Hello, I am a CNA. While in highschool 2 years ago I got certified and started working at a long term care facility.
While I was working full time I went to community college full time for a ADN. Little did I know but the stress at work as well as the stress of schoolwork finally took its toll on me.
I changed jobs and dropped out of college getting e grades in all my classes. At this point in my life I'm working in a local factory wishing that I would've stayed in school.
Here recently I had a child and I want a better financial life for my child and I know that landing a nursing job will help with this. The main problem and reason for depression is that now if I go back there is no grantee that I will ever get into the nursing program due to the e grades I received for when I dropped out. I really want to be a rn though. If you were to be in my situation what would you do?
Dwilder, I am sorry about how your feeling. But please don't give up. Is there anyway you could talk to a counselor or advisor from the college? Maybe take classes online if you have to? You are still very young and have time on your side. Talk to different people who will give you a chance. Don't take no for an answer. I would get depressed sometimes too. You have to speak to someone and give yourself a pep talk every now and then. You are an intelligent person because you realize that you need an education to get anywhere in life...to have a good life for yourself and your children. Keep your head up!
Lots of good advice on these posts. You need to deal with your depression, part of it may be that you feel a little like a failure but it could also be from recent childbirth (post-partum depression) or this time of year (seasonal depression) When things seem so overwhelming, it is hard to find your way. You will have to focus on what you want to achieve and stick to it. You may have to develop a "hard shell" to make things happen. I truly believe determination and perseverance can help you achieve anything. You could reapply to the college for a general program and take some courses to show that you can do college level classes, or you could re-take the ones that you got the E's in to replace that grade. You can improve your GPA by retaking those classes or taking classes with the same amount of credits. I would put your earlier college experiences up to maturity and now you are ready and more focused. Not all of us know exactly what we want to do in high-school, some of us take a little longer to find our way. Good Luck!!
Ok. I am going to briefly share my story with you. I went to college in 2001 and didn't like the subject I was taking. Not only did I have a lot of C's the first semester, I also had four F's the following semester due to not withdrawing properly. When I decided to take my pre-reqs for nursing school, the academic advisor told me flat out to forget about it. He told me my past grades were too poor and I might as well go for medical assistant or surgical tech. I worked harder than ever to get almost all A's in my pre-req's and got accepted to nursing school. I not only graduated this May as one of the top of my class, I also won an award. I am now a registered nurse, and it feels so good to be able to say that, when others told me I would never be able to. If there is a will, there is a way, and the road may be more difficult for those of us who messed up in the past, but it is not impossible. I went through the depression that you are going through as well, and I decided to get up and not let it stop me. I went to school with two children, and remained low income so I could do it all for free. Find a way, believe in your self, work hard, and life will pave a path for you to your dreams. Good luck.
I see what you are saying but I disagree about a nurse not being much better off than she was with welfare. As a nurse, the OP would be self-sufficient and wouldn't need to rely on government, automatically putting her a much better situation. While I do agree that nursing is slightly overrated, it is by far the most flexible of the medical professions.
That being said, nursing isn't all that it is cracked up to be. As a new grad, you will get the crappiest hours, the lowest pay and the least amount of respect. It takes a few years until one can see the benefit of nursing.
If you can handle that, I say go for it. You sound very young (18?). You've got plenty of time to turn things around and get into nursing, if that is what you wish.
While it's true that money will not make one's problems disappear, life is more enjoyable when one has financial security. When I worked as a server in the late 90s, a "good" month meant bringing in about $1,200. I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do with my life, but I had big dreams that included homeownership and stability. I couldn't have the life that I wanted without pursuing higher education. I have never regretted choosing nursing as my profession, and I certainly don't miss my waitressing days! So my advice is to dream big, work hard, and make it happen!
While it's true that money will not make one's problems disappear, life is more enjoyable when one has financial security. When I worked as a server in the late 90s, a "good" month meant bringing in about $1,200. I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do with my life, but I had big dreams that included homeownership and stability. I couldn't have the life that I wanted without pursuing higher education. I have never regretted choosing nursing as my profession, and I certainly don't miss my waitressing days! So my advice is to dream big, work hard, and make it happen!
