thought to do. I thought maybe I could hold off until next year, then I would have more saved up and I wouldn't have to worry so much this year but I also thought that god has things happen for a reason and it is time for me to make my move.

We all must find a way! If we believe in something enough we can make it work! I do not start my program until January so right now I am working extra hard at my current job and plan on looking for part time holiday work. You guys are so brave and remember that we must not lose hope and faith. I honestly believe that we will come out of this as the nurses that we dreamed we would!

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Specializes in OB/Gyn, L&D, NICU.

I am a single mother of 2 and have no family or friends to help. You can do anything for 1 year. I just went through getting my teacher certification and worked 90 hours a week. Granted, not the difficulty of nursing school, but trying to manage home, children, and having absolutely no social life was difficult, yet when you look back, you will regret not going to school for that year. It will go by so fast. Just look to the future and every day think about how your kids are growing up before your eyes - that makes it go by fast. I got laid off from teaching after all that hard work. School districts all have hiring freezes right now, so almost no chance of getting hired in the next year or more. So I'm going to go back to school to become an RN after getting my bachelor's, then getting a teacher cert, then getting a loan officer license...it's been a long road, but I won't get any younger just waiting around doing nothing.

Oh, a good family friend when she was 21 had twin 6 year old boys and a 2 year old boy when she got her BSN. If she can do it, we can too!

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

I have a 10 month old daughter. Fiance and I have been struggling to pay bills but I am putting bills on hold, they can wait. My education is a lot more important to me and supporting my family and child means everything to me. I go to school m-f 730-230 and try to work 10hrs a week. it's hard. when i work more than 3 days my grades do reflect. You just have to hang in there and meet the priorities first. If you stop school and focus on saving will you go back? Good luck, and don't give up believe me it's worth it in the end!

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Specializes in OB/Gyn, L&D, NICU.

TruNurse86, now your name makes me feel old!! The year you were born is the year I graduated high school.

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It will be worth it when we are done! I have 2 kids & my husband got laid off in August his unemployment doesn't even cover all our bills so I understand all too well!!

Keep your chins up everyone!

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Specializes in OB/Gyn, L&D, NICU.

Forgot to add the part - although it may be obvious because I got laid off - that I survive on very little $$ and I don't get food stamps or receive any unemployment. We eat a lot of rice, beans, eggs, homemade salsa from canned tomatoes & fresh jalapenos (cheap veggies!), peanut butter, ramen noodles, homemade bread (25cents a loaf), and homemade pancakes (I add powdered milk & canned pumpkin for nutrition). My grocery budget is as close to $0 as I can get. We all sleep in one bed to save on heat & air conditioning bills. I cut my own hair and nobody can tell - they think I go to an expensive salon. Use hotel shampoo and add water when it looks empty to get the very last drop out. I wash my hair every other day to save shampoo, electricity, and water. You can go to local churches and Christian ministries for help with free groceries & help w/utility bills. There are lots of ways to live in poverty :specs:

I am a single mother of 2 and have no family or friends to help. You can do anything for 1 year. I just went through getting my teacher certification and worked 90 hours a week. Granted, not the difficulty of nursing school, but trying to manage home, children, and having absolutely no social life was difficult, yet when you look back, you will regret not going to school for that year. It will go by so fast. Just look to the future and every day think about how your kids are growing up before your eyes - that makes it go by fast. I got laid off from teaching after all that hard work. School districts all have hiring freezes right now, so almost no chance of getting hired in the next year or more. So I'm going to go back to school to become an RN after getting my bachelor's, then getting a teacher cert, then getting a loan officer license...it's been a long road, but I won't get any younger just waiting around doing nothing.

Oh, a good family friend when she was 21 had twin 6 year old boys and a 2 year old boy when she got her BSN. If she can do it, we can too!

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