Mom's And Nursing School

giftedRN · May 1, 2005

I am a single mother and I have two children, ages 6 and 12. I am not related to anyone in Tallahassee and attending Nursing college. You have to be well organized and make sure that you save enough time to study. I work at the hospital on the afternoon shift and feel very guilty when I have to leave my children alone at nights to go to the library or because I have to work late. I am in term 3 now and it is getting better just keep on praying and tape your lectures and do what is required of you.

good luck!

Ann.

DAREINGTX · May 1, 2005

I can't give first hand experiance since I'm a male, but I am due to graduate

in August . We have several single mothers , some who divorced

mid-stream, and a few that had children along the way. Nursing school is

very intense, but the students you start with will become like an extended family. It's worth almost any sacrifice you will make in the long run, if you're

in it for the right reasons.But...

As a father I don't think it would be worth losing two years with you're kids.

You can always go to school, or wait until circumstances are better.IMO.

You can do it, there is all kinds of help for single parents, and you're fellow

students will be very supportive.

brandy119 · May 1, 2005

I can't give first hand experiance since I'm a male, but I am due to graduate
in August . We have several single mothers , some who divorced
mid-stream, and a few that had children along the way. Nursing school is
very intense, but the students you start with will become like an extended family. It's worth almost any sacrifice you will make in the long run, if you're
in it for the right reasons.But...
As a father I don't think it would be worth losing two years with you're kids.
You can always go to school, or wait until circumstances are better.IMO.
You can do it, there is all kinds of help for single parents, and you're fellow
students will be very supportive.

Thank you very much. I would never and never have thought about giving my children to a relative while I'm in school. It does feel better to hear that people can accomplish Nursing school and children. I have awhile to go yet, I am hoping to enter the school in fall of 2006. I am just trying to prepare things and think things out clearly. I will be giving up a job I have been at for 5 years aand my house to tenants to rent out, it is a pretty scary thought. I hope it all works out as I plan. Thanks again!!!!Good luck and Congradulations!

Trauma Columnist · May 1, 2005

I did nursing school (both LPN and RN) with two children in grade school. Although I did have a very supportive spouse, he was active duty and gone quite a bit. I also worked full-time. I existed on very little sleep, but I did it. It wasn't fun, but its done. Good luck.

brandy119 · May 1, 2005

I am a single mother and I have two children, ages 6 and 12. I am not related to anyone in Tallahassee and attending Nursing college. You have to be well organized and make sure that you save enough time to study. I work at the hospital on the afternoon shift and feel very guilty when I have to leave my children alone at nights to go to the library or because I have to work late. I am in term 3 now and it is getting better just keep on praying and tape your lectures and do what is required of you.
good luck!
Ann.

Thanks for the encouragment. My boys are 6 and 10. They are a handful. Good luck to you. Where you are is nursing school full time also. I just couldnt believe it when they told me to keep 4 days a week clear from 8-4pm. That is really going to be hard to even maintain a job,kids, and try to study. When do you find the time to study. I guess I need to relax and take day by day. I am still finishing my Pre-reqs. I just think way to far ahead, and I am asking myself to stop worrying about what will hopefully come in fall of 2006.

manna, BSN, RN · May 3, 2005

I am soon to be a divorced mother and nursing student. My boys are 6 and 3, I commute 120 miles/day, and I am set to graduate in May 2006 (I hope)! :chuckle

My husband and I have been separated since shortly after I began nursing school, and he is little support. Fortunately, I do have a very supportive family (parents and grandparents) that are helping me through this process.

It's SO hard - but definateyl doable... and worth it! Short term sacrifices for long term goals, I keep reminding myself.

I cannot pass judgment on another Mom for what she felt was necessary to pursue her education. However, I could not imagine living separate from my children for 2 whole years. They are what keeps me "going" most days. :)

stidget99 · May 3, 2005

I graduated in '93. I was a single mom of two girls. While doing my pre-req's, I was on the deans list. Once I started in the program, I continued to strive to be on the dean's list but found it very difficult. Yeah I was getting the straight A's but my kids were suffering. They were showing behavioral changes. So what I had to do, is accept that I would not be able to be on the dean's list. My kids were more important. So along I go in the program. Struggling to maintain an average to get by. Also, would be important to mention that I was diagnosed w/ Grave's Disease while in school. So that made it that much worse (ended up dropping out 3 times because of my illness). So anyways, I graduated. I have the dubious distinction of graduation at the very bottom of my class (although many didn't make it at all). I passed boards on the first try. And today, I am an excellent nurse.

So it can be done. It's extremely difficult but if it is something that you truly want...well, anything worth having is worth all of the hard work and sacrifice.

tvccrn, ASN, RN · May 3, 2005

I graduated from school with my ADN 10 years ago this year. I was a single mother of three under the age of 9, went to school Mon-Thurs 7 hours a day and on Fri until noon, AND work 32 hours on Sat and Sun. I was exhausted and had no family around to help.

Unfortunately, because I was burning the candle on both ends as well as in the middle....I can't remember how I did it. I think I went to sleep about half-way through my first semester and woke up as I walked across the stage to accept my degree.

Seriously though, it took a LOT of determination and compromise. My children learned that they could find things to do for themselves. They didn't need me to cater to them minute to minute. My oldest would get them into the bath and ready for bed while I studied. They did have to grow up rather quickly from this experience, and I do wish it wasn't that way. But, they are able to take care of themselves now where some of their friends beleive their parents owe them something.

