I am giving up

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I think I am going to give up my dream of becoming a nurse. Everyone keeps telling me how hard it is. That it is the hardest thing I will do in my life. So people pretty much scared me. I haven't been in a classroom in a few years. And I am also the mother of two which is even harder. I don't know what to do. Nursing is the career I want and desire. I want to be able to provide my children with a better life. I am so lost and confused.

Specializes in med surg/peds.

DON'T GIVE UP! I am starting my career at 43. It is hard but it is not impossible. I started school with two school age kids. If you are called to nursing, don't let your fear of what others say keep you from a wounderful and fulfilling career.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I did exactly this. I took 7 hours a semester when doing my prereqs. And I didn't tell anybody, but did tell a few of my immediate family that I was going to nursing school. My friends, church group.....I tell them I'm an RN now and they said they didn't even know I was going to school.:yeah:

If I were able to keep it a secret I would have. I was accepted into a program through my job where I was on a 100% paid leave to become a nurse, and throughout the application process until the last day at work, I didn't tell a soul except for two friends that kept it under the blanket. I didn't need the naysayers adding to my already anxious brain. And, I never set foot into my job until I returned to work awaiting the date to take NCLEX. In fact, after being there for two weeks, I applied for more time off because I just didn't want to deal with everyone asking me "When are you going to take the test? You know so and so took it and failed twice (you think I needed to hear that??)".

Sometimes, people do not have your best interests at heart or support your personal/professional decisions. Under those circumstances, you are better off not sharing too much with them.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Please don't give up. When I started last august it had been 10 years for me.. I LOVE SCHOOL!!!

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Specializes in Med surg, Critical Care, LTC.

I went to nursing school as a single mother of two small children. It was hard, very hard. I studied mostly after 8 p.m. while the kids were in bed, and I hired a sitter on Sundays so I could go to the library to get the rest of my work done before Monday.

Don't let people telling you it's "too hard" discourage you. It is hard, but its very accomplish able is you put your mind and heart to it.

I had to work for every grade I got, I ended up with a 3.78 GPA, but I started with a 1.98 - so I didn't do too shabby. I got mostly A's and some B's - but I studied my heart out to get them.

You can do anything you put your mind to, and don't let anyone tell you differently.

Good luck, God Bless

Keep us posted

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Anything worth doing requires effort.

How to survive nursing school.

1.Get in a good study group.

2. Work on schoolwork everyday.

3. Learn to say no to distractions. (And that does mean family members demands.)

4. When in doubt ask.

I wouldn't give up. You have said this is your dream. I encourage you to believe in yourself.

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I'm not going to give you false reassurances. I don't know that nursing is right for those that think that it is what they want to do. I read the posts in the forums and watched experienced nurses express the desire to quit the profession. I think that nursing is what they wanted to do at the time.

I can empathize with wanting a better life for one's children, but I don't think that nursing is necessarily the method of achieving it.

Of 40 students that wanted to be nurses in my Anatomy class last summer, only two of us were accepted into the ADN program to start this Summer.

Of the 35 seats that were available for the ADN program, most of the students had a minimum of 2 A's and 1 B for the preprequisite classes of: Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology.

Another nearby community college that based acceptance on a non-competitive/mnimum requirements basis had 40 seats, and 85 applicants the first day. The first 40 applicants were accepted, the remaining went on a waiting list that at present exceeds 100.

If you've been one of the lucky few that have been accepted, then by all means do whatever you can to get through the program.

Only you can know what is right for you.

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Specializes in med-surg 5 years geriatrics 12 years.

I kept a plaque over my desk while in nursing school; it says "Whether you think you can or think you can't....you're right ". Don't give up on your dream; nothing worth having comes easy.

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Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.

Wow!! You have gotten so much good advice here. Remember that allnurses.com will be here for you are you move through school and nclex and being a new grad...it will be a great resource for support and encouragement. I have 3 recommendations:

1) Know who you can count on in your life (especially as you become a nurse) and hold them close. Those who are negative and pull you down, keep your boundaries intact with them!!

2) Take it one day at a time. Don't let the thought of everything that you have to do in the next few months overwhelm you, just take one day at a time!!

3) Keep your mind on your vision, I would highly recommend a vision board, perhaps your kids could even participate (depending on their ages).

There is no doubt that you can do it!!! :yeah::yeah::yeah:

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Don't give up. I had not been in a classroom in 10 years. I recently divorced and am raising my two alone. After 14 long, scary, teary, tired, horrible, YET WONDERFUL months, I just graduated LPN school. It was the HARDEST but most AMAZING thing I have ever done. You MUST GO to nursing school. Since it is your dream, it will never leave you until you accomplish it. We are all here for you. When you think you are alone...you're not. We will know what you are going through because we've been there. We will hold your hand and keep you strong. JUST GO!!! :yeah:

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I decided that I wanted to go to nursing school, and then called the school to see how hard the entrance test was. I was told that out of the 20 that had just taken the test the week before, only 1 had passed. My hopes were dashed. There was just no way that I was going to make it if so many had failed before me.

But instead of giving up, I got a test prep guide, sat down at the table while my toddler played in the living room next to me and my baby played with toys in the high chair and STUDIED. For two weeks straight I studied my butt off. I figured that when I failed (not if) I could atleast say that I gave it my all. I knew the material in the book inside and out by the end.

The day of the test, I sat waiting for her to tally my grade (on the computer) and had tears behind my eyes, positive that my dream had been crushed, watching people around me make excuses as to why they failed (including how the study guide was no help), and knowing that the test was SO hard (even w/ all my studying there were things I did not know).

Guess what? I got a 99!! Everyone needed an 80 and so many didn't make it, yet here I was, convinced that I had failed, and I got such a high grade that the teacher called the other teacher over just to see my grade. The students were looking over at my computer and it was just SUCH an amazing moment.

I was a single mom for 10 years living pretty much in the lowest income situation possible, and then remarried and had 2 more children. I have not taken a math class OR a science class in 14 years and I did it!!

I also took my math class early because I was afraid of the full work load for nursing (I was supposed to take it 1st semester of school) and I just KNEW I was going to have a lot of trouble. I even spent the first two weeks doing extra work just to make sure that I could 'keep up'. Its almost half way through the class now, and not only am I getting straight As and totally getting it, but I'm pretty much spending most of the class tutoring the other students.

Its amazing what you can do, but you won't know until you try.

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You got a lot of good responses.

I'm not pursuing nursing but I've learned everything is hard. Life is hard. You have to persevere and rise above your fears to make it. I'm studying political science right now and guess what?? It's hard. But I know that when I hold that diploma in my hand all the worries, stress, etc will be worth it for I have accomplished something I didn't think I could. I can't wait for that feeling of accomplishment, that I actually did what I thought I couldn't do.

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as me, i also want to give up. But think of it, there isn't a job that is easy but if you want the job you have to work hard for it.

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