If your nursing dreams took "forever", I need to hear about it

julzhere · Nov 19, 2008

I started my journey to be a nurse in 1999 at the age of 44, and graduated from nursing school in 2005 at the age of 50. When I look back now, I realize how quick time goes and that if I hadn't made the decision to make this career change, I would still be wishing I had and would still be working a job that couldn't support me and didn't challenge me mentally. Yes, I have a student loan, but the monthly payment, once they were all consolidated, is low and I will, eventually, work on paying that off, but for now I am extremely happy in my nursing career and having been at it for 3 1/2 years now (2 1/2 as a traveler), and I can't imagine doing anything else. I'm making good money, learning something almost every day, have the flexibility to live where I want to (back home in Minnesota) and still visit my children and family in CA as much as I want, or need, to, and work while I do it. Don't second guess yourself - put your head down and do it and you won't be sorry you did. I thought I'd never make it out of nursing school, but once I did - it's been all "down hill???" since then and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Good luck, and as they say at Niki - "Just Do It!":nurse:

DDRN4me · Nov 19, 2008

Like many of the pp's; I have taken the long hard road. LPN in 1981 (tried the college route but hated the only school i could afford.

Married; 2 kids in 2 years; then i took one class at a time with breaks in between for family and financial reasons. worked full time and more most of that time. Graduated with my ASN in 2000; then to ASN-BSN program; graduated magna cum laude in 2007. It was not easy and I paid for all of it except a 1000 grant that a wonderful teacher recommended me for when i thought i would have to quit in my last semester. Still thinking about a masters and I am 48.

so...dont be afraid; sometimes the dream takes longer but the reward is sooo sweet!!! Good Luck!!

Eirene, ASN, RN · Nov 19, 2008

Mine was a long, hard haul too. In 2003 we were chosen to be adoptive parents. I was in Nursing school. I quit nursing school to be a full-time mom to our new addition. Long story short, our adoption was disrupted when our baby was 3 months old.

I went back for pre-reqs in 2005 and just graduated 4 months ago. Life has a funny way of working itself out. I've never been a firm believer that 'everything happens for a reason', but I'm a prime example of it to be true.

Good luck to you and keep chasing your dreams.

Foxybuny · Nov 19, 2008

It took me a very long time for my dreams to come true. I always wanted to be a nurse. I came from a low income family we didn't have a lot of money but we did have a lot of love and family values. I quit school at the age of 16 to help out with money. I got married at 18 had a child at 20 became single and work as a waitress and store clerk then at the age of 23 I had twins so now I have 3 of my own and 3 step-children the ages are 14-newborn so I worked to get some peace and quite (lol) I was still wanted to be a nurse but still didn't have the money or the education.

when the twins were 3 and the oldest was 6 we were on our own again but that was ok I always had a job and it pay the bills but nothing extra to go to school with and back then is was really had to get help there was no way for me to work go to school and raise 3 children.

When my children turned 10 &13 I remarried to a wonderful man (we will be married 20yrs the 22nd of Nov) but before we were married I forgot to tell you I was a CNA for many years.

Every time I thought about going back to school something would always stop me hubby's mother health was going bad and Dec of 97 she became terminal they gave her 6 months she had pancreatic & colon cancer so I quit my job and took care of her till she past I took a six week vacation and went home to Tampa FL to see my family.

When we came back I went to work doing home health and decided to take the NET test will I had a score of 69 so I study some more and took it again got a 70 then my step-father became very ill he had been fighting prostate cancer for years so I started making arrangements to go home to help care for him but I didn't get there in time and I always will regret that. But when I got back I took the test again (about a month later) this was the end of Nov. when I got my scores they were 89 and I was excepted in the VN program but I needed my GED and the college was closing in 5 days for Christmas holidays so I took all 5 test in 3 days no studying time on the 22nd our first grand child was born 6weeks premature on the 23rd I got my test results in (I was so afraid to open them) I didn't think I could handle not passing so my oldest daughter open them it was a great Christmas present for me now I could start getting ready for college in Aug of the next year. at this time I'm in my late 40 I have been out of school for many years I was scared to death.

No one in my family had gone to college and I didn't want to fail.

God it was hard then finials came I missed going to second semester by 2 points I cried and cried. But I went back the next year got all the way to third semester and had to go in the hospital with a GI bleed 3 weeks left of school I missed 2 days to many and got kick out of the program I cried some more I felt as if this wasn't meant to be.

about 2 months later I ran into one of my instructors and she told me that somethings just weren't meant to be and that I would find something one day. I was pist. then she said that if I want to try again I had to take the NET test again but she thought it was better for me to find something else. At this point I didn't know what to do so I prayed for God to show me what he wanted from me. So I took the test again and passed with a 95 so I went back at the third semester and finished grade point avg of 3.9. Then I started studying several NCLEX books from LVN to RN (this was in Aug four years ago). In Jan my instructor called and wanted to know why I had took state boards I told her that I wasn't ready and when I got ready and sure of myself I would take them. She then stated it was making the program look bad and I just laughed and said oh well. That Feb I turn 50 and I took my test in April the computer shut down at 85 questions I was heart broken I just sat there and kept saying no no no it can't be please don't shut down I didn't want to get up then someone came over and told me not to worry that I answered most of the question on a RN level. That was on a Fri I think I kept trying to get my results several times a day and I would get that they weren't available then on Sunday after church I was sitting there and said that I would try one more time I put all my info in and then prayed some more and guess what I passed and I screamed and scared my hubby to death in the process I was crying for joy I had made it and I did some more praying to thank God for what he had done for me.

The next day which was Monday my instructor call me and ask me how it went when I told her that the computer shut off at 85 questions she said I'm so sorry I guess you will try to find something different like I suggested a while back. I then told her nope I had passed and I felt great.

I worked in a nursing home for a while but a staffing agency wanted me to go full time with them (I had worked with them as a CNA) so I decided to go back full time (this was the following Jan) I got my first contract in Feb at a small hospital about 45 miles from home and was there for a year I love what I do and as I look back yes it was hard but it was well worth it so PLEASE FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS.

This is the first time I have told my story I hope it helps sorry I wrote a book.

I'm now 53 and I don't think I will go back to school but you never know at this point I do not have the desire to go back I'm happy with what I do.

Thanks for your time

Take care be safe

God Bless you, your family, friends and your home

Judy :nurse: :redbeathe