What have been your biggest sacrifice since starting nursing school ? Has it been work, sleep, money, relationships, or etc. ?
Well for me my biggest sacrifice is my job. Due to stress of working a non-flexible job and scheduling conflicts with clinical I'll will be leaving my great paying job steady job in May, in order to complete my nursing program in July of this year. So for 3 months I'll be living off 9 bucks in hour doing home health care as CNA and my student loans. Can I make it ??? I have no choice. I'm scared yet happy . When I tell my non-nursing student friends they think I'm crazy. They say " What ! let me get this straight... You're quitting your job in the midst of a recession just to finish nursing school " I reply " Yes I am, its a no brainer... Continue to work and stress my self out while going to school, or make a sacrifice that'll enable me to work less and have more flexible hours and become and nurse in 4 months."
These are just the sacrifices I have to make. Since the very first day of NS I wanted to quit working. However, I hung in the fight and kept going. Now, I know its time to make school not work a prioity. So now I need to formulate a budge for my next 2-3 pays and go from there. :zzzzz
Sigh- It'll all be worthed. May be busted broke now, but not forever !
Yes, there are the obvious sacrifices - time, energy, sleep, money, time with others.....but there are also the less obvious, sweeter sacrifices.
For me, the nursing school experience has been a wonderful tool in self-examination. I have been put in a position where I can shed my unhealthy thinking patterns, anger, and other self-defeating behaviours. I feel healthier mentally and emotionally than I have in a VERY, VERY long time. I've had the opportunity to choose to replace those with new attitudes that make me a more beautiful person than I was before. I am so grateful!
It's been exciting and exhausting. Sometimes my husband & kids communicate with me through dry-erase board by the front door! Ah, those night clinicals are so much fun, aren't they?!
I am trying to get into nursing school and thinking about these same things.
I have a 6 yr old son and I constantly tell him that when Mommy starts school we will both have to make sacrifices, but in the end, it is worth it. He is so cute because he says that I will make $100 and get to buy a new dress.
I was looking into going to a trade school to get my BSN guickly, but I would be about 60-70K in debt. If I wait for a community college, I will pretty much get my school paid for and I can use any extra money for living expenses. I will try to just quit work so I can focus on school and hopefully have a little extra time for my son.
Its nice to read what you have all written. I am not married but I have been dating a guy that is a nurse for over 2 years. He knows the stresses and I think that is some of the reason he holds off on making it really serious.
I just have to remember that my son will benefit more from me finishing school than the be hurt by the time I have to take away from him. I just hope I can tell my heart!
I have been out of NS for about 6 months now and when I think back it seems like a really, really bad dream that I had. During the time it was the worst time of my life -- losing out on friends & family, money, time, sleep, saniity, hobbies, a clean house, laundry. The only gain i can think of was weight. The stress levels are just beginning to be normal again and I'm just starting to feel normal again. It changes a person and you really do see the nasty side of people that you go to school with. I only like/respect 2 people anymore out of my class and I used to like them all when we started (24).
What you can do to help yourself -- de-stress as much as possible, don't get into the whinning & backstabbing, go along with whatever they throw at you (it will end), worry about YOURSELF (not everyone else), try to find time to smile (your doing this cuz you want to be a nurse), be very careful about who you trust.
It will end and when it does, it will take you time to be yourself again. When you get out into the field - that's a whole nother post!
I understand everyones struggle through school. I have a 9yo and 4 1/2yo and I don't get to do a lot of the things with them that I was able to do before school. I miss out on my 9yo school activities all the time now. When I take my 4yo to the park, I think I will be able to read while we are there, but he wants me to play with him instead. I have been married for 14yrs and thought he was supportive and understanding of my school until I found out he had been having an affair for 1 1/2yr. Therefore, that meant the affair started before my nursing classes did. I never would have imagined him doing something like that. Well, we are still in the same house together but sleeping separtely. I don't know if we will recover from this, it is just so hard to absorb. What keeps me going is the love of my kids and knowing I will be able to provide for them if their father and I don't work it out. I am in my second half of my 3rd level and I will have 2 classes w/clinicals to go and I will be finished (December) hopefully! I have failed one class because of all the mess that has been going on, but now I am trying to stay focused on school and the kids. End the end, I will have the kids and a good rewarding job to look forward to.
With that all said. Stay focused, determined and keep your eyes wide open. We all see the light at the end of our exhausting tunnel and we will reach it.
Well, it is always easier to go down hill versus up hill. If it was easy, somebody said, nobody would be working at McDonalds. (not to say that is less "work", it too has to be done)
Indeed I have made sacrifices and in a way am still making some sacrifices as my career has not quite started yet.
Yes, I had to give up a nice place to live to live closer to school, I spent savings, I had to quit my job as my boss would not give an inch in spite of 20 years of excellent service ( a non profit society), I gave up spare time basically (how can you ever relax when you know there is always more homework?), basically no social interaction except the little interaction in class. I pulled myself 100% through nursing school with no help from anybody (no relatives or friends in the nursing profession) or any financial help - money came from my own saving from living frugally for years. Yes, sleep was sacrificed, but one can manage - take naps and take your vitamins.
