Planning advice needed

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I am hoping all of the lovely ladies and gentlemen at allnurses.com can give me some much needed career advice. As a background, I am 25, happily married for three years, live in Chicago, and went to art school for painting. I am strongly considering going into nursing as a career. This would mean doing all of my pre-reqs, probably some volunteer work to get in school, a bsn or gem program, and finally sweet sweet graduation. My husband and I are also strongly considering having (2) kids soon. I really want to be able to stay home with them when they are young (before preschool). Right now I am leaning towards having the kids now, doing pre-reqs slowly while they are young, and going to school full time when they start school. Am I setting myself up for major stress later on? I am fairly smart but I don't think I can just cruise through nursing school. Is it very hard taking time off and re-entering the field later on? I'd love to hear from people who have done both!

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Specializes in School Nursing.

If I had it to do over again, I would have gone to school and got my degrees first... but it's really up to you.

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Could you elaborate why? I think most people end up going to school first, but is it more just how things work out?

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Specializes in School Nursing.

For me, I wasted a lot of years when I could have been in school getting a degree doing nothing. I decided to go to school AFTER having my second child. It's harder with kids for all the obvious reasons.. especially hard having to miss out on stuff (school related) because you can't miss class. I feel guilty when my 1st grader has a 'parents come to PE day' or something and it is always during a class period. You feel like a terrible parent if you don't go, and you risk falling behind if you do. It's lose/lose.

I don't think waiting until the kids are in school is any easier than doing it when they are little.. there are trade offs for both.

I love my boys so much.. but sometimes I feel like a terrible mom for being so preoccupied with school. (Even though I'm doing this for them on many levels)

I'm lucky to have a very supportive hubby who often plays mom and dad.

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If you are just starting your prereqs, I would go ahead and have kids as soon as you could... its gonna be WAY easier to take math, anatomy, micro and whatever else you need while they are little...they aren't gonna notice you gone much, I promise...with that said, you DO have to make sure to spend good time with them though. When you have to worry is when you actually start the nursing school program. You need to be all hands on deck for that.. at least if you can get them to age 3 by the time you start nursing school, they will (most likely) be potty trained, sleeping through the night and independent. Thats the best time to be in nursing school, during preschool... that way you're done when they get to kindergarten and don't have to miss all the school plays and pto meetings. You need to get your kids to be as independent as you can before starting clinicals/nursing school... they will understand better that mommy has to go to school to make money for them.

When I finish nursing school ( I just got in) my kid will be 3 and a half. I am blessed to have a husband to help me when I need to study and an even moer helpful grandma, aunts and neighbors. I've had probably 15 different people watch my kid ( mostly relatives...) and they all know the sacrifice I am making for my family and are ready to help me in any way possible... I won't put my kid in daycare as long as I have them to help out.

Hope that helps!

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Have you found nursing school to be much more involved than just working? We just moved here, so I don't have a big support network, and I don't want to be constantly dumping my future kids into daycare. Obviously the hubby will help as much as he can in any way. On a related note, has anyone found getting a cna certification and working a year or so to be worth it? Would it help my job prospects much when I graduate? Thanks for your input so far!

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I would start on pre-reqs, since you don't know how quickly and when you will get pregnant. I'm going to school with 5 kids at home, all under the age of 6 and I'm not all that stressed doing the pre-reqs. Yes, it's a lot of study time, but not THAT much, like it will be in the future. Though, I WOULD have a baby b4 actual nursing school, but pre-reqs can take up to 2 years sometimes, I would get started! Good luck, if I can do it, ANYONE can!

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I would also plan for possibly not having a job like most of us new grads across the country. I would say if you can afford to have kids now do it or if you are lucky enough to even get a job right away you will probably work difficult hours to raise a young family.

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Specializes in CNA.
My husband and I are also strongly considering having (2) kids soon.

You will get a lot of advice on this board that basically says having kids during prereqs and nursing school is no big deal.

From my observations of fellow students who do this, this is bad advice. At least 3 of my classmates have dropped out due to complicated pregnancies and a few more of them are having a devil of time getting in their lab and study time due to being pregnant and/or having young kids around.

My advice is, "Do one or the other." Sure, it's possible, but it's possible to cross a busy freeway blindfolded without getting hit by a car. That doesn't mean it is a good idea.

Good luck whichever you choose.

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Thanks guys, it means a lot. I think I should start both pre-reqs and trying in January. As WantToBeMidwife said, I don't know how long it might take. Then if kids come, I can just slow things don't till they're a bit older for nursing school. Would it be better for my application to try and volunteer at a hospital or get a cna cert. and a part time job? I think right now I am most interested in Rush's general entry masters.

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma.
You will get a lot of advice on this board that basically says having kids during prereqs and nursing school is no big deal.

From my observations of fellow students who do this, this is bad advice. At least 3 of my classmates have dropped out due to complicated pregnancies and a few more of them are having a devil of time getting in their lab and study time due to being pregnant and/or having young kids around.

My advice is, "Do one or the other." Sure, it's possible, but it's possible to cross a busy freeway blindfolded without getting hit by a car. That doesn't mean it is a good idea.

Good luck whichever you choose.

exactly. nursing school is NOTHING like your pre-reqs. seriously, you have to put everything you have into it, and there is no reason to try to make it harder than it already is. i wish i had done it before i had my kids- i miss out on so much with them, and they complain constantly of never getting enough time with me. focus on one or the other, but i would strongly advise getting through school first. it is definitely doable, but it is a struggle and places a huge toll on you and your family.

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fromthesea:

Are you referring to just kids too young for school, or all kids? My husband just got done with his Pathologist's Assistant masters and the first semester or two was a little nuts and then things weren't so bad. If nursing school is like what he went through in the beginning, I can see that it would be very rough. (he had classes 6 days a week, usually 8-9 hours a day and then studying at night) This entire situation is very frustrating.

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