I'm fairly new here, but....

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I just read the discussion on, Would I choose nursing as a career? It was soooooooo sad. There was a gal, tremmi? who feels like she lost out on her childrens childhood! That's my biggest worry, so I'm trying to take it slow, and do all the classes but the official nursing school classes before I apply. I don't want my kids to be shut out. Did any of you guys read it? What do you think?:o :confused: Heather

p.s. the pay in Ca. starts out $16-18 for new grads, but again, house prices are REALLY high.

I didn't read it, but I must say, my kids aren't shut out. I don't have much time, but I try to take some time for just them.

And, I am going into nursing FOR my children. I need to have a marketable skill that will make sure my children are always taken care of. I think they understand that, and are willing to deal with it. They help me study and give me time to do what I need to do!

Julie:)

I love my family dearly!!! But the old saying is "If Mamma ain't happy ain't nobody happy" I just did not feel fullfilled being a mom, wife and dairy farmer. Yes I was home here on the farm every day of the week and saw my kids when they got home from school but, I still see them maybe a little later than the school bus comes but It is quality time I try to spend with them. I am not sure how many kids you have but I have tried once a month to do something special with each of my children alone. Bowling, a movie something just the two of us. I also like Julie am doing this for my kids, when that paycheck starts coming in it will be alot easier to spend $50 for a pair of my sons favorite jeans.

It is a good idea to get alot of the classes out of the way before you start clinicals.

And I really believe that someday when your kids realize what you accomplished they will be so proud of you !

Although I'm encouraging my kids to go to college right after high school ! Some people don't find their "passion" until later in life or there are circumstances that keep them from going back when they'd like to.

I have sooooo much admiration for mothers with young children that go back to school especially nursing because it is so tough!

All I can say is---- YOU CAN DO IT !!! WE CAN DO IT !!

carpe diem

mkue

Hi Dublin, nice to meet you!

Luckily, my son will still be pretty little (3) when I'm finished with school, and I know that I'm doing this to improve our lives! I do worry that my committment to school with be hard on him, but I spend just about all my free time with him, so I know he gets the quality even if not the quantity time! But when he gets older I know he'll be proud of me and what I've done. And will have no excuse not to go to college, since I did it!! :D

Getting all pre-reqs out of the way will really free up you time when you get into nursing & make your schedule less heavy!

:) :) :)

My kids are a little older, but still at home and in school. I don't feel I've shut them out at all, and neither do they. I have to do a lot of juggling sometimes, but we're all doing fine.

Specializes in Med Surg, Ortho, Hospice, Home Health.

Last semester I took 15 credits. I worked my schedule so that I was only gone 2 days a week, one night, and I did an internet class. My kids saw more of me with that hectic schedule than they did when I worked full time. It's all in how you schedule your time (including studying time.) I am doing this for my kids. As a nurse my hours will be so much more flexible than when I was a Paralegal. During the summer, I will be able to work less (or even graveyard) and spend extra time with them. With other easier degrees- you are most likely looking at a job that will require you to work full time M-F 9-5 or more. Hang in there, it will work out in the long run!

Marci:)

I totally agree with you. My kids also see me more now than when I worked full time.

I've scheduled my classes so that I can be here in the morning when they go off to school and luckily 4 out of 5 days I'm at home when they get off the bus, so i'ts like I never left and my school is 45 minutes away.

I did take a Sat. morning class, every other saturday, but hey, they sleep later on Sat. morning and it wasn't a problem for anyone, I was usually home around noon !

mkue

I'm with the majority of the other posters. I worked full time for an Internet company, and looking back, I can't *believe* how much I gave up for them. My kids see me more now, in school full time, than they ever did when I was working.

I also was able to get all of my prereq's and support classes done before I began nursing school. I would definitely choose to do it this way if you can. It not only makes family life better, it makes nursing school that much easier.

As for going to college right out of high school, I did, and ended up dropping out (twice) before I ever finished. I finally did get my A.A. this spring and started what I knew I had wanted to do all along. I'll encourage my kids to at minimum get an A.A. before they quit school. It makes it *so* much easier when you figure out what you want to do -- you can just go straight into your program (or finish prereq's for the program) without having to worry about all the other humanities, social science and science classes that the school requires for a B.S. And it's cheaper, too. :)

My $.02 for today. ;)

Krista

Hi Dublin,

Like you, I'm just starting out with my pre. req's this semester. I don't have any children yet but the beauty of present day education is that you can move at your own pace and most places are so felxible with scheduling you can really work your semester around your life. (My school actually offers the RN program on weekends for people that work full time jobs). I plan on taking all of my classes (except clinicals) during the evenings so that I can keep my full time day job. Also, for me - going into nursing has a lot to do with me wanting to have kids in a few years. I want and will probably need to work after I start having kids (for financial reasons) and it is pretty hard to find another career path where you can have the flexibility with scheduling , # hours to work and raise a family.

My aunt is a nurse and she works shifts a few weekends a month to keep her licensure up to date. The rest of the time she is a full time mom to 3 kids. My uncle watches the kids during the times she is at the hospital and it works because it gives him a chance to have quality time with them one on one. The money she makes she uses to put towards their education or for other things like the annual family vacation. Because of the nursing shortage (and the fact that she's a great nurse) hospitals are clammering to have her work for them and she's never had a problem being scheduled when SHE wants to work.

Like another poster said "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy". I'm sure your kids would appreciate a happy, all be it, more worked mom than an unhappy mom.

Specializes in tele, stepdown/PCU, med/surg.

Hey girl!

Just noticed that you were in WA too! I'm in the greater Seattle area. Also graduating in June of 2003! :)

So are you in 2nd quarter now? We just started back last week. I'm sorta nervous about clinical but so far we have learned oral meds admin and sterile technique in skills lab. We are covering a LOT this quarter!!

Well just though I would say hi!

Zach

As both a nurse and the son of a nurse, I have to say that I never felt as if my mother missed out on any of my childhood -- not the important parts, anyway.

I do remember my family being very adaptive. Working a nurse's schedule meant that every other Christmas/Thanksgiving was celebrated on a different day, but that was no big deal to me. Back when she worked every other weekend, my father, brother, and I spent lots of quality time together that gives all of us good memories.

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