The odd time I did an overnighter till 4 am, oddly enough I did not feel that tired after.
I dont intend to sound bitter and I am not but I do wonder why most of my class mates have work by now and I dont: I scored higher on tests than most of them and have plenty of work experience (with no med errors or incidence reports due to my wrong doing). Is nepotism (relatives getting their kids into the system before others..?) live and thriving in our health care system up here in Canada?? (I am not a kid)
The odd time I have been thinking about: What if I did not go to nursing school, what if I kept going at my job (somewhat well paid) and did not give up my perfect rental location? How comfortable and convenient this would have been. But...I think if I did not do anything I might have been kicking myself. I knew my abilities were above what I was doing, I knew I would still be under the mercy of a favouritist type of boss (everyday language is "bully"). I would be wondering if I could succeed at anything, I think my self confidence would be low.
With this nursing licence doors can upen up for me, even more so if I am willing to continue to learn and take additional training. I have been in school for so many years, always taking courses, that I am not so sure if I would feel comfortable not continuing to learn new things. Learning and school is a way of life for me.
Anyways, so far, this is my experience. I am keeping my head high, I have braved rough waters before and will continue to charge forward. By many I am blessed, and I count myself as blessed in that I am not hungry, not sick, and I am not home less, by Vancouver standards, that is a blessing these days. In the end, there is Karma, everybody has to stand for their own actions with the circumstances considered.
Wow! Great posts people. They only make me want to do this even more. Like some of you said, you probably started NS while having a rocky relationship or marrigae (which is my case), I now am totally decided and devoted to make it not for me but for my 3 boys. I don't know what is going to happen to my almost 14 year old marriage, and that is why I need to do this. At the moment I only work part-time but next week I start classes to become certified as a PCT, (it should take about 4 1/2 months) then I can go work at a hospital full time and already enrolled myself at the local community college so I can start my pre-reqs and apply for the nursing program next year. I appreciate everyone sharing this very personal part of your lives. We all know in the end it all be so worth it. The only thing I regret is not having done this earlier in my life. Oh, well, I am doing it now, isn't that what counts?? Take care!
I hear yah. I will soon be in your position, I currently work full time while doing close to full time distance studies. I am approaching "crunch time" where I will have to go part time or casual to complete my studies by my deadline. Can't wait to be done and finally be able to have a life! It will all be worth it! :)
Wow! Great posts people. They only make me want to do this even more. Like some of you said, you probably started NS while having a rocky relationship or marrigae (which is my case), I now am totally decided and devoted to make it not for me but for my 3 boys. I don't know what is going to happen to my almost 14 year old marriage, and that is why I need to do this. At the moment I only work part-time but next week I start classes to become certified as a PCT, (it should take about 4 1/2 months) then I can go work at a hospital full time and already enrolled myself at the local community college so I can start my pre-reqs and apply for the nursing program next year. I appreciate everyone sharing this very personal part of your lives. We all know in the end it all be so worth it. The only thing I regret is not having done this earlier in my life. Oh, well, I am doing it now, isn't that what counts?? Take care!
I agree about doing this earlier! Though I am only 27, I wish I would have done this when I was 20 instead of waiting. I was so scared and didn't know what I want.
re: Oh! The sacrifices we make just to get through nursing school
"i hear what you guys are saying...the other day as i was taking my daughters home from school, who are ages 7 and 5, so i could meet my study group for an upcoming test my daughters asked me where i was going and why couldn't they come with me. i simply told them that i had to study and they started crying and told me that i don't love them and i love my friends more because i spend more time with them. that was all it took for me to cry and try to explain to them that i do love them with all my heart. so when i came home and we walked in the door my husband asks me why were we all crying and i told them what our girls think and he told me that they would be okay and he will talk to them some more! i thank GOD everyday for a husband who is supportive and willing to help out as much as he can.
when i started nursing school i had no idea how much time it would take away from my family but i have to remember it is all worth it in the end!"
Ooohh! Your story made me cry too. I wish people running the nursing programs/schools would realize how this affects people's lives and families. It will be worth in the end! Keep smiling!
LOTS OF MONEY--I'm paying with cash, time with family, sanity, time for hobbies, time for ME. It will be all worth it in the end, though. When I'm an RN I'll gain all those things back:yeah:!
It will be all worth it in the end, though. When I'm an RN I'll gain all those things back:yeah:!
NewCdnNurse
4 Posts
Yes, there are the obvious sacrifices - time, energy, sleep, money, time with others.....but there are also the less obvious, sweeter sacrifices.
For me, the nursing school experience has been a wonderful tool in self-examination. I have been put in a position where I can shed my unhealthy thinking patterns, anger, and other self-defeating behaviours. I feel healthier mentally and emotionally than I have in a VERY, VERY long time. I've had the opportunity to choose to replace those with new attitudes that make me a more beautiful person than I was before. I am so grateful!