going back to school and nursing... stressed out

pmabraham, BSN, RN · Jul 30, 2014

If you transfer to a different college, only credits that can transfer do transfer with no GPA; that means that you start off with a fresh GPA at the new college. That's one way to wipe out bad grades; another way, if the college you went to allows it, is academic forgiveness where certain grades and any associated credits are removed (check with the college).

You made a large amount of negative statements about yourself for which I will not repeat; HighHealz motivation that doesn't come from within, doesn't last. The same goes for confidence, (self) respect, esteem, etc. If this is how you think of yourself on any regular basis, I would recommend counseling before schooling; this would be a good thing, and is very common.

https://allnurses.com/pre-nursing-student/how-get-any-846733.html is an excellent article to read as you move forward with your journey. If you go for nursing, it will be among the hardest things you've done in your life (which, if you are not feeling good about yourself will be even harder -- why getting help matters so much). You can do it if you put your mind to it, and maintain a positive attitude that every step forward or backward is an opportunity to learn, grow, and be better than the previous day.

This infographic came to mind from reading your post. You can be successful, start putting into practice the habits of success.

Thank you.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jul 30, 2014

First...Breathe...

You are right, Nursing does involve the individual to be at a higher standard due to the nature of the career-managing people's lives competently and safely.

With that being said; if you want to get into this business, know that most of your credits are so old, they are no longer relevant to your current journey; what you are able to do NOW is look at what classes you are required to take, learn how to study by utilizing study strategies through the college and learn where to get help. Also get to know your instructors within the first week, and establish a rapport-get to know their office schedules so when you have additional questions, etc, you know WHEN and where to find them.

Higher education is very daunting; it means stepping outside of the box and shaping individuals to be objective, responsible, and accountable (at least in my experience); it gives you the power to help shape yourself into who you want to be.

Remain active, engaged, and committed in your studies, and you will get far in your journey.

Best wishes! :up:

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Jul 30, 2014

Hmm - OK, I'm going into Mom mode.

Try to project yourself another 10 years into the future. You're now 39 years old. What is your life going to be like if you don't do anything - still working part time at the bar, "partying" is not as much fun, as everyone is much younger than you. Boyfriend moved on because he needed someone who shared his goals in life. . . . etc. Is that where you want to be?

Now, look at a different scenario. You're still 39, but you've been working as a nurse for 6 years now. You and your significant other/spouse have a nice house, late model cars and are now looking at a vacation house. You're up for promotion to department manager and have just enrolled to obtain your Masters degree because you have decided to become a Nurse Practitioner.

Which one has more appeal? Take that first step with a clear goal in mind.

mindofmidwifery, ADN · Jul 30, 2014

Love the success indicator. Also, I agree completely with HouTx. You can only really get anywhere in life if you have set goals and know what you want to get out of it. What can you get out of partying and smoking weed vs going to nursing school and focusing. You need to quit any and all drugs that you are on now if you are even thinking seriously about going for nursing. Nursing school will be very hard and it is up to you to determine whether it is worth it.

203bravo, MSN, APRN · Jul 30, 2014

Good day, HighHealz:
If you transfer to a different college, only credits that can transfer do transfer with no GPA; that means that you start off with a fresh GPA at the new college. That's one way to wipe out bad grades; another way, if the college you went to allows it, is academic forgiveness where certain grades and any associated credits are removed (check with the college).
You made a large amount of negative statements about yourself for which I will not repeat; HighHealz motivation that doesn't come from within, doesn't last. The same goes for confidence, (self) respect, esteem, etc. If this is how you think of yourself on any regular basis, I would recommend counseling before schooling; this would be a good thing, and is very common.
https://allnurses.com/pre-nursing-student/how-get-any-846733.html is an excellent article to read as you move forward with your journey. If you go for nursing, it will be among the hardest things you've done in your life (which, if you are not feeling good about yourself will be even harder -- why getting help matters so much). You can do it if you put your mind to it, and maintain a positive attitude that every step forward or backward is an opportunity to learn, grow, and be better than the previous day.
This infographic came to mind from reading your post. You can be successful, start putting into practice the habits of success.
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Thank you.

Most schools are different -- I've attended a total of 3 now and every course and every grade is currently factored into my GPA...

If the grade of F and WF are going to transfer, I would think about retaking those classes to replace those 0 quality points to improve the GPA.

Just a thought.

best of luck.

