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 !
wow! it's amazing what scarifies everyone has made to be a nurse or get through school. i'm so glad you asked this question...and i after reading many of the replies, it's comforting to know i am not alone in making sacrifices and feeling like i have no life. i'm not even in the nursing program yet (just got accepted to start in august), but i feel like school, work, and studying is my life....if i have any time to come up for air, i spend it with my husband/family and if i'm lucky..the few friends i do have!
i've had to sacrifice so much time with my hubby just to get my pre-reqs done. i switched around my work schedule in a real estate office from m-f to mon, wed, fri, sat, sun (full time) and go to school tues/thurs + mon/wed nights. my hubby works m-f, so we have no days off together and maybe 3-4 hours a night together (after studying). it has been brutal, but i do feel like it will be worth it. luckily, i will be quitting my job right before nursing school starts and not working while i am in the program...my work schedule just doesn't allow for the time it will require for nursing school, and obviously that's my main goal and is much more important to me!!
anyway, there's my vent! good luck to everyone... i know it will pay off!!!!!!!! and i hope you all believe so as well!! :)
- the man I wanted to marry - together for 4 years, he was actually supportive for the most part but I think being priority #3 in my life got to him eventually sad - but hopefully it just wasn't meant to be.
- time with my kids - luckily I have not had to work very much through school so we ended up spending some time together that we might not had I been working, BUT I think I was somewhat emotionally detached much of this time because of school stress.
- time with my family - too hard to travel when poor and car not very reliable
- numerous friendships - people just don't understand what ns means - they think of their own school experiences and do not understand why they are not my top priority.
I can't wait the 11 days until my last final - hopefully I pass it, because all of this sacrifice to get a non-nursing degree would be more than I could handle
I have to say relationships. My husband complains because we don't watch tv together as much as we used to, he and friends gripe because we don't go "hang out" anymore and when we do I usually have a stack of notecards with me!! I've even studied thru a friends wedding!! lol We have to plan everything around how busy my schedule is and how many tests I have to study for that weekend or if I have a paper due. It's very hard...it makes me feel torn...heck half the time I don't have time for me either! I used to love the girly stuff but now I don't make time for my nails, hair or clothes like I used to. Most of the time I drag to school with bags under my eyes, my hair moussed into curls instead of straightened and I'm lucky if I manage to smear on some chapstick..forget the lipstick! lol (P.S. one hint if youre husband is fussing buy him an XBOX 360 then he won't complain while you study!! lol)
I haven't been able to attend any of my kids school functions, I haven't seen my grandmother in over a year, my kids don't have friends over because I'm always studying and can't deal with anymore kids in my house, laundry gets done on weekends only, I don't even remember what my two dogs look like, more money spent on tuition and books means less for fun stuff ( but I don't miss it much because there is no time for anything else). When I started nursing school I had no clue how much my life would change. Just think when we finish school we don't really get a break because then we get to work.
I start an ABSN program in about a month now. I read every single post and it has given me a world of insight. I have already heard how difficult this time will be but these posts have really driven home about the true sacrifices that are made. I applaud everyone and hope that my experience will be a positive one. I know that my dependency will be on God to see me through. I can't wait until I am at the end of my program and can pass down my wisdom to those just starting out on this wild ride as well.
Family, mostly. When I started the whole NS process, I was the single mother of 18-month-old twins, so I pretty much didn't have time for my friends, anyway. I hooked up with my boyfriend in my first semester, so he's used to never seeing me, too. But my family and I used to be close. Now I have one sister moving across the country right after I graduate in May, and another contemplating a move after that. My dad died last spring. All I'm going to have left is my mom, and she's talking about moving, too. It really sucks because a few months ago, I was thinking that after I graduate, I can hang out with my family again. And then I find out they're all leaving...
I have my two kids, but, of course, I haven't had a lot of quality time with them, either.
The first semester really flew by. I feel bad because I feel like I do neglect my kids and husband but at the same time...my kids aren't little anymore and this really is good for them; they have learned to rely on each other and they work together to do things like laundry, dishes or even make dinner...rather than just have the old "mom will do it" mentality.
I have learned to accept help when it's offered. I can't always be there for my boys and I've given up that need to control EVERYTHING...this past semester my hubby, my parents and my in laws have all done things to help when one of my sons came down with a semi serious illness that I just couldn't take that much time off school to be there for every dr appt, checkup or Ultrasound...I just prayed really hard that everything would be okay. I trusted my family to take care of my son and do what I couldn't because of my school schedule and it did work out fine.
My husband does help out, I wish he helped more but he works full time and does some volunteer work as well so he does what he can, when he can.
There are times when I have to ask for help... aka: have a complete crying breakdown that involves me completely freaking out...lol. But it gets the point across.
I'm pretty dedicated to my school work. My program is NOT easy. I spend a lot of time reading and studying, most evenings actually.
The one thing I try to do is go to Church every Sunday w/ my family.
I have missed a Sun or two to study for finals or a major exam...but I've decided that I need to prepare better so that I don't have to give that up because I really think it makes me stronger in my commitment to myself, my family and to God ...and it's the one thing I do that is for ME...weekly.
Honestly...sacrifice doesn't begin to cover it...but I know that what I'm doing is the right thing...I'm trying to make our lives better and fulfill my own dream along the way. I am confident it will get easier...someday. LOL
sad - but hopefully it just wasn't meant to be.
kjsquared
57 Posts
wow! it's amazing what scarifies everyone has made to be a nurse or get through school. i'm so glad you asked this question...and i after reading many of the replies, it's comforting to know i am not alone in making sacrifices and feeling like i have no life. i'm not even in the nursing program yet (just got accepted to start in august), but i feel like school, work, and studying is my life....if i have any time to come up for air, i spend it with my husband/family and if i'm lucky..the few friends i do have!
i've had to sacrifice so much time with my hubby just to get my pre-reqs done. i switched around my work schedule in a real estate office from m-f to mon, wed, fri, sat, sun (full time) and go to school tues/thurs + mon/wed nights. my hubby works m-f, so we have no days off together and maybe 3-4 hours a night together (after studying). it has been brutal, but i do feel like it will be worth it. luckily, i will be quitting my job right before nursing school starts and not working while i am in the program...my work schedule just doesn't allow for the time it will require for nursing school, and obviously that's my main goal and is much more important to me!!
anyway, there's my vent! good luck to everyone... i know it will pay off!!!!!!!! and i hope you all believe so as well!! :)