I need encouragement.....

bsrn0523 · Apr 12, 2008

i honestly believe you already know the answer. if you truly feel that being a nurse is what you want to do, then by all means go for it. you have to follow your bliss and make yourself happy. listen to yourself and believe in what you want to do, not what others think you should or should not do. i am 33, a mother of three, and i just became a rn this past december. needless to say, when i started the program, there were many naysayers. don't let it stop you! believe in it and make it happen!

good luck to you,

jenn

CirculatorRN · Apr 12, 2008

First off let me start by saying congrats on going to nursing school it is a wonderful, fulfilling career.

Secondly, shame on your mom for not taking your goals seriously.

I firmly believe that you can do anything you set your mind to do. Do not let anyone make you feel bad your decisions, it is your life not theirs.

I was 18y/o w/a 6 month old son when I went to LPN school, 5 years after that I went back for my ADN. Now I am newly divorced with a 12 year old and a 11 month old, and I am going back for my BSN then on for MSN to become a CRNA. My mom said are you crazy for wanting to go back to school, I said I guess so!!

GL, and don't give up, it is so worth it in the end!! :nurse:

GingerSue · Apr 12, 2008

you know that you are caring and smart,

so don't let any one else's point of view take over

(perhaps it is just that your mother hasn't developed

the same kind of interests that you have)

all the best to you in your direction of choice

Halinja, BSN, RN · Apr 12, 2008

Moms know the person we were...but they may not know the person we will become. Do NOT let her words deter you. Anything you can imagine, you can do. I firmly believe that. If you see yourself in those roles, you can get there.

Nursing school is the pits. It will be tough. You will question your sanity in even starting. Your mother's words will come back and haunt you in the night...

But don't stop, don't give up. You know you are a successful person. You can be in this as well.

txpixiedust · Apr 12, 2008

Well.....I graduated from Nursing school in May 2007 - a few days after turning 34. And I, too function like a single mom (separated with little to no help, etc.). I think as a mom, especially one in our position, it's hard -but it CAN be done! :wink2: It's hard to balance school, studying, and spending time with the kids. It's possible that your mom worries about how hard this will be for you, how much time you'll be "away" from the kids, etc.

My parents were a HUGE help, and without them and the prayers of my family and church I wouldn't have made it! What was hard for me was there just didn't seem to be enough hours in my day. I felt like I was always telling my son, "Sorry, Mommy has to study for ____. I can play with you in ___hours or on ____day" etc. So I found the best place to study was my car! Yep. As crazy as that sounds, it worked. I'd get my mom to watch my son, go park my car at the edge of the Target (or wherever I needed to shop) parking lot, study, and occassionally get out to walk into the store and do my errands as my break. ha. :) No distractions in the car - I'm not going to take a nap in a parking lot (ha), no tv, my son wasn't begging me to play gmaes, no phone calls, etc. And study groups with other moms helps, too. There seems to be alot of moms like us in Nursing school, you can have a study session before a test & the kids can play.

I say follow your heart, and do what's right for you. You're a mom - you know your mom loves you and wants the best for you. When she sees that your heart is really in it, she'll jump through all the Nursing school hoops with you and be your biggest supporter at your pinning ceremony! :redbeathe

Good Luck & God Bless!

txpixiedust::redpinkhe

P.S. My mom originally questioned my desire to be a Nurse, but once the pre-req's were done & I was in Nursing school she bragged to everyone that her daughter was going to be a Nurse. :)

nyapa, RN · Apr 12, 2008

You have worked out what you want to do, and have gone to the trouble of finding out how to do it.

I'll share my story:

1. My mother wanted all of her children to go to fancy university courses. I chose nursing. She was very distressed. She was a feminist, I think that was the problem. Nursing was too much of a 'female' job, if you know what I mean. After attempting my RN at uni, I went and did my Enrolled Nursing which in those days was hospital based. That horrified her even more.

2. I used my EN as a basis for doing my RN. I had many problems outside of uni, so it took me a bit of time. At one stage, I threw in the towel. My mother was horrified, saying that I'll regret leaving. I turned around and said, "No, I won't regret it, but I think you will". She was very quiet, dumbfounded.

3. I needed that time away. I have since finished my RN, and am into my second year of practice. And the fact that there are men in the profession now, only shows what a good career it can be. My mother can no longer use the feminist argument...

Summary: You know your limitations, you know your strengths, you know you are smart. And if you look at my example, you'll see that my mother was delighted at the end that I did my nursing! Sure, my mother is not your mother. But I think my situation may be a little similar to yours.

Moms know the person we were...but they may not know the person we will become.

How true! I'll have to remember that one, Halinja

nyapa, RN · Apr 12, 2008

BTW getting squeamish at the sight of vomit is normal. Most of us are. We adjust to most things. Me, I still can't stand emptying sputum. Vomit doesn't bother me any more. Don't let her use that one against you...

charlottegirl · Apr 12, 2008

THANK you for your posts....today is my first day on this website and I LOVE it already. What a wonderful resource that someone came up with. I feel better already. Hugs to all of you,

Carol:redbeathe

Nurse_Hagatha · Apr 12, 2008

My mom had almost the exact same reaction when I said I wanted to go to nursing school. I was 28 at the time. She didn't think it would be a career fit for me. I forged ahead anyway, and she turned out to be my biggest cheerleader through school and couldn't be prouder of me for becoming a nurse. Maybe your mom just needs time to get used the the idea.

P.S. I don't think I'll ever get over being squeamish about vomit and other bodily fluids. You learn to deal, but ugh.

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · Apr 12, 2008

It sounds like you have your ducks in a row and will be a success! Your Mom will come around eventually!

chenoaspirit, ASN, RN · Apr 12, 2008

My mom said to me..."You will never finish." She even told me that I was putting school and homework before my daughter (she was 3 at the time). I told her that I was doing it FOR her not BEFORE her. No one had faith in me, I showed them! I was 33 when I graduated. You can do it. Dont let anyone stop you or discourage you. Your age has no bearing on it. I dont know how your relationship is with your mom, hopefully she will help you with childcare. If its what you want, then go for it. If you dont, in years to come you will look back and wish you had. Make sure and check into programs that pay back your student loans for you like "Best In Care". There are also tons of help for single moms with tuition and supplies and even childcare if you need it. Good luck. Just dont let another person's comment affect your dreams and future although Im sure she didnt mean it in a bad way.