How do you do it?

I am a single mother of two boys. I worked as a cna part time on the weekends rotating shifts. This included nights which pays more, and definitely helped with the bills. It was hard, VERY hard but I did it and it is soo worth it. Being a single mother is never easy, but completing school makes it a little better!!

You can do it, if it's what you really want. Your family will be much appreciative!!

Did you get an associates or bachelors degree?

I am a ADN grad (cheaper than BSN), which is really competitive. Let me just tell you, I survive off of loans and more loans. Yea, and of course the lovely grants. I was a CNA and it does not pay the bills, if your just starting out. I kept my job at the Big Box Retail Store were I earn a lot more money than a CNA. I worked part-time 4-16 hrs per week. Many semesters I worked only 4 hours a week to keep health insurance and little gas money.

My friend is married with three kids and she took out a loan for 40,000 loan

to cover the everyday family expenses. Her student loans and grants paid for school expenses.

Nursing school is really a full time job. I chose not to work while in school. For me full time school, full time parenting, and full time running a household was very challening! I'm married, so my situation is different. However, I took out extra student loans and used some of the cash for household expenses. I have a BSN. There were a few single moms who worked in my program. One ended up graduating a year later--but a couple made it through with lots of very hard work (and little sleep).

Also, if you take out student loans--some employers such as the VA will pay them off once you are hired.

Best of luck to you!

I am a single mom to three, one is an adult and two are special needs. I found the RN wait list to long (2-3 years) so I found a LPN program that was 9 months, took it and now I am doing Excelsior's online LPN-to-RN program. It is a pay as you go program and I will be done in Dec. I started in September of 2010. You don't have set deadlines so as a single mom it was nice to take the day off when my kids were out of school or sick. I am going for my BSN or MSN next.

I had 4 children, the youngest was still nursing when i started nursing shool. I worked part-time as a CNA (agency work pays more and allows a more flexible schedule) and srvived on student loans, PELL grants and yes, at times I received state aid. I was very hard and sometimes I had to check my pride at the door. Today , I have my ADN, I have a great job in a LTC facility that gives me weekends off with my kids and the income to have some fun with them! If I can do it anyone can!

When I went to LPN school I worked 32 hours on the weekend 16 hours Sat&Sun and the kids with Dad on the weekend. I was considered full time so I got health benefits. It was stressful but it paid off.

For everyone that worked as a cna while in school, how long were you a cna before you started school?

You just do what you have to do to get by. I was a full-time working, single mom of two throughout nursing school. I honestly can't tell you how I did it, other than good time management and a lot of really late nights. I survived on minimal sleep and was completely miserable. I honestly don't know how I was able to live like I did, but like I said, you just do what you have to do.

I got my bachelors degree but I only worked full time while I was in the actual nursing program, as there was about a year or so break in between pre-reqs (when I went from being a mom of one to a mom of two) and entering the program.

I worked as a waitress after school and on weekends during pre-reqs and the first year of nursing school (lets you make the max amt of cash in the fewest hours and truthfully the skills will come in handy lol), then got my LPN and worked days Fri Sat Sun (12hr shifts) during my RN year. Not working was not an option for me. By working only the weekend, I was able to get all of my schoolwork completed during the week. Even though I didn't have a day off (except during holidays) I learned to take my time in hours, like I have 3 hours free right now, so I'm going to do something for myself, THEN get those dishes done. I woke up early and stayed up late. I told my family that they would have to pick up the housework slack ( and then you have to let it go if your house is not perfect) and not to bother me if I was on the computer unless it was an emergency, then I would spend a couple of free hours with them. I carried my books with me everywhere I went and grabbed all free chances I could find to study. I taped lectures and listened to them while driving. It's hard, and you will envy your classmates that live at home with their parents talking about what they did on the weekend to relax lol, but so worth it when you are done.