It was my second year of my four year BSN program. My very first set of actual nursing clinicals. The ones where we actually went somewhere, and that was a LTC. I was excited, scared, and every other emotion all combined. I was actually more emotional than I pictured myself. I was so emotional I was nauseated. I was exhausted.
On our third clinical day I went to watch a nurse do a dressing change. Wound care, how exciting! I was absorbing information like a sponge. Then, suddenly it all hit me. The nausea, the exhaution, the weakness all came at once. I excused myself, walked out of the room into the hall, slid down a wall, and passed out. I remember a nurse coming up to me and asking if I was okay, and my clinical instructor being called over the intercom. "Great," I thought. Here I am, in a facility where I should be helping, and learning, and I'm being surrounded by staff. I came back to, alert and oriented, Vitals WNL, BS a little low but not critical. Then, my clinical instructor asked the golden question... "Could you be pregnant"
Well, I could. I'm married, and along with that comes the, ummm... "act" that causes pregancy. But I couldn't be. The doctors said so. It would take "medical intervention" and we had been unsafe for 5 years. "I'm not pregnant, there's no way." To which my clinical instructor said "call your husband, have him pick you up, and stop by the store and pick up a pregnancy test."
Well, okay. I still thought there was no way I was pregnant, but what could I do? She would ask the next day about the results, and I didn't want to lie. So, off to the store we went. My husband took a friend to the clinical site to pick up my car and took the test.
I follow the instructions, wait the period of time and look at the test. Whew.... two lines...that means...wait a minute, I look at the directions again. I look at the test. The directions. The test. I'm pregnant. When my husband comes home I have him verify there are indeed two lines.
I'm scared. I gave up a decent job to go to nursing school. My husbands work was erratic. We didn't have health insurance. Most of the time we didn't even have an extra five dollars. What will we do? My mind goes on a brain storm? Quit nursing school and find a job. Work part-time and go to nursing school. What can we sale? What will we have to buy?
Fast forward four years.... today. My son was born during the summer, but I slowed down nursing school and worked any job I could find that would fit within daycare hours. Americorps, tutoring, at the daycare itself. It took five years to complete my four year degree, but it was completed. We had to used Medicaid for my pregnancy and son, but we have health insurance now. We were on food stamps for awhile, but can afford our own food now.
So many people didn't know how I could "do it"- go to nursing school and have a baby. I didn't know how those who worked full-time or spent hours partying or in their sorieties could do it. Things just came together. Sure, there were days and nights I was exhausted. Days I left the daycare in tears because I didn't want to leave my baby. Days I counted out change for milk. However, no matter what the challenge that arose I chalked it up to being a bad day and pressed forward.
I graduated last May. I had a job before graduation because I worked in the hospital as a student nurse and did my practicum on the floor I wanted. I also graduated with a 3.94. Inducted into Sigma Theta Tau. Passed NCLEX in 75 question and 30 minutes.
Today, my son doesn't have to go to daycare anymore. Between my husband's schedule, my schedule, and his preschool schedule, there isn't the need. I don't have to count change for milk anymore. I don't have to pray that my gas tank makes it one more day. In fact, we are taking our first family vacation to Disney in a couple of months.
Don't let anyone tell you that having a baby during nursing school is impossible. It's hard and tiring. Some days it seemed like the end would never come- but it did. And it was well worth the wait. I wouldn't change a thing.
It's not impossible, but it is hard. 22 years ago I was a single parent of three children getting my degree when I found out in fourth year I was pregnant with 4th child. I gave birth 3 days into the final term and returned to class the next week. Baby went to a day home, other children helped and we all graduated with the rest of my class. School was the easy part. Try working full time as single supporting parent and balancing their school and day care.
I agree, this is very inspiring! My husband and I have 4 children and I have just brought up the idea of having a fifth child. Lucky, hubby isn't opposed to the idea, but I did tell him that I definitely needed to graduate! I am currently taking my prereqs and I am trying to get in the spring of January 2011 nursing program and I would graduate in Dec. 2012. Ideally, I want to get pregnant in 2011 and be due Jan. 2013 right after I graduate. I really want to be pregnant my 3rd & 4th semester that way child #4 & #5 are not that far apart in age. I am also considering maybe having a baby in the summer of 2012 that way when I go back for my last semester he/she would be 3 months. I am sure it would not be easy, but doable at the same time. I am currently a stay home mom and I will not be working through NS, plus hubby works 6pm-2am and will be able to help out during the day when I am in school!
It was my second year of my four year BSN program. My very first set of actual nursing clinicals. The ones where we actually went somewhere, and that was a LTC. I was excited, scared, and every other emotion all combined. I was actually more emotional than I pictured myself. I was so emotional I was nauseated. I was exhausted.
On our third clinical day I went to watch a nurse do a dressing change. Wound care, how exciting! I was absorbing information like a sponge. Then, suddenly it all hit me. The nausea, the exhaution, the weakness all came at once. I excused myself, walked out of the room into the hall, slid down a wall, and passed out. I remember a nurse coming up to me and asking if I was okay, and my clinical instructor being called over the intercom. "Great," I thought. Here I am, in a facility where I should be helping, and learning, and I'm being surrounded by staff. I came back to, alert and oriented, Vitals WNL, BS a little low but not critical. Then, my clinical instructor asked the golden question... "Could you be pregnant"
Well, I could. I'm married, and along with that comes the, ummm... "act" that causes pregancy. But I couldn't be. The doctors said so. It would take "medical intervention" and we had been unsafe for 5 years. "I'm not pregnant, there's no way." To which my clinical instructor said "call your husband, have him pick you up, and stop by the store and pick up a pregnancy test."