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Jul 30, 2014

You are 29 now. You need to let the partying days behind you. Those should have been gone around 25. Now you say your boyfriend is forcing you to go to school. You will not succeed if you feel like you are being forced to do something. I know from experience. You have to do this for you and absolutely no one else or you won't want in enough to do well. Nursing school is competitive so you have to do well. Make sure you sit down with an advisor at your school and map out a plan.

mbtsab · Jul 30, 2014

I feel like I am/was in your shoes. I have always wanted to be a nurse, but kept getting side tracked with trying to do quick technical degrees. I have been in the medical field for over 8 years now-mostly surgical scheduling,admin work and now billing. I always felt like I wanted to make a difference in peoples lives, I wanted to be there for them, and help them. I went through my party vaze in my twenties and even to my late twenties.I have been going to my college on and off now for the past 7 years and have 35 credits for different majors that I have been changing(teacher-to- business and now nurse). I am having to retake 3 courses where I have f's in and they are not even for my pre-reqs, but I am not going to look at it as taking an even longer time to finish, I am gonig to look at as showing that I am serious about becoming a nurse.

Livetoride · Jul 30, 2014

I personally think at 29, you really need to re-evaluate yourself. If you are truly stressed and unhappy with your life, change it. Don't expect others to. You need to sit down with an advisor at your school to help build a plan where you will be successful. If you want to be a nurse, you are going to have to work harder than you ever worked and want it more than anything

You said your boyfriend "made" you go to school. Did he also choose your career for you? I see people go into the wrong fields because they were pressured into it. I want you to think about this: if he decided tomorrow that he was going to leave you, what will you do with your life? Would you continue school, or wallow in misery and party your life away?

I will leave you with this piece of advice: only you can motivate yourself. People only give you the tools to build that road to success. Whether or not you utilize those tools is up to you. When you think negatively, change your thought process. You will never get anywhere thinking negatively because misery loves company, and if you think of yourself negatively, you cannot love yourself. How do you expect to accomplish great things when you got a lowly view of yourself?

HighHealz · Jul 30, 2014

The hardest part IS finding that motivation. I have always been a drifter, free spirit, enjoyed living life without having too many responsibilities or stress. Honestly, if I had the means and money to live without having to do anything else, I probably wouldn't. I would go on with my life, travelling, shopping, partying, exploring, and relaxing. But I know... this is not my reality and I have to do something to secure my future. I have been a lazy person most of my life, I will admit that. Deep down, I don't know if I will ever be the super put-together, go getter, ambitious type, its just not me. I have yearned for change for a while but just wasn't sure how to ease myself into it without having it feel meaningless like "Why am I really doing this and do I really want to? Is it really going to make me happier?" I realize I have to at least try and start somewhere to see if it will slowly start to change me for the good.

I wouldn't say I exactly have a low view of myself, but in comparison to super successful people with good careers, etc, I am not very high up on that ladder. I never expect myself to be that way so I am content with that. In the end, I just want to finish school in a timely manner (like 2-3 years tops) and have a decent paying, respectable job that I can live with. I know I'll have to tough it out and work hard to get anywhere at first, I just want to make sure that halfway through, I'm going to realize its a huge mistake and I should have done something else. I do feel like helping people can be very rewarding and have always enjoyed that. I am a good people person and I genuinely do care about people. However... I do not like long hours, being tired, stressed out, or being pressured. My hopes with a nursing degree is to have a flexible part time job in the future, where I can do something fairly low stress and perhaps work my way up to something more if I feel comfortable. I am ok working odd shifts, what I don't want is 12 hour shifts with no breaks. I keep hearing all these horror stories so this is what really worries me.

My current mixture of friends is half professional (mostly accountants and auditors), and the rest all work in the service industry or some kind of pet or animal related service. We all like to party together but the money thing is becoming quite apparent. My boyfriend is an accounting manager and just got a promotion so he's doing pretty good for himself. All of the professionals own a house and have a decent car whereas my other industry friends are living in an apartment or renting, and struggle with finances. I am lucky to have my boyfriend who is willing to help me and wants to see me succeed, so I have a bit of a cushion. I guess I just need to work up that motivation.

mindofmidwifery, ADN · Jul 30, 2014

Let me tell you one thing: if you are looking for low stress, nursing is not for you. You will experience everything you don't like, the whole shebang. Stress, long hours, and pressure. The long hours part is the ONLY thing that could change once you get experience, especially if you work in a physician's office, but it's definitely not guaranteed that you won't have them.

pmabraham, BSN, RN · Jul 30, 2014

Good day, HighHealz:

Everyone defines success differently; it doesn't have to be money, fancy cars, new homes, etc. In terms of motivation, lasting motivation comes from within. In terms of nursing, maybe someone else can share if they know of any LPN/RN position that is consistently low stress. Since there is no nursing shortage, it's not like one can pick or choose this job or that job for lower stress or specific hours. May I suggest doing some job shadowing to get a feel for things?

Thank you.