Nursing school while raising a family

lildan · Jun 13, 2007

jewelshouse: I don't have any advice, but I wanted to let you know that I share the same worries. I finished my ADN pre-reqs this Spring and am hoping to start the nursing program this coming Spring. The school is attend is highly competitive so most people have a semester in between actually finishing the pre-reqs and starting.

My son, Alexander, will be a little over 3 1/2 when I start the program and I worry about how my time with him will be affected (I stopped working when I had him and returned to school when he was 20 months old).

I have a lot of support from my husband and our families, but I still don't think they really know how difficult nursing programs are. They say to me, "you're smart......you'll be fine......you have all As in these other classes...." etc.

So, take heart, I am nervous right along with you. :)

jewelshouse · Jun 13, 2007

I also have a 3 year old; I figure by the time I start the actual nursing portion she will be 5 and in Kind. Our other two kids will be 10 and 12.

tgb3rn · Jun 13, 2007

I started nursing school with 23 credits 1st semester (nursing and all the prereq's I could cram in. I had only a GED prior to that. I was 34 with a wife and 3 kids. I'm an RN now, the wife just finished the LPN program last friday. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

With that said, it was hard as hell. Yes Nursing school WILL take up MOST of your time. It is all very well worth it. As a man and husband/father myself, I offer this advise to your husband---DON'T KILL HER! It is very hard/time consuming and he must be prepaired for it. PM me if you/he wishes. Good luck.

Tom

Nurse2BStacey · Jun 13, 2007

I am a 41 yr old mother of 1 9 yr old and a 18 yr old bonus son (step son)

I work 40+ hrs a week in an HR Dept of a 1700+ employee medical facility, try not to miss a little league game (not always possible).

Just graduated one from high school and preparing him for college in the fall. I am an avid photographer....oh and did I forget to mention that I just finished my first semester of nursing school!!! :chuckle

It is possibly the hardest thing I have ever done, but also the most rewarding!! So yes it is possible.

Will your house be spotless...NOPE

Will your kids always be spotless....NOPE

Will you cook dinner everynight....NOPE

Will you get a lot of sleep.....NOPE

Will you cry on a regular basis.....YEP

Will your kids was more time with you.....YEP

Can you do it.....ONLY IF YOU WANT IT BAD ENOUGH!!!

:bugeyes: :bugeyes: :bugeyes: :bugeyes: :bugeyes: :bugeyes: :bugeyes:

Blee O'Myacin, BSN, RN · Jun 13, 2007

I started my prereqs when my youngest was 6 months old - his brothers were 4 years old and 2 years old. My being in school was a way of life. My books were always open at the kitchen table and when I could steal five minutes here and there, I studied and read. I taped EKG rhythms to the kitchen cabinets - my now 10 year old learned along with me and he'll be the first to snort "Huh...like you should ever shock a flat line" when he sees something dumb on TV...

My husband was and still is supportive - he always split the household responsibilities with me, but school took priority. I didn't make dinner on nights that I had class or clinical. Laundry and dishes were his job when exams rolled around. I took care of the children and I studied and went to school. It was a lot of extra work for him, but it paid off in the end. I graduated (with honors :) ) and now that I have been working for three years, I feel like working per diem is like a vacation in comparison. (I work 2 or 3 12 hour day shifts/week).

You can do this! Good luck!

Blee

Hi all,
This may have been asked a zillion times but I searched and couldn't find anything so I apologize if this has been asked and answered before.
I am a 30 something stay at home mom getting ready to go back to nursing school. No previous medical experience except been at home for caring for children for 8 + years. My husband is supportive but I worry about how it will affect our family.
If anyone has been in the same boat I would really love to hear from them pros or cons. From everything I've been reading nursing school is very intense and I'm starting to get nervous about it.
Thank

Brandi8 · Jun 13, 2007

Hi,

I have a 5yr old and a 2yr old. I am getting ready to start school in the Fall. I am going to take my pre reqs for the RN program. By the time I start my nursing part my 2 yr old should be about ready to start kindergarten.

I am just like you. I worry it will be to much to take on. I am thinking of doing the LVN since its shorter and then getting the RN but I am still not sure.

My mom is a LVN. She is trying to encourage me but I have heard a lot of horror stories about nursing school.

The LVN is 5 days a week and they really cram it in so that is why I thought RN would work out better but its a lot longer with the pre reqs.

I think we can do it but it will be tough. Everyone says its worth it though.

PM me if you want to talk.

