I'm experiencing a "quarter-life" crisis...

Miss Infermiera2b, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2015

I work as an ER scribe and I also have just been accepted to a nursing school with a good reputation for this fall. A couple PCTs I work with are also nursing students, one from Keiser University and the other from Chamberlain (both for-profit schools). A few of the nurses have mentioned to me that my ADN degree would make me a more likely hire at the end of my program than the PCTs who are getting BSNs from for-profit schools with questionable reputations.

md0627 · Jul 21, 2015

I am so in your same boat. I, too, am a single parent and am coming from an entirely different career (sales and management) to follow my dream of nursing. And I can tell you, from what I have been through these past couple of years completing prereqs, that you need to slooooowwwww down. Way down.

Nursing is like nothing you will have ever done before. No previous coursework, no work experience, no nothing, will prepare you for the beast that is nursing school. Nothing. NOTHING.

Take the HESI since you're gonna need it. But I would advise you to also sit down and make an action plan of what exactly you want. Yes you want to be a nurse but to do what? And what steps are you going to have to take to get there? And how LONG is it going to take you to get there?

After you figure that out the you have to figure out the how you're gonna do it. When they send out an email at 10 pm saying you need to be at the hospital the next day at 5 am for clinical will you have someone to watch your child? Will you be able to make those kind of changes to your schedule yourself? Can you deal with not being home if your kid is sick to go to class? Because if you miss so many hours of class they just throw you out of the program. No sympathy, no excuses accepted. And if what you want to do is going to require a MSN will they even look at your application if you went to School XYZ? If they think School XYZ is crap they are throwing your application straight in the garbage. And will you even be able to afford it? With all that is required of you in a nursing program working is usually out of the question. It CAN be done. But will it be worth it? And what if your school requires that you don't?

Not saying any of these things to rain on your parade but just to get you to think for a minute. I am 1000% for people following their dream. Hell if my old single parent ass can do it you can do it too. But it comes with A LOT of sacrifice. And you probably don't want to hear this but your child will have A LOT sacrifices too. You just need to take a minute, put pen to paper, and see if it's all worth it. PS it totally is :yes:

I will tell you this too: there are A LOT of for-profit schools out there trying to capitalize on that "nursing shortage" myth and they will tell you whatever you want to hear to get you to sign up with them so that they can get your financial aid. They know people want to come into the field, they know every other school has 900 prereqs and takes their sweet time doing anything, and they know that you being new to the field don't want to hear that you have to wait and you want to be done yesterday. Don't fall for it. Definitely not worth the trouble.

Good luck! Take your time! Nursing will always be there

dvah1987 · Jul 21, 2015

Thank you all for your advice. I've already devised a plan and I've selected the school that I will be attending as well. What I had to realize was that what God has for me is for me. My path will not be the same as anyone else's, but I will get there. I will be a nurse and a great nurse at that. I am committed to fulfilling my dream and being the best mother that I can be. For anyone that may stumble across this thread that are in a similar situation my advice is to PRAY and do what your heart has led you to do. Allow God to manifest your purpose and be willing to do the work. Best wishes to you all ï¿½ï¿½.