Anxious Soon to Be Nursing Student

Nursing Students General Students

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Hi all, 

I am starting my RN program soon. I am SOOOO anxious. I am a single mother & I had a very very difficult time with my pre-reqs and I did them literally one at a time so that I could make sure I got an A in everything. I didn't find the material to be that challenging, more just my life and the people in it made my situation 10x harder than it needed to be. So I am just so worried that if it was so challenging to tackle 1 class plus motherhood simultaneously, how am I gonna tackle nursing school. Everything I read just makes it seem like a beast of a workload, zero sleep, 1 hour of quality time with your kid if you're lucky, and just difficult exams and loads of paperwork and meltdowns all the time. I'm just scared. 

I probably have just spent too much time on here reading other's stories and am just overthinking it. Can anyone share with me a realistic day in the life of a nursing student and how you managed to get your stuff done while also being a parent (if applicable)?

Thank you!

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First of all, congratulations! 

   I'm not a nursing student yet but I am also a single mother taking prereqs and I know how challenging it can be to balance everything. As far as how to tackle nursing school, I don't have much advice to offer , but I would assume having a good babysitter and support system would be important. Reading your post is inspiring and gives me hope that I can do it as well!.. I wish you the best of luck in nursing school!

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6 hours ago, RN_OneDay said:

First of all, congratulations! 

   I'm not a nursing student yet but I am also a single mother taking prereqs and I know how challenging it can be to balance everything. As far as how to tackle nursing school, I don't have much advice to offer , but I would assume having a good babysitter and support system would be important. Reading your post is inspiring and gives me hope that I can do it as well!.. I wish you the best of luck in nursing school!

Sis I feel ya! I'm about to start my nursing program at the end of August and even though I'm married with children, I did feel the same anxiety you expressed when comparing the workload for your pre-reqs and future load in the actual nursing program. In my research on how to realistically manage nursing school and family priorities from other nursing moms and nursing student moms, they stress the heck out of BEING ORGANIZED FROM DAY 1! Get a quality agenda or if you know you're going to commit to using your phone/Google calendar, jot down ALL of your due dates, exams, kids' appointments, clinicals, etc. from orientation day. Like RN_OneDay said, build your support system ahead of time so you have more ease of mind of child care and have faith! You can definitely do this, it's been done so many times before and you're more than capable of accomplishing your goals too. 

Here's some videos you can check out:

 

 

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Same Here! I know its going to be hard because we pretty much have to quit our jobs too.. so now we have double responsibility and no money LOL I had a conversation with my mom and let her know that I will really be relying on her for the next 2 years when it come to my 5 year old son.

So I would say really try to get a good support team of people to are willing to pick up your child while you are in class and also watch them when you need to study alone. Other than that sometime you need to just jump right into the program and everything else will just work its self out! You can do this! ?

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2 hours ago, DaniLynn said:

Same Here! I know its going to be hard because we pretty much have to quit our jobs too.. so now we have double responsibility and no money LOL I had a conversation with my mom and let her know that I will really be relying on her for the next 2 years when it come to my 5 year old son.

So I would say really try to get a good support team of people to are willing to pick up your child while you are in class and also watch them when you need to study alone. Other than that sometime you need to just jump right into the program and everything else will just work its self out! You can do this! ?

Yes you said it best DaniLynn! Things will fall into place

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Specializes in MICU.

Hi futurenurse06, 

I have a soft spot for nursing students and full-time mamas for one reason, I walked that path. I started while pregnant, was told to drop and return the next semester. Had a baby who had a cleft lip and palate, and I kept going. I remember distinctly in my first semester, we had skills check-off..it was foley inserts..and this was at the exact time my little girl was going into the OR over 30 minutes away. They wouldn't budge, but I didn't quit. I aced it then spent the next 24 hours in a crappy hospital couch while practicing for my other finals and giving her love. 

It's possible. My life took another turn when my ex-husband had a major emotional breakdown and was misdiagnosed with depression, then subsequently went into psychosis. I didn't give up. I kept plugging. We went through a divorce process, then my final semester I ended up in the hospital with AFib/Flutter with RVR, and almost died twice--on my kiddo's 2nd birthday. It's literally INSANE to write this, because I cannot believe all the crap I went through to get here. I say this..not to toot my own horn, I'm nothing extraordinary..I say this to tell you--you have a source of immense power within you as a mother. Draw from it and you can do ANYTHING. Seriously, us women are tenacious as heck. (You men are too!!). 

In nursing school, each semester is different. Do you have any family or friends that can help you with your kiddo? I say this as, usually you have a live lecture(s) (probably Zoom), you will have a lab day, and clinical within a week, each on different days. My lectures were on the same day, then I'd have a day of lab, then a separate clinical day. As my program progressed and I entered my final semester I was in clinical many times a week to meet the 500 hour cap, but this does not mean you will! We stopped having labs after our second semester (I was in an ADN not a BSN program). 

Find good, reliable childcare so you can go to those clinicals, as you NEED those hours to sit for the NCLEX. Find some times where you can get away from the kiddos and donate time to studying for your nursing course exam. Flashcards do not work, I found reading the text, highlighting important info, then writing it down or typing them up. I'd then do application questions online/quizlet questions from the chapter content. 

I would donate the weekend to studying or catching up on notes/assignments. My mom would come stay with me to help with the baby, and I'd plug right along. You have to really read the text and practice the content. If you don't have family/friends, do it while the kiddo naps, then at bedtime really hunker down. I'd suggest starting earlier than a few days before the exam to do this method and not lose sleep. You will see your child less, but it is nothing dramatically insane. You can fill in the times you are taking a break, with your little one(s). 

Ultimately, I found success with the LATTE study method. I graduated summa cum laude and managed to work as a nurse extern at my home hospital now. I only worked 12h/week, sometimes less during stressful times. I know you are probably a type A..need all A's person. So was I, I was seriously cursing the one B I got on my "report card". But...C's get degrees. Content and life get in the way sometimes and it's OK to not be that A student. We ALL get C's/Fails once in a while, the RN grading scale is vastly different from pre-reqs..however don't let it discourage you. 

Sometimes when my daughter was asleep I'd watch her chest rise and fall, cuddled in her crib. She was my motivation and I knew I wanted to prove to her she could do anything in the face of adversity..and come out winning! Draw from that strength!! I graduated this past Spring and now have a job in the ICU (MICU)  as a new grad RN. My journey in school has ended but my next journey continues! 

P.s.: for the NCLEX..use UWorld. It is literally amazing and works so well!! I believe in you immensely ?

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Soon2beRN2021 - That was beautiful! Almost made me cry at 8am LOL You are great proof that we can do anything as long as we don't give up ?

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Specializes in Nursing Student Retention.

There are many excellent comments here so I have only two points to add. First, find out if your nursing program has a retention coordinator, someone whose job is to help students complete the program and pass the licensure exam. If so, introduce yourself as early as possible and ask for support. It may involve study skills, time management or simply someone who will listen to you vent. I tell the students I work with who share your concerns is that the most expensive thing in nursing school is Pride if it stops you from asking for help. Second, please realize that 15-30 minutes of review time sandwiched into your day as often as possible can be very effective at reinforcing content and promoting comprehension. I’ll stop here except to say it can be done with good support, a realistic attitude, and attention to detail in all the aspects you’ve mentioned. 

 

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Thank you for these helpful tips

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