Depressed about life choices

Cobweb · Jan 11, 2015

I don't have a good answer for you, but I can tell you what one friend of mine did. She studied the whole program ahead of time. She devoured nursing books like I read trashy romances. Then, when she did go to school, she already knew most of the stuff and had very little studying to do. She said it was the only way she could work and go to school at the same time.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jan 11, 2015

There have been plenty of people in your position that have gone on to become RNs successfully.

You will have to go back and replace those grades eventually; start out taking one-two classes at a time. You can also become a LPN in the meantime, then bridge to be come an RN or go into a BSN program.

Research the programs in your area and make a plan-that will be one of the ways to remove the cloud of doubt you are currently feeling.

Don't hesitate to speak to a professional to help with depression as well.

Best wishes.

Trauma Columnist · Jan 11, 2015

What LadyFree says!

I went to nursing school right after high school also, working nights as a CNA and going to school full time days. I got within one semester of graduating and decided I didn't want to be a nurse so I quit going to classes, joined the US Navy and left a week later!

Fast forward 5 years and I'm living in Alaska and decide I want to go back to school. Hard to believe but few colleges would consider me a great student with a 0.7 gpa (I had not officially dropped the classes, just quit going and ended up with F's). I started back to college on academic probation, took pre-reqs and ended up with an AA in general studies.

THEN, I applied to nursing school because by then my GPA was in the 3.7range.

I also advise you to restart school with just one-two classes and go from there.

Best wishes - you can do this!

caliotter3 · Jan 11, 2015

Some students take one course at a time to insure that they get an A to make them competitive. If you take one course at a time, or two, you will take a long time to reach your goal, but you will be progressing while still earning a living.

Libby1987 · Jan 11, 2015

If I were in your situation I would dedicate myself to obtaining a marketable skill well into my middle aged years whether that's nursing or not.

I don't know what an e grade is, worse than failing? But given your age it seems you could put that well behind you after improving your transcripts and work history.

My sister who didn't finish HS the traditional way (60's) went to nursing school after having 3 kids and cleaning houses to work around her school schedule. My sister is a bad*** and got the grades she needed, zero social life or non essesntials, and was accepted into the local ADN program. Spent years in PACU after some time in ICU and L&D then got her BSN and finally her CRNA at 50. She's 63 now and going strong. She had the nursing shortage on her side post grad but getting into that program was tough back then, extremely competitive and a lottery system. She still did it, she just had to be tougher and better.

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Jan 11, 2015

I do want to ask you this. Is being a RN really something you want to do, or do you have this fantasy that you are going to make a ton of money and your life will be magically better? First, money is not going to make your depression go away. You need help with that.

Second, I don't know where people get this idea that nurses make a ton of money. I'm sure you do better than minimum wage in the factory. Factory workers around here make about $20 an hour. You won't make much more than that starting out in nursing. I see many people come on here wanting to become a nurse, spend the money on prereqs, only to find they hate it.

When I see people come on here with posts like yours I don't think they have a clear idea of what nursing is and entails. If this is truly what you want to do(I'm not saying you have to have a calling or anything), research the schools in your area and talk to some advisors to see what you need to do. Part of the problem is the for profit schools that make people believe if they enter the medical field it will change your life and all your problems will go away. Talk to a physician about your depression.

Purple_roses · Jan 11, 2015

I absolutely think you can become an RN. First of all, you'll need to evaluate your past experience to see what you can do to prevent a repeat situation. Because you have a busy life and a young one, if you have to work right now, you need a job that is flexible, a job that will allow you to make school a priority. If you'd like to continue being a CNA, I would suggest homecare (some agencies do not require certification....just in case your cert has lapsed). This is what I'm doing and because I have only one patient/client at a time, I can bring books to study during down time. This makes working and school a very doable combination for me.

As others have suggested, retake those classes and get As. I would also agree with those who have suggested the LPN-RN route.

Good luck!.

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Jan 11, 2015

Determination can get you through just about anything... So put your heart and mind into it, take some general classes to prove you can get better grades and then apply for nursing school. Suck up the hardships in life and cope with the lemons and get through school!

HPRN

fawnmarie, ASN · Jan 11, 2015

Oh, my friend, you can do it! My journey to becoming a nurse was a long one, with more than just a few low points. I remember working as a server in a restaurant, feeling unsure about the future, but knowing that I was meant to do more than wait tables forever. Have you looked into LPN programs in your area? I was an LPN first, then earned my ASN degree while I held down a decent paying LPN job. Keep your eyes on the prize and stay positive!

martymoose, BSN, RN · Jan 12, 2015

What if you talk to a counselor at the school you were at?maybe they would know if you could get back in. Im assuming you withdrew from everything.You can always say that you were unable to continue d/t finances.

That said, are you sure you want to be a nurse? being a noob when you are done with school means getting a job that will probably be working all 3 shifts, which means babysitters.Loans to pay off .Not to mention the job sucks, but you can make your own opinion on that one since you've worked as a CNA. The money sometimes doesnt seem enough for the he double hockey sticks we have to go through to get it.

I would love to have my factory job back . I have been doing this for over 9 years , and so wish for the old days.That will never be though; industry got exchanged for healthcare.There are no factories left where I am, and if you do find an "assembly" job here ,it is likely minimum wage. Just like nursing "pays well" for the mental anguish, low pay factory jobs are not worth the fact you will be crippled in 20 years from carpal tunnel anyway.

Ugh , I don't know.

Gather all your facts and good luck in your decision.

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Jan 12, 2015

You are probably better off than you think. You may qualify for food stamps, title 19, earned income credit, even a free cell phone since your income is so low. You would find out you would not be much better off because all your money would be spent paying back student loans and the high cost of healthcare and you would end up in a higher tax bracket.

If you want to go back to school, think outside the box and consider other options such as ultrasound tech. Nursing is not the only decent paying job out there and there are a lot easier jobs to be had if you do a little investigating. You could get medical coding at a tech college and that would pay a respectable amount, some places even offer bonuses I've been told since the better you are at coding the more reimbursement to be had! You could be a pharmacy tech while not as high paying it would certainly be better and easier than being a CNA. These are just a few options that are quicker and easier to get into than the very overrated nursing field!

Worked with a nurse who had been on welfare before and felt not much better off because of the cost of food, healthcare, loans etc. Very dismayed that there was not a lot of disposable income after all the bills were paid that had been subsidized by govt benefits before!