I have been in my profession for about 10 years now and make pretty good money (about $50k a year). I have had a life long dream of being a nurse. I tried to go that route right out of high school, but I was way too young and immature to buckle down. Fast forward 15 years or so, and I am now ready to do it all again. I have the last three pre-reqs to finish to even be able to apply. Then after you apply and get accepted, you go on a 2 year waiting list (at least) and then the core nursing classes are two years long. Once accepted, I will have finished all classes necessary for the degree except the core nursing classes that you can only take if you are accepted into the program), so for the 2 years I will be waiting for my name to come up and start the program. So, we are looking at approximately starting the program sometime between 2010 and 2012 and then finishing and getting a job sometime in 2015 (wow, that seems so far away!).
My dh who is a great, but does not like to take risks and is perfectly content staying in his job where he makes good money for doing basically nothing hard but dealing with people who don't care about their job versus what he could do elsewhere or starting over. I understand not wanting to work harder for the same amount of money, but if it were something that he really wanted to do, then I would say go for it. He just won't and sees no reason to give up the money and easy job.
Me, I work full time doing legal work, which I like, its okay. I really want to do the nursing thing and it is very important to me. I can't take a pay cut because we don't qualify for financial aid. I am attempting to avoid disrupting my family as much as possible by doing the classes that I can online. I have had to give up my every other Friday off for having every Monday afternoon off for the lab. This impacts my husband in that I am not home every other Friday with him and the kids.
He really doesn't have any valid arguments for not wanting me to do this, which is what is making me mad. Because I have the initiate and desire to follow my dreams, he thinks I am being selfish. After all I was the one who wanted kids in the first place (he will never let me live this one down, even after being together for 12 years). He thinks nursing schedules stink and that there won't be any flexibility. I can generally come in late (I am talking 30 min or less) at my current job and not get docked for it. I am late in the morning due to dropping dd off at school and traffic is always different. He thinks that if I were a nurse and had to be there on time, I would get fired. I think he is afraid that he will be with the kids more (i.e. he works from 12:30-9 p.m. and some nursing shifts are 7-7) He also thinks nurses don't get paid well. From what I gathered on the internet, a starting nursing salary in San Diego can be $66k, which is way more than I make here, working full time. I would be working less hours (so to speak, 3 days vs 5 days) thus, making me more available for my kids.
I think what it boils down to is that he jealous that I want to do something different. I think he is worried about the money and having to watch the kids more. Right now, he has them in the mornings 7:30 (they wake up between 7:00-8:00) until 12:30. dd starts K in September and next year ds will start K too. So, I would be responsible for taking them both to school in the morning, therefore he will be home alone every day of the week in the morning, and I have them at night.
What do you think. Sorry this is wrong, but I am trying not to let his selfishness get in the way of my dreams, yet, be sensitive to his needs and such in our marriage. Something I have come a long way on. I will give if it is valid, but his concerns don't really seem so.
Sounds like we are kind of in the same boat. It will be a great reward once we get there. I actually have three semesters, I will be done Fall 09, and hopefully apply in Dec 2009. I have had good and bad experiences in at Kaiser. My first was born there, and I really like their L&D, emergency room is not very good.
Luv2helpppl
44 Posts
Sounds like we are kind of in the same boat. It will be a great reward once we get there. I actually have three semesters, I will be done Fall 09, and hopefully apply in Dec 2009. I have had good and bad experiences in at Kaiser. My first was born there, and I really like their L&D, emergency room is not very good.