I agree with that to a point. Having money can make life a little easier but if someone is depressed it does not make the depression go away. Take it from someone who knows. Depression is a nasty thing to deal with. I just want her to understand that getting it under control first will help her think clearly about what she really wants to do with her life. People who are depressed and don't have it under control make impulsive decisions on what they can do to make them feel better now. Much of the time, it's not the right answer and she could end up just throwing money down the drain.
I recommend you contact the nursing school and ask for an appointment with a faculty advisor. Dress like you are going to a job interview. Without explaining all the reasons why, tell them you have interruptions in your study and now are VERY interested and earnest about suceeding as an RN student. Answer their questions and find out what your options are at this point. If that interview is not satisfactory, ask if there is someone else to whom you should speak. Schools want students to succeed. It makes them look good. I wish you loads of luck!
I worked in a factory in ancient times making $6.25/hr. When I decided to become a CNA, I started at $6.27/hr. My boss at the factory told me not to do, I would never make it blah blah blah. I did it full time for a few years then started toward my nursing degree taking 17 credits the first semester. I had no idea what a credit even was. I was the first to go to college in my family. Well, I dropped every course except one. Had a baby. Back to school 1-2 classes at a time. Just enough to keep in in half time status for financial aid. Finally graduated at 40yrs, have a BA in Health Care Admin too! 3.5 classes to go to complete my BSN (I'm in Research....again, yuck). You can do whatever you set your mind to do! Never let anyone, including yourself, tell you differently. Time is going to go by no matter what. You can keep on this path and it will move on, or you can start back to school. Just know that you are stronger then you think! Wishing you the best :)
I see what you are saying but I disagree about a nurse not being much better off than she was with welfare. As a nurse, the OP would be self-sufficient and wouldn't need to rely on government, automatically putting her a much better situation. While I do agree that nursing is slightly overrated, it is by far the most flexible of the medical professions.
That being said, nursing isn't all that it is cracked up to be. As a new grad, you will get the crappiest hours, the lowest pay and the least amount of respect. It takes a few years until one can see the benefit of nursing.
If you can handle that, I say go for it. You sound very young (18?). You've got plenty of time to turn things around and get into nursing, if that is what you wish.
You are right you can be self sufficient as a nurse as it pays a living wage. I was just pointing out that the OP might find she has no more disposable income as a nurse than she does now and would be surprised and frustrated by that. Of course overtime is always available, but than one is sacrificing time with family and children to make a living.
I just think there are better jobs out there than nursing where a person has a better chance of a good life, not overworked and over stressed as so many of us are. Even so many people that say they love nursing usually mention all the problems first and then add but of course I love nursing. I wonder if part of that is guilt and the inability to admit that nursing just isn't a fun, enjoyable job. I'm honest, I'm very disappointed in nursing and if I could afford to quit I would retire and put this behind me. I don't feel the stress on body and mind is worth it, I hate to encourage others to go into nursing just to end up feeling trapped and depressed from the job itself!
Also the depression the OP is dealing with must be dealt with first and it may be postpartum depression. Before she makes any decisions especially going back to school and taking out student loans she needs to be in a good place mentally.
I still would recommend other fields than nursing such as ultrasound tech it pays as good or better and you are taking care of one patient at a time. You are not forced to juggle many patients and expected to do everyone elses job on top of your own. Nursing is just a ****** job and I don't see it changing. Management loves that we work so hard, doing everyone elses job on top of our own and even missing lunch to do it!
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Amesmo93
9 Posts
Dwilder, I am sorry about how your feeling. But please don't give up. Is there anyway you could talk to a counselor or advisor from the college? Maybe take classes online if you have to? You are still very young and have time on your side. Talk to different people who will give you a chance. Don't take no for an answer. I would get depressed sometimes too. You have to speak to someone and give yourself a pep talk every now and then. You are an intelligent person because you realize that you need an education to get anywhere in life...to have a good life for yourself and your children. Keep your head up!