Would I do it differently if I had it to do again? Yes, but I WOULD do it again even if the circumstances were the same because it's what helped me make a better life for myself and my children.

Keep the end result in sight and know that you can do this, all it takes is a little perseverance.

StarNurse2006 · May 3, 2005

I cannot pass judgment on another Mom for what she felt was necessary to pursue her education. QUOTE]
Thank you for saying that! I am a single Mom of 2, a 3 year old and a 5 year old. I moved back in with my parents 6 months ago and the closest nursing school is 4 hours away. Because it is 8-3, Monday through Friday for 12 months with no breaks, the only way I can do it is to get an apartment near school and come home on the weekends, and my parents will care for my children. I don't get child support, as my ex is a complete waste of space who has been out of work for 6 months and has made no effort to help me support the kids. My parents are EXTREMELY supportive of my dream to become a nurse and they offered to not only pay for all of my living expenses and those of my children, but to help me pay for school. They are making a HUGE sacrifice, putting my Mom's career on hold, spending a lot of money as well as time, and delaying their plans to relocate.
I know that my kids are better off being with my parents while I am in school. I insist on finding a part-time job to help my parents with expenses and I am also going to community college part-time doing pre-reqs for an LPN-RN bridge program. I could not spend the quality time I want to with them during the week. Better that they be with family than in daycare for 16 hours a day (which I obviously cannot afford).
I am going to school to provide a better life for my children. Do I wish I could live at home while doing it? You bet! Do I feel guilty and sad that I will be gone at least 5 days out of every 7? Of course! But I have been offered an opportunity to support my kids for the next 15 years and beyond, and to set an example for them, and you better believe that I am going to take my parents up on their generosity and love to help get me there. It's going to be hard...but it 12 months, and that 12 months is going to fly by whether I finish school or not. Better that I make a good life for me and my children than keep scraping by with no chance to make things better for them. I know too many women who had kids and then decided to have them live with their grandparents...because they wanted to party. I am not one of those women, and I know that I am doing right by my children.
I say...seize the opportunities you get to make a better life for your children. It's not easy to be a single Mom...take help where you can get it.
Jennee

alitory, BSN, RN · May 4, 2005

:balloons: I graduated in December, with my Degree, and let me tell you it was not easy! But you say you have time to prepare, that is the best thing you can have! I have 4 children 12, 10, 8 and 7. All in school, all with schedules and deadlines, but I was determined I was going to do it.

You have to be able to prioritize and remember you can do it! My children husband and I all had to sacrifice a lot in order for me to get through school. We went with out a lot of extras, like movies and going out to eat. My husband worked opposite shifts, then my school so that I was able to simply focus on school. You will have to be willing to sacrifice, if you can do that you will be a nurse!

Thank your family now for being willing to help you, it will be so worth it when you are done, you will have accomplished a great goal and have an awesome job!!

I wish you the best of luck and Happiness as you embark on your dream of being a nurse!!:balloons: :nurse:

lost_as_an_easteregg · May 6, 2005

I cannot pass judgment on another Mom for what she felt was necessary to pursue her education. QUOTE]
Thank you for saying that! I am a single Mom of 2, a 3 year old and a 5 year old. I moved back in with my parents 6 months ago and the closest nursing school is 4 hours away. Because it is 8-3, Monday through Friday for 12 months with no breaks, the only way I can do it is to get an apartment near school and come home on the weekends, and my parents will care for my children. I don't get child support, as my ex is a complete waste of space who has been out of work for 6 months and has made no effort to help me support the kids. My parents are EXTREMELY supportive of my dream to become a nurse and they offered to not only pay for all of my living expenses and those of my children, but to help me pay for school. They are making a HUGE sacrifice, putting my Mom's career on hold, spending a lot of money as well as time, and delaying their plans to relocate.
I know that my kids are better off being with my parents while I am in school. I insist on finding a part-time job to help my parents with expenses and I am also going to community college part-time doing pre-reqs for an LPN-RN bridge program. I could not spend the quality time I want to with them during the week. Better that they be with family than in daycare for 16 hours a day (which I obviously cannot afford).
I am going to school to provide a better life for my children. Do I wish I could live at home while doing it? You bet! Do I feel guilty and sad that I will be gone at least 5 days out of every 7? Of course! But I have been offered an opportunity to support my kids for the next 15 years and beyond, and to set an example for them, and you better believe that I am going to take my parents up on their generosity and love to help get me there. It's going to be hard...but it 12 months, and that 12 months is going to fly by whether I finish school or not. Better that I make a good life for me and my children than keep scraping by with no chance to make things better for them. I know too many women who had kids and then decided to have them live with their grandparents...because they wanted to party. I am not one of those women, and I know that I am doing right by my children.
I say...seize the opportunities you get to make a better life for your children. It's not easy to be a single Mom...take help where you can get it.
Jennee
I'm a mother of 4, will be applying for Lpn program in September. I have already talked to my kids extensively, and let them know that when I do get to start school, that I won't have as much free time with them as I do now. But I assure them that we'll still have our quality time, just not as much of it for a year. The main reason I love this site, it is very informative. I've always dreamed of becoming a nurse, but until I joined this site, never knew the intensity of how badly I want it! It's also helped me to face reality and understand that it's not going to be a walk in the park to get through school, but the stories that some of you have told are so inspirational. Whenever I start wondering if I can do it I like to logon and read some of your success stories.........peps me up and boosts my self confidence. So glad I found this site!