Today while at clinical.......a CNA comes up to me and is smiling and telling me how excited she is to start nursing school in the fall....ect....and she starts to ask me what do you recommend I do to get ready for the fall....
and out of nowhere I respond...
Go into any other program:eek:
I don't even know where this came from. But I have to say that being in nursing school has sucked. I mean it really really has sucked. I hate missing out on my kids dance classes because I am in clincial. I hate not seeing my husband because I have to study, write care plans, drive to and from school, ect... I hate not being able to find the time to walk on the beach like I used to. Or nap. Or even pee without feeling like I could be doing something more productive.
Thanks for listening to me vent.....I am so glad I only have 5 more months.....*wine
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
I just didn't think nursing school was that big a deal. It did require consistent attention and good time-management skills but honestly, it just wasn't that big a deal. I've certainly done much harder and much more stressful things in my life.
I have a hard time identifying with the OP.
AMEN!!!!!!!!!
I am not done yet, I know it will get harder, but compared to the things I have gone through and still go through in my life it doesn't compare.
Specializes in M/S, Tele, Sub (stepdown), Hospice.
Ok....about the poem. Let's just agree to disagree. Some found it funny & some found it sexist. We all come from different genders, ages, generations, & cultures. It's also off topic from the OP.
That poem is fun and true for a lot of working/studying moms. If you don't laugh, you're gonna cry. And even if it was from the 60s 70s 80s 90s so what. Still true today. Hidden cat, what world are you living in? We haven't fixed it yet, it's still sexist. Look at your work environment? Ever see any female co-workers picking up the slack for the male counterparts? Co-dependency trives in nursing. Ever see Male nurses catapulted to management over equally competent female counterparts. I'm single and let my house go to hell while in nursing school. My dear little boy sacrificed too. Young, sheltered women...the road has been paved for you by women such as aluded to in this poem.
I can't understand where you are coming from. You say this poem is true for a lot of working and studying moms. If that's the case (which I know it is) then how in the world could you find this FUN?! I agree that we haven't fixed sexism. I don't think any of the other posters who didn't like the poem feel that way either. In fact I think that we are probably more aware and sensitive to sexism than those of you who think the truth of this poem is funny. You call us "young, sheltered women?" Why? Because we don't think it's funny that women are treated as if they are the only ones who can care for a home and that women have to beg their hard working husbands to put them through school and he "suffers" so much for it!? You call us "young and sheltered" because we don't put up with that kind of B.S.? What road are you referring to that you have paved for us young sheltered women? The road where we are still supposed to be the ones taking care of the house and children, yet we also must work full time jobs with no help from the husband at home? Because that's what this poem is suggesting. Those poor, poor souls at home lost without the woman there to help them find their socks or make dinner or mop the floor or be at every becking call to their hard working husband!! Sorry, but I just don't feel sympathy or think it's funny that this is what's to be expected of us! It's sad that you do.
I remember how excited I was that I was going to be starting nursing school, especially as long as I waited. I don't think I would kill another person excitement like that. So far I am rounding the end of my first semester (just took Fundamentals final today) and I am still excited and look forward to next semester and am excited about clinicals next semester. I get stopped all the time when I am at school and in my scrubs by people thinking about getting into the program or are about to start and I can't help but share in their excitement. I am realistic with them and just as excited for them as I remember feeling when I got my acceptance. I do make sure though that my life isn't only school.
Don't get me wrong, I will be happy when it's all over, but thus far I am enjoying it for the most part.
Thanks for the positive words Mi Vida Loca. I will be a 1st semester nursing student in the spring and I am so tired of hearing the negative. It's great to hear someone being positive.
Ok Wow! This has been a very intense thread to read especially about the poem. I agree with who ever said let's agree to disagree. I find some of the parts funny in the poem and I can see how it is insulting to some of you. Those who are insulted that's great that you will never be in that situation (hopefully) but you do need to realize that some women are in that situation, it may not have started out that way but it is the way it is. Some of us are single mothers so there is no husband at home to even try and help even if it's poorly. So that is why I found some of the parts funny bcs. my children are still young(10, 8 & 1 yrs. old) and unless I can afford to hire a nanny/housekeeper/cook (which I can't) some of those things will happen to me and they happen now sometimes. My children know that I love them and that mommy is going to be a nurse and they are just as excited as I am. I am doing the best that I can for my children and with my children. Sometimes the laundry needs caught up and sometimes we just have sandwiches for dinner, we don't always have time to do a lot of extra fun stuff, but over all I think my children are well taken care of and happy. There I gave my on the poem. I wanted to address the original post. I am starting my school's nursing program in January! I am way excited to finally be at this point. I am sorry that you are having such a negative time in nursing school most programs are very competitive and I just feel that if it is something you really want you should have had some idea of what you were getting into. I am sure that there are plenty of people that would have loved to have gotten your spot. I know that you said you were only venting. I hope thats true, but you sound like to me that you already have regrets about choosing nursing. If you feel that strongly negative about school I don't know what you expect when you are done. I hope things get better for you and I am sorry that you tried to quash someones excitement. I think you should have remembered the rule. If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all. I would hope that you will go back to the cna you talked to and share something positive with her or at the very least apologize for your negative comment about school to her. She came to you with excitement and looking for information about the program. I am sure the last thing she expected is what you said to her. It is ok to be honest about the not so great things but you should have been more objective over all. If you really can't think of anything more objective to say and you truely feel this negatively about your school maybe you should re think your career choice or school choice.......Good luck I hope you find what you are looking for.
