Choices...sacrifices...How did You do it?

[ciado]

how did you go about becoming a nurse? i see that quite a few went the cna-l(v/p)n-rn.

this is where i am now: cna working in assisted living and for an agency, i have all the pre-reqs for getting into nursing school and good grades, i have a small son but only have care for him during the weekdays & sun-mon nights, i can't afford more childcare for weekends or nights, nursing school here is only during the day, i have the money for either living off of or nursing school, but not both even with scholarships and grants and reimbursements.

i can do one of a few things, and none of them seems a very good choice to me.

i can wait until my son can care for himself (another 8 years) at night so i can go to school during the day and work at night.

i can work doubles on sunday and monday evenings and pray that the income generated covers our living expenses(not bloody likely) so i can go to class during the day.

i can attempt to take out an enormous loan to cover living expenses for the year til i make

l(v/p)n whereupon i'll be back where i started or can stop at l(v/p)n and hang there til i can finish my rn one day.

i can cross my fingers, enroll in nursing school and pray i find a friend fast who also has kids who doesn't need to work nights who wouldn't mind taking my son some nights/weekends so i can work.

these are the solutions i see.. does anyone see something i'm missing? or have alternate solutions?

great first post, eh?

[ARmickie]

Perhaps you should talk to your college officer of student services. The reason I say that is because the school I will attend offers free or low cost child care to parents of nursing students during the day. The children must be preschoolers, though, as the daycare is ran by the instructors and students studying child development. The nursing program that I have chosen is also one where, for the first 8 weeks, I will only be in class two full days a week, and with one lab scheduled on a different day. If you thought you could handle the classwork and working, the schedule of your classes could work to your advantage. Don't give up or put your dream on hold until you have checked every single option. You are probably not the first nursing student to be in this position... ask someone at your college if they have any ideas. You'd be surprised at how far someone is willing to go help you if they can see that you truly are committed to both nursing AND your son. And, perhaps the biggest thing you can do is to pray! Good luck to you and your son

Mickie

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

When I did the LPN school in Las Vegas - the state of Nevada paid to have single moms go through the school - including child care because in the end it meant they had a way to support themselves and their children. I would think if you are a single mom that you would be able to get grants for school, take out a loan for the necessary childcare? Good luck...like above poster - don't give up. You can make a better life for you and your son. He is lucky to have such a great mom! Also - why not just bite the bullet and do an RN program? The earning power is much higher.

[TinyNurse, RN]

I went from waitress to RN. My son was 11 mos old when I started nursing school and I did all of my pre reqs during nursing school. it was hard yes, but today my son reaps the benefits of the work I did..........