Anyone quitting

WDWpixieRN, RN · Aug 7, 2006

Yep, I'm there with you....I actually notified my direct manager over 3 weeks ago that the 11th would be my last day, and while they tried to work something out for me part-time, that didn't come to pass (corporate America has a BIG problem with flexibility!)....so, when he told my team last week, I choked up bigtime....most of these people have been my friends and family for almost 6 years! This week, I have a lunch date every day with either my project group or another group of friends...I can hardly stand it emotionally!

Financially, I am petrified and just try not to think too hard about it...my salary here has been wonderful (compared to nothing, anyway) and I don't know how it's all going to work out for the next 2 years, particularly since my youngest starts a state university the same day I start classes and my husband isn't the most financially supportive person in the world (it's all about him first; me and the kids second -- maybe)....so I have some guilt there, too....but I took out a small Sallie Mae Tuition Answer loan and have a small amount of money I recently got after my mother passed away (very small)....so I'm hoping what I eke out from waiting tables or hopefully finding a hospital job will continue to allow me pay for the car, cell, insurance, gas & school costs....

And at this point, all I can do is wait and hope I've made the right move and can succeed in this program....I've always succeeded in just about anything I've worked for, so I'm pretty sure I can....it's just a lot of the unknown, plus never having worked in healthcare that has me a bit worried!!

Good luck to you and me and all the others starting down this path!!

weytn · Aug 7, 2006

I understand how you feel, I have been experiencing some guilt and fear over the past weeks now that I know it is time to make that move. I have been at my job six years too. As for money...I attempted to cash out equity in my home, and I won't know for about another week or so how that will go. I have a 401k, but I will still have to work. I am terrified of balancing work and school. I worry about being able to take care of my kids financially and being successful in the program. I have to do this though, I am pass the burn out stage at work and things are deteriorating. I have put off school for over ten years now and it's time to do it. I wish you all the best.

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Aug 7, 2006

I quit my full-time job last Fall to attend school part-time. I was offered another option, to work part-time but my department was not flexible on mandatory meetings. I felt that if I continued, I would be fired because I was going to put school first. So, I resigned rather then accept the terms of part-time. I began working for myself and now make a steady income while I attend school.

I was scared half to death I would screw up and hurt my family financially. So I crunched the numbers and though it was and is tight for us, we are doing fine using our current budget.

After completing a year toward admissions I am very happy I made the decision to quit my job a year ago. Another co-worker was in the same boat as me. She could have quit and lived on a tight budget and worked part-time while going to school, but she choose not too (We talked about it at length).

She was too afraid she would fail her classes or hurt her family financially because she did not think she could stick to a budget. In any case she is still working at the job I left and she is still talking about the classes she will need to take just to apply, while I have finished all of my classes and am in the middle of the application process. I suspect at this rate, I will become a Registered Nurse and she will probably still be talking about having the choice to go to nursing school, but being to afraid to try. :uhoh3:

Good luck to you. Hopefully my story helps alleviate your fears a bit. I still remember being afraid... but rest assured, if you are anything like me, you will succeed. I am a hard worker and I will never let myself or my family down. Not now, not ever! You should succeed if you have fire in your belly and enough motivation to do what it takes to become a working Registered Nurse.

browneyedgirl71 · Aug 7, 2006

I quit my job over a year ago to focus on school and my marriage. I was working 50+ hrs, commuting, and going to school. I fought the decision to quit for a long time because I really wanted to be self sufficient. My husband was really supporative and one day I realized I just couldn't keep up the schedule any more.

After I quit I did feel guilty, but now I'm so glad I did it. Now I'm focused on the most important things in my life and I'm so much happier :)

manofbess · Aug 7, 2006

Feels good to know I'm not the only person to have done this. I resigned from my job about 3 weeks ago. Luckily, I was able to resign immediately and without penalty since I was formerly a teacher and everyone is still on summer vacation. Like most of you, my nursing program is a daytime program and there is no way possible I could have maintained my former job and gone to school at the same time. I'm going to miss MOST of the students and the excitement and nervousness of the very first day. This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and I want to go ahead and learn, learn, learn.

crystalship44 · Aug 7, 2006

I've been in nursing school since Nov, I'd love love love to quit my full time job! But, it's just me and I would have no income. I go to school Mon-Thurs from 6-10, and have my 8 hour clinicals every other weeknd. My full time job consists of an hour and a half commute in the morning and back so I'm up at 430, and home at 1030 at night, I can't find time to study. Believe me, if I could find any way to quit this full time job and just focus on school, I would in a heartbeat and would NOT feel a bit guilty. So I don't think you should feel guilty at all. As a matter of fact, I'm envious

cad4296 · Aug 7, 2006

I haven't quit yet, but I also haven't made it into the actual nursing program. I know if I get accepted into my first choice school I will have no option other than to quit. My pre-reqs are a bit more flexible than the actual nursing courses will be. It terrifies me. My husband is totally supportive and actually wants me to quit working and focus on school but I'm so uneasy about it. He makes enough for us to get by, but we're wanting to buy a house and all this stuff and I would feel guilty. Thank goodness it's just the two of us. And I make pretty good money for my age in the corporate world, it would be frustrating to go back to minimum wage if I worked part time. Not to mention losing all my benefits! Yikes! I know I will come to that point where being a student will come first, but man that is scary!

Angel 3 · Aug 7, 2006

I quit my job this summer as well, and I was scared to death about it. I have a 2 year old son, but with the support of my wonderful fiance' I am able to go to school full time without the strain of a job & school. In the long run, I know it will be the best thing for me because I know I will make better grades. Plus, I will have more time to study and spend with my son.

AnnaN5 · Aug 7, 2006

I thought that I would be able to keep my 2nd shift lab job while going to nursing school but I just switched to a seat in the accelerated ADN program instead of the normal ADN program. So now that means that my work schedule will not work at all not to mention I will be doing the entire program in ~13 months. They told us to be prepared to go days, evenings, or weekends with up to a 90 minute commute to clinicals and ~25 hours per week in class/clinicals. I do not start until March so I have time to save some more money but it is quite frightening to think that in a little over 6 months I will not be working full time anymore.

WDWpixieRN, RN · Aug 8, 2006

And I make pretty good money for my age in the corporate world, it would be frustrating to go back to minimum wage if I worked part time. Not to mention losing all my benefits! Yikes! I know I will come to that point where being a student will come first, but man that is scary!

Yes, this is a very true statement for most of us, but unless we have some kind of skill that will allow for well-paying part-time work, minimum wage will be pretty close to what some of us will have to settle for. Good-bye to my $50,000+/year. I'm needing to make a car, cell phone, and insurance and gas payments in addition to miscellaneous school costs...and somehow it will all work out....

And to be honest, in some ways I'm looking forward to it....I love working directly with the public (most of them!), and there are many jobs I've always wanted to try, waitressing being one of them (silly, huh?). I have also always enjoyed cashiering (as long as I don't also have to stock shelves) and I wouldn't mind doing something like that again. I call those "fun" jobs....you still have the hassle of management to some degree, but if you're a decent employee, and more mature than the 16, 17, 18-year olds they deal with, you have a LOT more leeway....

I look at it as a small break in my career and hope to really have time to sink myself into my education....and later make the money I will be missing while truly loving my career!!

Best wishes as you move closer to your goal!!

weytn · Aug 8, 2006

I look at it as a small break in my career and hope to really have time to sink myself into my education....and later make the money I will be missing while truly loving my career!!

I could not have said it better, thanks for putting it into perspective.