Off topic I know, but I couldn't resist. When I first read the poem I cracked up laughing. :yeah:After reading the posts that found it offensive I went back and read it again. I cracked up laughing! I'm not married, work, am in school and have a toddler. This poem summerized what my life is like on a daily basis. When I get a free day I cook a meal that we pick off of for the better part of the upcoming week. My sink is rarely empty, toys decorate the floor, laundry is an all day affair, and if my little one gets sick....forget about it. There's time off for the Dr. visit, money for a separate babysitter, medication schedules....whew! It goes on and on and by the time we get in from school @ approximately 9:45pm, all we want to see is the bed!
I wouldn't stop for anything because I know that these circumstances are temporary and an invaluable lesson for my child about perseverance and discipline. As for as the sexist interpretation, I think it adds to the strength of the woman. The fact that in reverse circumstance, she can hold down what her husband can't handle. The endurance and will to continue in the face of disapproval if you will. I guess it's all in interpretation. I enjoyed the poem, thought it was playful and if I could afford a printer, I'd hang it on my fridge.
I don't know how anybody is taking the disaproval with the poem as if we don't believe that this is the case for many women. I know that this is the case for many women, that's why I don't like it. My house is like that now and I'm not even in school yet. I work full time and so does my husband. We have 1 major cleaning day a week and with two kids under 5 it get's messy quick. Laundry piles up in no time, it's hard to keep up with. It's not the messiness of the house that made me not like it. It was the overall tone of the poem that I got out of it that I didn't like. We do all have different perceptions of it and maybe others didn't read it the way I did. It kind of added more guilt to me than I already have for not being able to keep up with the house the way it should be. I already have this issue at home and school doesn't even start for me until January. My husband helps at home a lot and we have a pretty equal partnership compared to many other relationships, but he still doesn't do as much as I do and it's been a cause of tension in our relationship in the past.
I just hate the fact that it's pretty near impossible these days to survive without both parents working, but the mom is still expected to pick up most the slack around the house.
I am not done yet, I know it will get harder, but compared to the things I have gone through and still go through in my life it doesn't compare.
I agree with both of you... I am even in an accelerated program and don't find it that terribly difficult. I have plenty of free time. Sure it requires some time management and getting your work done, but its really NOT that bad, I have had to deal with worse.
I don't know how anybody is taking the disaproval with the poem as if we don't believe that this is the case for many women. I know that this is the case for many women, that's why I don't like it. My house is like that now and I'm not even in school yet. I work full time and so does my husband. We have 1 major cleaning day a week and with two kids under 5 it get's messy quick. Laundry piles up in no time, it's hard to keep up with. It's not the messiness of the house that made me not like it. It was the overall tone of the poem that I got out of it that I didn't like. We do all have different perceptions of it and maybe others didn't read it the way I did. It kind of added more guilt to me than I already have for not being able to keep up with the house the way it should be. I already have this issue at home and school doesn't even start for me until January. My husband helps at home a lot and we have a pretty equal partnership compared to many other relationships, but he still doesn't do as much as I do and it's been a cause of tension in our relationship in the past.
I just hate the fact that it's pretty near impossible these days to survive without both parents working, but the mom is still expected to pick up most the slack around the house.
I know that you are aware that this is the case for many of us. I think that what we are trying convey is that it's not necessary to read so much seriousiness in to the poem. That fact that many women married or not are mostly responsible for children & home is why we think that it is funny. If we don't laugh at our situations we would cry and many of us would not have the GOD given strength to go on we would throw in the towel. Being able to find the humor in it is simply because we can relate. I don't think any of us would choose for our lives to be this way. In a perfect world everything would be perfect, the house would be taken care of, the kids would get more personal attention and spouses would do their fair share and do it as well as we do without a problem. Unfortunately it is not a perfect world, it is what it is. We simply choose to work harder and try not to dwell on those things that we feel guilty about too, bcs we know that we are doing the best we can and there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it is all worth it in the end. We all hate the fact too that everything falls mostly on moms, I have days where I say why me GOD it's not fair that it falls all on me. I get past it and move on for my own sanity and for my children. Life is stressful enough with out dwelling on something that you can't change. All you can do is lean on GOD and pray for the strength to get through, he always gets us through no matter what. Be proud of yourself that you are the mom that you can be and that GOD has given you the strength to handle all that you do. It's ok to hate the way things are, but try not to stress yourself over it. Take a break and laugh about it sometimes! Laughter is the best medicine........:icon_hug:
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Thanks for the positive words Mi Vida Loca. I will be a 1st semester nursing student in the spring and I am so tired of hearing the negative. It's great to hear someone being positive.
