Homeschooling while attending nursing school

Devon Rex, ADN, BSN · Nov 7, 2016

Hello rnstudentjaymie,

*** Disclaimer: I am not a homeschool mom & you will probably not like my post, but I wrote it thinking of you and your child's best interest.

Presumming it is just you and your child... WOW!

I think you're in over your head with those plans, unless both you and your child are gifted.

Nursing school demands a lot of your time... not just in-campus, but off-campus (study time & clinicals). Then you will need to sleep, work (full-time? part-time?), cook, do laundry, clean your place, be a mom... and then you want to add to that home schooling your child? :down: Do you also realize that CRNA school is one of the most, if not the most, grueling nursing educational paths there is?

It seems to me that you're at a crossroads... in my opinion, you will need to choose between homeschooling your child and not do nursing school for now ...OR... enlist your child in school while you pursue nursing school.

You may have all the willpower and organizational skills in the world, but the fact is, you will also need your child's willpower and organizational skills to make it work. I'm sorry; I really do not mean to "burst your bubble", but I think you will be setting yourself and your child up for failure if you try all that at once. I just can't see it happen successfully.

Please pray over this, meditate, & assess your supportive system. Best wishes!

rnstudentjaymie · Nov 8, 2016

Devon, thank you for your response! I appreciate the feedback. I am not alone and have a strong support system. We've been homeschooling for a couple of years and she is very advanced. She's 4 and reading at 3rd grade level, for instance. She knows all of the elements, their atomic numbers, symbols/names, and is beginning to learn how they react with one another. If I put her in school now, she'd be completely out of place. Kids her age are learning letters and colors and she can already read books.

I'd have lots of help. I'm wondering if even with help (and by help I mean baby sitting, house maintenance from dishes to laundry to cooking), will it be possible? I only have a vague understanding of what CRNA school entails. I know it will be time consuming and challenging, but I don't know much outside of that.

Thanks again!

Devon Rex, ADN, BSN · Nov 8, 2016

Hello, thanks for your reply.

If you are still leaning on moving forward with your plan... I then suggest to break down your big goal into several smaller goals. This way you can reassess every time you reach one. For instance, concentrate in finishing your ASN first. There will be a lot of to do with little time. If you have a good/reliable support system during this time, it is doable.

Once you graduate, work on passing the NCLEX-RN. If you fail it the first time, you will need to wait a few weeks before you can retake it. Many people pass it the first time, many others don't... but persevere and are successful at another time. The criteria for retaking these tests are set by your State's Board of Nursing.

I would then concentrate on finding a job, get experience & confidence.

The BSN is pretty easy compared to the ASN. You will do a lot of reading, papers, discussion questions, etc. Some programs have a clinical component, others do not. You will definitely have more quality time with your child.

The Anesthesiology school is very competitive. It also pays the most on the nursing field. School is grueling... lots of practicum hours and credits you will need to take. By this time your child will be 9 to 10 years old. If you have more children, school committments will get even harder to accommodate. You may or may not end up postponing this part for a few years. Who knows ?!

It's ok if you do. As I said, it's better to set shorter term goals and reassess your family and life situation at the time. It does not hurt to have a long term plan, but one must be flexible... life happens.

I wish you the very best !!

applesxoranges, BSN, RN · Nov 8, 2016

I agree with breaking it down into small chunks to focus on passing first. You also would need to find an ICU job which realistically can be hard to find for new grads. It isn't impossible but most CRNA schools want at least 1 year of experience. Plus you would need to have great references.

rnstudentjaymie · Nov 25, 2016

Thank you so much for your input, it really helps. I actually just logged on to submit a post about the possibility of landing an ICU job as a new grad. I researched my city's listings, and it seems that ICU experience is preferred, but not mandatory for some of the positions. I agree about breaking it down into small goals, as I am approaching final exams next week and am nearing the end of my first semester. That is the obvious short term goal, but I can't help but think about the long term goal, and am honestly already worried about getting into CRNA school.

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Nov 28, 2016

With the flexibility that homeschooling offers, and your support system, I don't see why you can't. I'll be doing the same, though I'm going to be an RN for a while and see how that feels before making more plans.

rnstudentjaymie · Nov 28, 2016

Thank you! I am thinking along those lines as well. Best of luck to you! Are you currently homeschooling?

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Nov 28, 2016

Thank you! I am thinking along those lines as well. Best of luck to you! Are you currently homeschooling?

Yep, in our 6th year now!

Devon Rex, ADN, BSN · May 7, 2017

rnstudentjaymie

Hi there! How is it going? I'm curious!