Brandi

grace90, LPN, LVN · Jun 13, 2007

Started taking pre-reqs when my kids were 2.5, 1.5 and 2 months, and entered the program about a year later. I know I didn't spend as much time with the kids as I needed to, and the house certainly was a mess, and we ate McDonalds a lot, but we all survived.....somehow.

jewelshouse · Jun 13, 2007

Is LVN the same thing as LPN?

galenight, BSN, RN · Jun 13, 2007

When I started the long educational process, my children were about 3 and 7. My husband was only marginally supportive because he figured I would make good money. I took a one year intense program (had no prereqs done) LPN program. I continued to work nearly full time while my now ex worked part time. I still did the majority of the household chores and childcare. I went to work full time as an LPN and immediately began taking prereqs for RN school. A entrance requirement for the articulation program was 1 year experience working, so as soon as I could I started the RN program... all while working full time and trying to keep a marriage going. The marriage failed immediately after I graduated. I then worked as an RN full time and before I knew it was going back to school for my BSN. I did that slowly, only 2 classes a semester, taking summers off, but I just finished this past December. So in answer to your question.. yes, you can do it. Especially since you have a supportive family and are not working. It will be an intense time for you regardless of whether you work or not, as the classes are often fairly fast paced and quite technical in nature.

Your children will survive your educational adventure. They will even thrive because of it. They will learn the value of education and the rewards that come with hard work and dedication. They will respect you in your decision to go back to school and do something that is in your heart. They might not think it now at their ages, but they will eventually.

You said you were nervous. Use that energy to your advantage. It can be a great asset. Being nervous mean you are aware of exactly what you are getting into. You don't have some rosmanticized version of nursing school being all kum-by-ah, roses and story time. It's hard work, it can even be considered gruelling at times, but it will be the most rewarding thing you have ever done aside from your children. You will gain so much more than nursing knowledge. You will gain self confidence, a sense of community, great friendships and after working for a few years you'll probably even get a set of "kahunas". So keep those nervous eyes wide open and focused on the prize... your degree and your brand spanking new title... NURSE

Good luck in your endeavor.

hikernurse · Jun 13, 2007

I am a 41 yr old mother of 1 9 yr old and a 18 yr old bonus son (step son)
I work 40+ hrs a week in an HR Dept of a 1700+ employee medical facility, try not to miss a little league game (not always possible).
Just graduated one from high school and preparing him for college in the fall. I am an avid photographer....oh and did I forget to mention that I just finished my first semester of nursing school!!! :chuckle
It is possibly the hardest thing I have ever done, but also the most rewarding!! So yes it is possible.
Will your house be spotless...NOPE
Will your kids always be spotless....NOPE
Will you cook dinner everynight....NOPE
Will you get a lot of sleep.....NOPE
Will you cry on a regular basis.....YEP
Will your kids was more time with you.....YEP
Can you do it.....ONLY IF YOU WANT IT BAD ENOUGH!!!
:bugeyes: :bugeyes: :bugeyes: :bugeyes: :bugeyes: :bugeyes: :bugeyes:

Absolutely agree with the above. I have a whole lotta kids and I got through. There were plenty of times I worried I wouldn't, but taking one day at a time made it possible. Plus, I got real good at the following statement: "I would love to help you with xxxxx, but between my family, school and work, I just can't right now." :)

StarNurse2006 · Jun 14, 2007

To all getting ready to start nursing school with a family...

I'm right there with you! I am in a 12 month LVN program, 5 days a week, 8 hours a day, and an hour and half drive each way, every day. I have 2 children of my own and 3 stepsons, and my husband works 2 jobs. I work on-call as a CNA at a hospital an hour away. We have no support system...our respective exes don't pay child support, mine sees the kids 4 days a month, and his is out of the picture. We have no family nearby.

We've had some truly huge obstacles along the way...I lost my job 3 days before school started, we got married when I was in first semester, followed by an ugly, drawn-out court battle for custody of my husband's sons (which we won, thankfully). I've gone through 4 babysitters, we've moved, and my stepson was hit by a truck while riding his bike 2 months ago.

Nurse2BStacey hit it right on the head...yes, sometimes my house is messy, we eat pizza three nights in a row, or I cry in the car on the way home...but...oh well!

You know what? It's worth it! I'll be done in 2.5 months...I have tons of job prospects, and I've proven to myself that I can do whatever I put my mind to. Through all of this, I've become a different, more confident person. I know what I want out of my life and I'm getting it. I'll be going on to the ISU LVN-BSN program this Fall, and working will seem like vacation after the last year.

I get 4 hours of sleep a night, I've perfected studying while driving on the freeway (it's complicated!) my husband and I use 5,000 mobile-to-mobile minutes a month talking to each other on the phone because we never see each other, and my kids have forgotten what I look like, but I've managed to maintain an 'A' average throughout the program. I really, truly believe that if you want something, you should go out and get it!

Good luck to everyone!