I just have to rant a little bit. After taking 2 years off from school to be a mom, I finally make plans to return this fall and continue chipping away at my prereqs. I'm all registered and excited. Afterall, I had met with one of the nursing couselors who assured me that my particular college was taking steps to make the program more accessable to women like me who have to work and have a family. I thought this was a dream come true and after years of battling the "what do I do with my life" question, I finally found my answer. So, I take time out from mywork schedule to drive the half hour to my school and register for classes, and then more time off to attend a nursing info session since it seemed like the right thing to do. And am I glad I did! The same woman who had previously told me that the program was being made more accessable to working adults is standing there telling us that students are not encouraged to work at all and if they must then it shouldn't be more than 24 hours per week. And on top of that she continues by telling us that evening clinicals are available but not gauranteed. That does me no good since I work during the day.
So I leave feeling very discouraged. The next day I decide to send this woman an email, thinking maybe she could lift my spirits a little and that maybe what she presented us with at the info session was merely to weed out the serious sstudent from the not so serious students. Her response? Either to commute to another community college an hour away that offers a program completely at night and if I can't do that then I should consider doing something else. ***** Isn't there a big shortage of nurses??? Here I am, really wanting this, I have the grades (will have somewhere over 3.5 this semester), I'm compassionate, and I'm being turned away...
So I guess I'm going back to the drawing board to find something else...
Does your school offer the program parttime?? It'll take longer, but I know quite a few of my fellow classmates had to go that route in order to work fulltime... just a thought. I wish you the best of luck in whatever you choose to do!!
This is the part time program I'm talking about...
I hear the discouragement in your posts and I'm sorry.
Somethings gotta give. I work 28 hours a week, have two children 12 & 15 and go to nursing school. I have had many nights where I have had to stay up all night to get things done. I can't imagine adding more work hours on and the care of a 2 year old.
Can your husband get insurance through his job? Is that a possibility?
I hear the discouragement in your posts and I'm sorry.
Somethings gotta give. I work 28 hours a week, have two children 12 & 15 and go to nursing school. I have had many nights where I have had to stay up all night to get things done. I can't imagine adding more work hours on and the care of a 2 year old.
Can your husband get insurance through his job? Is that a possibility?
I wish. he's self employed and its so expensive. i have a meeting with a counselor at another school. i'm thinking of just getting my bachelors in general studies for now. who knows where that could lead. perhaps this just wasn't a path i was meant to take....
If it really is your calling, you will find a way to do it. You could take out a loan that would allow you to get part time work and pay for your health insurance. Of course, none of us want to start with loans, but it is doable.
I have to tell you a degree in general studies is difficult to get it to translate into bigger earnings. I went that route and am now back in nursing school. I don't mean to discourage you, I just want to pass on life lessons I have learned.
So I guess I'm going back to the drawing board to find something else...
This attitude, 3rdgenRN, is exactly the attitude that's keeping you from going to nursing school. There is always a way to become a nurse! Don't let anyone else (or yourself) tell you otherwise. I think almost every nursing program suggest that you don't work. But don't let that discourage you from entering the program. You should go for it regardless. Take the chance and cross that road. You don't know what's going to happen, but by letting the possibility of disappointment lead you, you'll never get what you really desire.
I only wish you the best of luck on trying for nursing school :)
Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.
most of the people in my years in school did work....many were single moms with kids, too....we made it work....if you really want to do this, you can !!!! even if you need to change work hours, or do night clinicals...see what all is offered....one woman drove 2 hrs. to do her clinicals so she could do them at night at another hospital....many, many stories....
If it really is your calling, you will find a way to do it. You could take out a loan that would allow you to get part time work and pay for your health insurance. Of course, none of us want to start with loans, but it is doable.
I have to tell you a degree in general studies is difficult to get it to translate into bigger earnings. I went that route and am now back in nursing school. I don't mean to discourage you, I just want to pass on life lessons I have learned.
I have to agree with the general studies degree part. I got my ba in liberal studies, which is basically a general arts degree. It has gotten me nothing. I wish I knew then what I know now...dont' we all?
When my daughter's go to school I'm going to be counseling them big time into what they are going to do with that degree after they get out...or will it just be a very expensive piece of paper?
3rdgenRN2B
431 Posts
This is the part time program I'm talking about...