Has it been too long?

[mommy_nurse]

I need advise! Three and a half years ago I graduated from LPN school. Two days after graduation, I found out I was pregnant with my first child! Only a week later my husband was laid off from his job. I worked part time while studying for my NCLEX. I then began to have problems with the pregnancy. At this point I was only about 4 months pregnant. I was literally in the hospital or at the doctors office four days a week from week 17 to week 31 when I delivered. I had to quit my job and was so stressed I could not study. My husband got a new job in a different state 5hours away and after she was born and finally home from the hospital, we moved with my husband. I again was able to study for my NCLEX (at this point I had been out of school about a year). I found out I was pregnant again when my daughter was four months old. Studying went to the wayside because of my worries, etc. I could not concentrate. We lost that baby at 5 months gestation. I began to study again, then once again, got pregnant. This time things went well and I now have another baby girl. The thing is, I have been out of school now for three and a half years. I pick up my books to study and I cry. I don't even know where to begin. I have forgotten so much already and I am overwhelmed. I am trying to reteach myself, but I am terrified that I will not remember what I have learned. Even worse, I feel like I have thrown my life away. I love my children and wouldn't trade them for the world, I could not ask for a bigger blessing in my life, but I need to get this for ME. I am so scared of failure...where do I start? What are the best study tools/tips? Do I need to start all over again and get back to school? If anyone can help, please do.

Thank you

[Nemhain]

Sometimes life just happens; blessings and curses are dealt with each hand.

First of all you sound motivated, but frustrated and you don't know where to start. 3 years out of school is a mighty long time. Your study plan should start from the bottom on up; meaning, begin with your first semester fundamentals and build on them. The NCSBN (the people who make up the NCLEX-PN) have an online Practical Nurse review you may want to check out.

Now, I'm not sure what your employment outlook will be if the person hiring took note that there was more than a 3 year lap between your schooling and the date of your license issue. I don't want to discourage you, but I just want to be realistic. But there is a way around it. Once you get your LPN license you can then enroll in an associate's RN program (so it'll most likely be just two semesters) and then be a new RN and then immediately take the NCLEX-RN. So when you apply for a job you'll be a new graduate with a few hundred hours of clinicals under your belt. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be an LPN, but I thought I'd just try to give you a practical solution for solving the 3 year gap between school and your future LPN license.

take care.