How are you? My name is Jeff. I am a 33, married (8.5 years, wife is 35) & no children. After a long time of career misery I am going to follow my late mother's footsteps.
I unfortunately do not enjoy the support of my spouse. She thinks I am a fool and should finish up my bachelors in my other field (culinary arts). She feels I'm too old to embark on a new career. Now she has finished her BA degree as well as a degree in Pastry Arts but doesn't use them.
I am entering the Spring 2011 ADN program at CSN. This start date gives me ample time to get all of my items in order. I want to take the classes I am missing only two at a time, do the very best I can, and hit the four semester program running. Plus I have to pay out of pocket (no FinAid, long story don't ask) for all my courses.
I tell you, not having support and having someone combat me daily on this is mentally taxing. I haven't started and it's already kickin' my butt. I've got a definitive plan laid out and I want this very much. I don't know what the future holds in the way of kids but I would love to be done before they become school age so it's not a strain on them.
My hat's off to all the parents that pull that miracle off daily!!
I would try to use the money aspect to sway my wife onboard but money is NOT the reason to do anything, let alone nursing. This is a lot for post number 1 but it's a start...
Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.
You might want to remind her that as a general rule, nursing is a resession proof job. You can get a job anywhere and you usually don't have to worry about getting laid off. Being in the food business, of any kind is not a stable job with the economy being the way it is. Go ahead with nursing. You will be better for doing this.
I spoke with my sister today. She has really bolstered my decision to become a nurse. I'm not sure about moving to where she is though. Her practice has a tuition program to where I can pay for further education and receive a stipend.. WOW!
She said if I became a CRNA that I can be contracted in on her procedures. Is that true? I need to find out more on this but for now I'm just taking this all one day at a time. First things first. Get the ADN. Then I can think about other avenues of this wonderful world of nursing.
I really wanna thank all of you for the advice and well wishes (including Bluee). I have a lot to mull over but will keep you posted.
Specializes in midwifery, ophthalmics, general practice.
Ihe said if I became a CRNA that I can be contracted in on her procedures. Is that true? I need to find out more on this but for now I'm just taking this all one day at a time. First things first. Get the ADN. Then I can think about other avenues of this wonderful world of nursing.
ok I swear you lot do this to see how long it takes me to work out the Jargon...........what is a CRNA?? I think it might mean a certified registered nurses aid?? if so.. what the heck is that?? wont tell you the 'non professional' interpretations I have come up with!!:icon_roll
dont think I'd do very well working in the states.. I'd be the nurse standing there with a stunned look on her face trying to work out what you just said.. and why do you call a ward a floor?? for me, a floor is the whole level.. as in first floor, second floor etc! a ward is a collection of beds that you work on..
I found out it is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. Without going into a soapbox speech as to their scope of practice, they (forgive me) are essentially Anesthesiologists from a nursing perspective (Performing virtually similar tasks).
And I mean no disrespect to either Anesthesiologists or CRNA's by that rudimentary definition.
Specializes in midwifery, ophthalmics, general practice.
i found out it is a certified registered nurse anesthetist. without going into a soapbox speech as to their scope of practice, they (forgive me) are essentially anesthesiologists from a nursing perspective (performing virtually similar tasks).
and i mean no disrespect to either anesthesiologists or crna's by that rudimentary definition.
my apologies if you feel i have hijacked your thread..
i would point out that i may have been a nurse for 30yrs.. but i dont work in the states and we dont have the same job titles as in the states. we have only a few qualifications.. here nurses are registered nurses, with a few speciallities such as midwife or health vistor. i'm a nurse practitioner- and its not a recognised qualification here yet despite being at masters level. we dont have crna's here........ we might have something similiar but thats not a title we use, will have to check what title we use but would be a clinical specialist role, so they will be a registered nurse specialist.
i hate jargon.. it leads to mistakes.. for example iud. this can mean inter-uterine death or inter-urterine device.. so it can lead to miscommunication. i frequently feel i speak a different language to people in the states! so my apologies for asking for clarification about a term i didnt understand. maybe i should start a thread on all the abbrevations i dont understand!
and you just edited your post.. taking out the bit saying i had hijacked your thread!!! i'll leave mine to stand as it is.. and will continue to ask for clarification when i dont understand stuff..
We have wards and floors. And you did go on a little tangent on what you don't know as abbreviations. I see you have well over 1,000 posts. Not once you didn't see those four letters bunched together until now (CRNA)?
Anyhow, let's not fight.
Sometimes a ward encompasses an entire floor. Say for example, if you asked where the neonatal ICU was. I could tell you to go to the third floor. Consequently, that floor could also be home to the pediatric ICU. I don't know the facts on that for sure but maybe we can ask someone that works in one..
I am sorry that your wife seems to be feeling insecure. My husband acted the same way with me whenever I tried to advance in my job by going to college. He would fight and I would give in and quit my classes. I wasted a lot of time and money dealing with his behavior. It would have been better if I would have put up with his sulking and completed my courses. He never seemed to have any trouble helping me spend my wages. I would think that your wife may change her attitude when she sees that you are able to find decent, steady employment and that you are happy in what you are doing. Perhaps you can convince her to go into healthcare also. She may find her own niche in nursing through you. Anyway, good luck in school. I recommend that you do what you want with your career aspirations. It will certainly go some way toward making you happy and your wife should be able to see and appreciate that.
i did not have the support of my partner but i went ahead anyway,it's tough when the person you lives with does not support you and actively argues against your chosen field,and like you i was 33 when i went back,but once i graduated and it was clear i wanted to be in this field i got the support i wanted,basically it's your life,not theirs,and while you can have input on some subjects,how you spend the hours of your life in work has to be your choice,not theirs...would you choose a career for her ?...good luck
It really makes me happy to see that there are going to be such wonderful new additions to our Nursing 'tribe' in the next couple of years. On behalf of all the old, (nearly) worn out, used up, hanging-in-there nurses --- you are MOST WELCOME additions. Let me know if anyone gives you any problems as a new grad - I'll mobilize my fellow silverbacks and we'll straighten them out for you.
Wonderful advice from all the responses. I was very moved by NurseMike's take on things - from carpenter to nurse. Well, fixin is fixin, isn't it? But it must be infinitely more frustrating to deal with people than cabinets because some of us are just permanently out of plumb.
One question for the OP - what in the world are 'pastry arts'? I love learning new things, and I had never even given this much thought. I need to know about this - does this include creme puffs in sculptural shapes? Artistically rendered pies? Those fancy wedding cakes?
You are all fabulous! I am so glad to be a member of this community.
I would try to talk it out with her because nursing school will put alot of stress on your marriage if she is not in your corner. I personally do not know how I would have made it through without the support of my wife. I too was 35 when I was accepted to nursing school and have been married for 18 years. I gave up a job making way more than a starting nurse can make but she knew I was not happy and supported my decision 100%.
:yeah:
diane227, LPN, RN
1,941 Posts
You might want to remind her that as a general rule, nursing is a resession proof job. You can get a job anywhere and you usually don't have to worry about getting laid off. Being in the food business, of any kind is not a stable job with the economy being the way it is. Go ahead with nursing. You will be better for doing this.