Difficult Choices

[morrells21]

Good evening everyone,

I am stuck between a rock and a hard spot. I always wanted to work in the medical field. More specifically, I wanted to work in the healthcare field since I was 6 years old, but I was never told that was an option. I was told that the best I could do for myself is to become a teacher because I was not "gifted" as my high school football coach would say. I used that as motivation to prove everyone wrong. Long story short, I ended up taking a few business classes before I joined the Navy and as time as progressed I have been faced with the following situation:

Continue with my studies in Supply Chain Management

OR

Finish the last 5 classes for my Pre-Nursing Degree

I also have my CNA license. I ended up taking classes at my community college and I love every second of being a CNA, which is not what I hear most people say. To further complicate things, I have a wife and three kids to support, which is why I have been told that I need to finish my Supply Chain Management degree. I was told to finish that degree because it is the most flexible path and I can work and go to school at the same time. As I progress further into academic career, I have noticed that when I am doing assignments related to Supply Chain Management I just don't get that same "buzz" like I would writing a paper about nutrition or microbiology. Furthermore, I have been told by my Supply Chain professors that I am always one of their best students and I have a gift for this, but I just do not get the burning feeling in my stomach about it. I go to sleep thinking about nursing and its what keeps me up at night. Ultimately, I ended up distancing myself from asking my parents about advice because they want me to start a business and go from there because its the better idea to them. Lastly, here are just some of my "stats" incase there were questions about my academic performance:

3.73 GPA

National Society of College Scholars member

SALUTE Honor Society member

Active CNA license

14 classes from bachelors in Supply Chain Management

5 classes from finishing Pre-Nursing Degree

90 on TEAS Exam

Ultimately, what would you all do? Say screw everyone's opinion and do what sets your soul on fire or continue with Supply Chain Management? Also, I am separating from the Navy. Please provide meaningful feedback and with the good and bad of nursing. Thank you all and have a great rest of your night!

[bitter_betsy, BSN]

My degree is in IT. I have been programming since I was 16. I'm currently in school doing pre-reqs for Nursing. It isn't that I'm not a talented programmer - I chose to finish my IT degree because it was easy for me. My professors loved me, are writing fantastic recommendations for me and I graduated with a 3.86. I hate every day in that world. Hate it.

This is something that you have to sit down and decide and then discuss with the wifey. My child is 19 and is in college and her tuition is taken care of (scholarships and savings). I have a very supportive significant other but we cannot live on his salary alone (chose to buy him a new boat motor and new truck this year before we made this choice so now we have nice payments). I am working 3 jobs right now and him 2. We are saving every penny that we can so that when I'm in nursing school, I can just wait tables on the weekends. He is a commercial fisherman and that isn't necessarily a steady income. So much could happen over the next 2 years. I made the decision though, and he is supporting me completely.

Should you finish your Supply Chain Management degree? Maybe but sounds like no. Can you see yourself waking up doing this every day? What kind of person would you be? Would you be a cranky jerk because your job is sucking the life out of you and you've got nothing left for your family? Maybe you need to finish the Supply Chain and do that until your kids are a little older and they don't require as much from you (assuming they are smaller rather than larger). Your wife could help then as well (again - assuming that you have littles and she stays home with them now - which is typical of military families that move - if this is not you I apologize for my assumptions - was married to the Corps so that's where my assumptions come from)

Maybe you should look into military nursing. I am currently in class with a woman that is working at an Army Airfield - they have given her an "easy" job so that she can focus on her pre-reqs. They will transfer her to another nursing school when she is done with pre-reqs and pay her to go to nursing school while she is active duty (somewhere in Georgia). I'm sure this requires some sort of commitment on her part afterwards and it didn't sound like an OCS thing - but in the Navy you've got the Navy and the Corps to contend with so maybe they offer this option to Navy as well. If not - look to see what the Army will do for you and if they will pay for you to go to school. I'm fairly certain you can leave one branch and enter another as long as its honorable.

It isn't a cut and dry choice. Its really about cause and effect. Your mindset matters more than money. You marriage needs to be strong to get through this because you will need to study a lot. You need to have the mental capacity to be a good spouse and parent through this process. Get a dry erase board and write down all your options and then pros and cons of each. This isn't a 5 minute project - it took me 2 weeks when I did it. You look, write and sleep. Look, write, sleep. Discuss with the wife, write, sleep. Eventually the choice becomes completely clear.

Good Luck. There is no wrong choice. It may just take longer to get to the right choice but you won't know until you start.