How to survive the journey on becoming an RN...?

[MsDeblois]

I am somewhat hesitant to dive into this career but at the same time excited. I have a young daughter, I am single and so much in debt. I currently am going to school for my BA in business and am not even nearly halfway done. Is a job in the nursing field really guaranteed? Is it only really 2yrs? And is it POSSIBLE to do being a young single mother on her own?? Most of the schools which I have been looking at are so darn expensive. The schedule is terrible and everything is so overwhelming.

Does anyone have any tips on how to get through all the obstacles?

What was/is the most difficult challenge that was faced when tring to achieve your degree/certificate?

And a popular question - grants? scholarships? Anything of the sort which would help someone in my position?

Thanks for reading!!

:roll

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

ANYTHING is possible if you want it bad enough. But you have to be willing to sacrifice. When I was in nursing school it was do or die and nothing, I mean nothing got in my way. I worked practically full time, got very little sleep, studied and worked my little tail off. But I was focused and determined.

Nursing is something that your really have to want real bad with your heart and soul when you have kids, have to work, or have any kind of life at all.

After all the related courses like English, Math, sciences, etc. are out of the way, the nursing degree does indeed take just two years. But you have to count the two years of related course work ahead of that as well, if you're talking BSN, or at least one year if you're talking ADN.

Good luck!

[Katnip, RN]

Nursing is something you need to want to do. Yes, jobs are readily available in most areas. But they are very demanding. It's not something to go into just for a paycheck or an easy way out of more years in school.

Yes, it has been done by many, many single moms who succeeded quite well. Like Tweety said, it will demand sacrifices on your part, and you must really, really want it.

It's an emotionally, physically, and intellectually demanding career. But the intangible rewards can make it all worthwhile.

[sunnyside]

I am trying to achieve my goal of RN right now, and I know a lot about obstacles. First of all I agree whole heartedly with Tweety: nursing is something you have to want so bad you can taste it. School always came easy for me. I am a 4.0 GPA, work full time, raise a family, work out 5x's a week, overachieving kinda girl. THEN I started nursing school. I have yet to get an A on any nursing test, I now work only 2 nights a week, I am thinking of cancelling gym membership, and I am sure my husband feels like a single dad. But I love it.

I know, I know.... pretty selfish of me. But I finally feel "right" about my life. Sometimes I am so busy, tired, hungry, whatever, I feel like sitting down right where I am and crying. Sometimes I do cry. Sometimes I wonder if my 3 little girls know how hard their mommy is working for our family to be a little better off. Sometimes I wonder how I will pay the mortgage.

My point here, I guess, is to tell you that I am in the nursing program because I want to BE a nurse, not because I will have a degree and a good paying job in two years. I am here not to get an A on every test, but to learn to be a GOOD nurse. (At my school the RN program is very challenging and the grading scale is different than that of my Pre-Req classes.) I have a feeling that the next two years (or 4 semesters, as I like to think of it) will feel like 20 years.

Take a good long look at your life, at your daughter, at yourself as a single woman, and ask what kind of sacrifices will you be willing to make. I have made certain sacrifices but that's ok here in our family. My husband has taken over a lot of what needs to be done around the house. Do you have any other support? I hope I have helped. And good luck with whatever you decide....