Congratulations. The best thing you can do is not let the negativity get to you and remember what this meant to YOU. Surround yourself with a good group in school that are also positive and eager to learn and avoid the groups that do nothing but sit around and trash the program and the teachers and go in with the attitude of just doing the bare minimum to get by.
chances are, if she's a cna, then she already knows all about demented, elderly people and incontinence. what say's more is that you think someone being exposed to all these 'horrible conditions' would turn them away from the profession. who's to say that the promise of 'easy money' is propelling their choice? further more, who made you the 'exposing angel of nursing'? it seems like the money was your motivating factor and it was you who got the dose of reality.
eh, i think we have a bit of a misunderstanding here. though i probably should let this go, i like this place and don't wish to be misunderstood. allow me to explain myself further- no attacks to you. swords down.
chances are, if she's a cna, then she already knows all about demented, elderly people and incontinence.
i think you are a bit confused- i am not the op and did not talk to the cna. the people i talk to are college students, some dissatisfied with their current majors, many scared for their future financial situation in this crazy economy. they have no healthcare experience and many are drawn by the promise of easy bucks and security, a very few by the need to care and be needed. i have talked at length with several of them. they explained their motives and perceptions. sometimes the motives of a good nurse (i.e. caring) but more often than not, the perceptions have been off. one girl hoped to meet a doctor, one guy thought it was a cushy job- "answer a few call lights, fetch a few sodas, to the tune of 60k!". who here would agree?keep in mind that many people still have only a vague idea of what nurses do.
what say's more is that you think someone being exposed to all these 'horrible conditions' would turn them away from the profession.
i don't care either way what they do. they ask me what i know. i tell them. i also tell them good things since i know good things as well- the feeling you get when you've helped the patient relax, when you finally get them to open up and tell you how to help them- it's amazing. to some, it is not enough. i am not a recruiter and i do not respect recruiters' methods of hyping people up or playing to vanity and emotion. this job is great if its for you, but it's not to be entered into lightly. the choice should be made with a list of pros and cons in mind, ruminated over for some time, then decided. in the midst of excited peers, soda, cookies, music, and smiling models on posters and brochures is not a good way to form a decision upon such a career that taxes mind, body and spirit on a daily basis. if i am being asked to skirt around the fact that its often dirty, and occassionally abusive and mentally scarring, sorry but i am no liar, not even by omission.
who's to say that the promise of 'easy money' is propelling their choice?
about 18 of the 23 or so people have mentioned it by name. i did not pull it out of my hat. it's one good thing, but as i have said many times, not by itself. never alone is it enough.i say this to them. whether they believe me or not is their decision.
further more, who made you the 'exposing angel of nursing'?
that's bit much, but as i said, i simply tell what i know when asked. it's not a personal mission or anything. other than that, my 1st amendment rights let me say what i wish and i intend to use them to speak my reality as long as my tongue is free. if i am the sole person those students consult, then they are fools or not serious. if they are relatively sure in their heart of hearts that they want to give this a try, my accounts of the hard side of reality should not be all that dissuasive. i don't believe i have that much pull at any rate.
it seems like the money was your motivating factor and it was you who got the dose of reality.
that's a pretty hefty insult there- one which i must say is mighty offbase. i did get a dose of reality- but who here hasn't? who here remains unsurprised or unshaken by what they have seen or felt in this course of work? i went in for the right reason- because i wish to care for others, though admittedly, my feelings and thoughts about it all are a bit complicated at this point. i still love this job, what i have seen of it. but my love is not blind. i dissect everything i encounter- good, bad, neutral. it's my nature just as it is the nature of others to ignore the bad and focus on the good. i simply have a different way of relating to life than perhaps many here do. i have not fully reconciled my feelings yet about some things, but so far the rewards have outweighed the pain of the frustrations and ********. there are no stars in my eyes, but my intentions were and are the right ones.
on the poem. I wanted to address the original post. I am starting my school's nursing program in January! I am way excited to finally be at this point. I am sorry that you are having such a negative time in nursing school most programs are very competitive and I just feel that if it is something you really want you should have had some idea of what you were getting into. I am sure that there are plenty of people that would have loved to have gotten your spot. I know that you said you were only venting. I hope thats true, but you sound like to me that you already have regrets about choosing nursing. If you feel that strongly negative about school I don't know what you expect when you are done. I hope things get better for you and I am sorry that you tried to quash someones excitement. I think you should have remembered the rule. If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all. I would hope that you will go back to the cna you talked to and share something positive with her or at the very least apologize for your negative comment about school to her. She came to you with excitement and looking for information about the program. I am sure the last thing she expected is what you said to her. It is ok to be honest about the not so great things but you should have been more objective over all. If you really can't think of anything more objective to say and you truely feel this negatively about your school maybe you should re think your career choice or school choice.......Good luck I hope you find what you are looking for.
There's time off for the Dr. visit, money for a separate babysitter, medication schedules....whew! It goes on and on and by the time we get in from school @ approximately 9:45pm, all we want to see is the bed!.thumb.jpg.5aa4d55557c0228e31b94de19666bbbb.jpg){kind=small}
~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN
5,259 Posts
AMEN!!!!!!!!!
I am not done yet, I know it will get harder, but compared to the things I have gone through and still go through in my life it doesn't compare.