How do I work study and be a mom full time

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

Published

I've taken the first steps toward becoming a nurse by enrolling in prerequisites. I'm nearly done and have gotten fairly ndecent grades. I want to do an ABSN program with the ultimate goal of becoming a CNM. Here's the catch. I'm also finally getting divorced (yay!) and have a toddler. Luckily, my mom is around to help pick up the slack. This leaves me in the position of not being able to not work while going to school. I'm the sole provider where I'm most worried about health insurance and of of course, rent. I know that most of these programs say it's in the best interest of the student to quit their jobs. Only in la la land!

I would like to know if others here have done it and what sort of schedule they kept to achieve success. I've tried the overnight shift thing, my body will not let me do that.

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I almost hate to take the conversation in this direction, but ...

What kind of financial aid have you explored? Once you get divorced and won't have your husband's income, will you be eligible for more financial aid?

Also, how much debt are you in now? If your current debt load is very low, you might be able to handle a small to medium student loan. That would enable you to cut back on your work hours while paying for health insurance. Can you live with your mom (and just pay her a little rent) to save money?

But if you do any of the stuff I am suggesting above, you would have to commit to living a very hard life while you do your BSN and for a few years after that to pay off the loans. No luxuries, no vacations, no more kids, etc. Are you willing to do that?

I agree with the posters saying to look into an ADN program. I originally started prereqs while planning to apply to a masters for entry to nursing program (MEPN, which is similar to an ABSN in time and difficulty level but with a masters degree outcome vs. a second bachelors). Since then I have found and am pursuing a concurrent enrollment program at my local community college which awards you an ADN at the same time you complete online nursing theory work resulting in a traditional MSN degree. It is a longer route (it will take me 9 months this longer to get the ADN than the MEPN, plus an additional year to obtain the MSN, but ultimately I believe I will be more successful in this program.

I'm curious what is the name of this program that you're doing (not the actual school). I'm wondering if there's a similar program near me.

I almost hate to take the conversation in this direction, but ...

What kind of financial aid have you explored? Once you get divorced and won't have your husband's income, will you be eligible for more financial aid?

Also, how much debt are you in now? If your current debt load is very low, you might be able to handle a small to medium student loan. That would enable you to cut back on your work hours while paying for health insurance. Can you live with your mom (and just pay her a little rent) to save money?

But if you do any of the stuff I am suggesting above, you would have to commit to living a very hard life while you do your BSN and for a few years after that to pay off the loans. No luxuries, no vacations, no more kids, etc. Are you willing to do that?

I have looked into better financial aid. I was told because if my of my previous degree i wouldn't be much, in fact I have to pay some out of pocket. My husband's copies income isn't part of the equation (one of the many reasons we're getting a divorce!). My debt isn't as bad as my college friends', but, hence the need for a better saying job. Lol.

I've accepted that my mom is a financial relief for now and I'm a low maintenance gal. Thanks for the advice/reality check.

(You jave a lot of letters after your name! lol)

Specializes in MSICU.
I'm curious what is the name of this program that you're doing (not the actual school). I'm wondering if there's a similar program near me.

It is a concurrent enrollment program (CEP) between my local community college and Grand Canyon University. My community college has a lot of CEPs with various universities to obtain both the ADN and a BSN at the same time, this is the only one that awards the master's.

Specializes in Adult Primary Care.

You have received a lot of great advice here. I agree with looking at the ADN program and pursuing the BSN later (with employer assistance).

Wow. An OVERWHELMING majority of you say that ABSN is a no go and ADN is the best route. I suppose I can't say that I'm surprised. I'm taking three classes right now and it's tough but doable I looked at the curriculum for the schools around me and wondered how I would do it.

I guess my reasoning for wanting the ABSN so badly stems from the fact that I do work at a major city hospital that believes in hiring from within and it seems like and ADN is a little lower on the totem pole of nursing, maybe starting out at a nursing home. I'm extremely lucky not having any experience and landing this job; I don't want to lose it.

That and 16 months; I'd be done! (I was also thinking about Direct entry masters programs but a bit wishy washy on that one). VS. 2 years and another couple of years or the traditional 4 years.

Right now, I receive a small food stamp and half daycare voucher. I don't qualify for anything else from the state. If I live like this on this income for much longer, my hair will begin falling out (oh wait, it already has). My daughter and I aren't living in the best of conditions and I thought I was willing to work 24/7 to make this period a distant memory before she could actually remember it.

But seems the more I think about it, the more practical it is to do the ADN no matter how much I may dislike it.

If you have made solid connections and have stood out during your career at your hospital, you may want to talk to you RN Supervisor or DON and see if being an ADN can land you a job over there. There are also a lot of schools that offer BSN bridge programs WHILE you are doing your last semester of ADN. Hopefully, you can find a school counselor that can help you out with your options.

I also have heard of agencies, hiring CNAs, you can pick your hours and even work on weekends, and get that 30 hours in to get insurance.

There are also scholarships out there designed for you especially, FAFSA and other loans that you can take on during your time at school. Talk to a FAFSA rep or just a FINANCIAL AID person at the nearest community college that has a nursing program.

It may help to "register" NOT ENROLL, into that community college so you can start getting a schedule with a counselor and hopefully a financial aid person.

If you have made solid connections and have stood out during your career at your hospital, you may want to talk to you RN Supervisor or DON and see if being an ADN can land you a job over there. There are also a lot of schools that offer BSN bridge programs WHILE you are doing your last semester of ADN. Hopefully, you can find a school counselor that can help you out with your options.

I also have heard of agencies, hiring CNAs, you can pick your hours and even work on weekends, and get that 30 hours in to get insurance.

There are also scholarships out there designed for you especially, FAFSA and other loans that you can take on during your time at school. Talk to a FAFSA rep or just a FINANCIAL AID person at the nearest community college that has a nursing program.

It may help to "register" NOT ENROLL, into that community college so you can start getting a schedule with a counselor and hopefully a financial aid person.

I'll definitely look into the bridge programs and talking to a FAFSA rep (rather than the admissions and loan rep that I talked to).

+ Add a Comment