Lots of kids, a husband, nursing school AND working as a CNA?

z's playa · Jun 3, 2005

Hello and welcome to allnurses . Fortunately I can say I'm not in your shoes :chuckle No offense but wow !

I got tired just reading your user name. :)

All I can say is I hope you have support from the outside because nsg school..although doable with kids....it sounds to me like your stress level could get out of hand. Make sure you have plenty of support is all I can say.

Good luck. I hope someone in the same boat comes by soon to offer you better advice than I.

Z

twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN · Jun 3, 2005

Personally, I don't think it matters the amount of kids. The ages make a difference though. Do you have a good amount of support? I started pre reqs with three kids, one was 1 1/2 and the twins were 5 months. Thankfully I don't work but they are work enough for me as no one helps me outside of school (husband works but is not that hands on ya know?). Oh, and their is one more on the way now. I may join you in that rubber room lol

I get as much of the information in class that I can. I also have them in day care monday through friday so during the day while they are still in school I can get as much study time as I can cram in before picking them up. Then the night time is all theirs (till finals week when I try and get some extra help to study more)

You can do it! I don't know how many hours your working either. You might want to cut those down a bit depending.

email me if you want to talk ok?

r_janice · Jun 3, 2005

I dont have firsthand experience (being that Im 20, engaged, have 1 child and start nursing school in the fall), but my aunt is a RN and she busted her rear. She had two kids a husband and worked 2 full time jobs during nursing school (she had to pay her way through school). She is my inspiration. Her advice to me to you: Keep your mind focused. There will be days when you cant play with the kids or see your other half, but it will be well worth it in the end. Good luck.

betsyMT2003 · Jun 3, 2005

wow - and people tell me i have my hands full....! i'm in school and have 4 kids (11, 11, 10 & nearly 8), a husband, and i work about 25 hours a week as a medical transcriptionist. this past spring semester i only took a&p1 and sociology; now i'm taking a&p2. that way in the fall i'll be be able to focus on nursing. i have to admit, i have very little free time, but i do enjoy everything that i'm doing and i wouldn't have it any other way! where there's a will, there's a way is my motto. best of luck to you!!

LilRedRN1973 · Jun 3, 2005

I worked two 12-hour night shifts while in school. I would have worked more, but I have a 5 year old and an 8 year old, plus my hubbie was going to school 3/4 time to full time while also working 3-4 twelve hour night shifts at his full time job. I wasn't able to work more. I am graduating next week with a 3.26 GPA (I made all A's and B's in nursing school).

I have a classmate with 5 kids....she worked one 12 hour shift each week during nursing school. I have another classmate with twins and a hubbie with multiple sclerosis...she worked 40 hours a week!!!! She made decent grades and obviously very happy school will be over!!! My friend is a single mother who worked two 12 hour shifts each week during school....she is graduating, although her grades did suffer a bit (she made 2 C's through the program).

We also had several girls give birth in the middle of the program, one being a very high risk pregnancy (she has a clotting disorder). Not only did she stick with the program (after being told by the instructors that she may want to rethink continuing on with school), but she graduated 2nd in our class of 45 students. Not bad for a new mommy with a toddler at home and a husband that works 24 hour shifts.

2 years of nursing school taught me that just about anything is possible (especially when you really, really, really need the money an RN position will provide you...living off one income for a family of 4 in a VERY expensive part of the country has NOT been fun!).

Melanie = )

mariedoreen · Jun 5, 2005

I dont have firsthand experience (being that Im 20, engaged, have 1 child and start nursing school in the fall), but my aunt is a RN and she busted her rear. She had two kids a husband and worked 2 full time jobs during nursing school (she had to pay her way through school). She is my inspiration. Her advice to me to you: Keep your mind focused. There will be days when you cant play with the kids or see your other half, but it will be well worth it in the end. Good luck.

Two full time jobs??? And nursing school?? Is this an urban legend?? :chuckle

JoniL&DRN · Jun 5, 2005

Know what I think? If you want ANYTHING bad enough you'll do it! I like to say, anything worth having is worth fighting for.

I'm doing it too with three kids (9,7 and5) and a sister who I care for as well (that is 17). Get organized and get going girl! YOU CAN DO IT!

gauge14iv, MSN, APRN, NP · Jun 5, 2005

I made it through nursing school with 4 kids under the age of 10, 1 alcoholic husband who started a fight the night before every exam and working 36 hours a week on nights at the hoispital as an ICU tech and monitor tech...

Looking back, I don't know how I did it, it seems like such a blur 12 years later. I slept whenever I could - day or night, studied at night after everyone was asleep or at the library at school usually...things weren't computerized either - had to type my stupid papers on a typewriter, although the second year I did have an old apple IIe.

Suggestion - teach the kids to do laundry, stuff a sock in the husband, and take a computer class asap so you can learn to make technology work FOR you if you don't allready have an extreme comfort level with this!

EndNote, MS Word and Powerpoint are especially valuable if you aren't terribly computer savvy.

It's tough - but it ain't impossible!

leopold · Jun 5, 2005

I think passion and determination can carry you pretty far. My only suggestion is that if you have any issues going on in your life that you resolve them before starting because you will be tired and stressed and that will magnify them. I had myself pretty much on the straight and narrow but every little thing that could go wrong did. About 10 years ago I had a herniated disc, completely resolved the problem, then a few weeks into school I threw my back out. Now in physical therapy. Went to the dentist for a routine check up and found some serious time consuming and expensive dental problems. Went to get glasses, found out I had calcium deposits on my eyes. Oh and then there was this problem that I kept passing out from exhaustion (one time at school) and ended up going to the ER on a 911. My school told me that I could either quit my job or quit school. (several students in my class have passed out but they had the good sense to do it in private). That's just my physical health. I won't even go into the other stuff. So take good care of yourself and tie up any loose ends.

hikernurse · Jun 6, 2005

OK, you're crazy, LOL.

Maybe we could be roommates in that padded room--I've got eight of my own ranging from 17 to 6 months :). I don't work though! Well, not doing anything I get paid for, anyway . Anyone crazy enough to raise that many kids, though, must just be crazy enough to get through, right? Besides, I'm guessing you'll know the OB rotation cold, even without studying, ha ha.

onehusbandsevenkids · Jun 12, 2005

Just wanted to say thanks to all who replied with your supportive & encouraging words and good advice.

My largest problem areas:

~Lack of time management skills

~Trouble staying on task when I'm not interested in the task at hand, or when I'm feeling that I can't do it

~I get sidetracked too easily

~Sorely need organization in my home and life

~My kids are almost all mama's babies, even though the youngest is now 8

~My kids need much more discipline

~We have no support in our area, all family is out of state and I have one close friend here who is too crazy busy to help out.

Wish me luck, I don't remember a time in my life when I wasn't planning on being a nurse someday (after being a mom)! This will be an adventure, thats for sure.