Well, okay. I still thought there was no way I was pregnant, but what could I do? She would ask the next day about the results, and I didn't want to lie. So, off to the store we went. My husband took a friend to the clinical site to pick up my car and took the test.
I follow the instructions, wait the period of time and look at the test. Whew.... two lines...that means...wait a minute, I look at the directions again. I look at the test. The directions. The test. I'm pregnant. When my husband comes home I have him verify there are indeed two lines.
I'm scared. I gave up a decent job to go to nursing school. My husbands work was erratic. We didn't have health insurance. Most of the time we didn't even have an extra five dollars. What will we do? My mind goes on a brain storm? Quit nursing school and find a job. Work part-time and go to nursing school. What can we sale? What will we have to buy?
Fast forward four years.... today. My son was born during the summer, but I slowed down nursing school and worked any job I could find that would fit within daycare hours. Americorps, tutoring, at the daycare itself. It took five years to complete my four year degree, but it was completed. We had to used Medicaid for my pregnancy and son, but we have health insurance now. We were on food stamps for awhile, but can afford our own food now.
So many people didn't know how I could "do it"- go to nursing school and have a baby. I didn't know how those who worked full-time or spent hours partying or in their sorieties could do it. Things just came together. Sure, there were days and nights I was exhausted. Days I left the daycare in tears because I didn't want to leave my baby. Days I counted out change for milk. However, no matter what the challenge that arose I chalked it up to being a bad day and pressed forward.
I graduated last May. I had a job before graduation because I worked in the hospital as a student nurse and did my practicum on the floor I wanted. I also graduated with a 3.94. Inducted into Sigma Theta Tau. Passed NCLEX in 75 question and 30 minutes.
Today, my son doesn't have to go to daycare anymore. Between my husband's schedule, my schedule, and his preschool schedule, there isn't the need. I don't have to count change for milk anymore. I don't have to pray that my gas tank makes it one more day. In fact, we are taking our first family vacation to Disney in a couple of months.
Don't let anyone tell you that having a baby during nursing school is impossible. It's hard and tiring. Some days it seemed like the end would never come- but it did. And it was well worth the wait. I wouldn't change a thing.
This is so true for those that are pregnant. However, would it not be wiser to recommend steps to take for family planning or avoiding getting pregnant while in NS? Again, only for those that are in NS and not pregnant yet.
I mention this cause, there could be someone reading (not pregnant) this thinking: well if she can do it so can I. Thus letting their guard down on birth control and/or theraputic talk with significant other, that perhaps we should take precautionary steps while i'm still in NS.
Speaking of pregnancy and nursing are there any books on safety about medications and diseases with pregnancy?
You raise a good point! Last week they had to pull the pregnant RN patients because of the patient(s) were shedding cytomegalovirus and she had no idea if she had been exposed before. The worst part is that this RN had no idea CMV could hurt her fetus. It created chaos that evening, as the patient assignments were shuffled at the last minute to keep her safer.
If an established RN had no idea and her nursing supervisor didn't know to ask these questions, I have to wonder how many other women have no idea the right questions to ask. (It was another nurse who saw what was happening and spoke up) And even with the room switch, she is still working a busy med/surg floor with patients who may be shedding who-knows-what. I haven't even done my maternity rotation yet, and I already know about mumps, CMV, herpes, parvo, rubella, syphilis, and toxoplasmosis. Any disease that results in a high fever may also have teratogenic effect.
After seeing this, I wish the very first thing nursing admissions departments did was to educate the pregnant or soon-to-be-pregnant women about the high risk environment they'll be entering. People really have no idea how dangerous this is for the fetus.
When i first started Nursing School in the Fall of 2006, i found out that i was pregnant in the second month of the semester. I already had a 3 years old son at home. I was wondering if i should drop and come back after my daughter was born. People were telling me how hard it would be to go through this. Thank God my husband was very supportive of me. Honestly, it was not easy but this situation had proved to me how strong I am and that I can do anything.
I completed my BSN in December 2009, I found out yesterday that I passed the NCLEX @ 75 questions and my little diva is turning 3 in June 2010.
i am really glad i found this thread. i am just about to finish my first semester (out of 6) of a bsn program and recently found out i am pregnant. i can completely relate to seeing those "2 lines" and for just a moment thinking, and hoping, that meant the test was negative. well, a visit to my ob confirmed the validity of those 2 pink lines...i'm 8 weeks along.
i have been feeling really torn about what to do. school aside, from an outsider's perspective it seems like the "right" time (i've been happily married for 6 years and we do not have any children). my husband and i are certainly not getting any younger, yet i just can't help but feeling disappointed -- i was absolutely not trying to get pregnant (to the contrary, i took all the precautions to protect against it). is it wrong for me to feel this way? has anyone else considered terminating a pregnancy just because the timing wasn't right? i realize that i sound completely selfish here, but i can't shake the feeling that i just don't want this. i have a plan and goals that i am determined to reach...i just don't know how they are going to be possible with a baby, especially one that i am not feeling all that happy about.
Specializes in Geriatric, Prenatal, Q.I./Education.
It can be done! I was accepted into the ASN program May of 1992, after being wait listed in 1991. Early July I found out I was pregnant. The nursing program stated that if it was OK with them if it was OK with my OB/GYN. I had my daughter by planned C/S a week and two day before spring break. It wasn't easy, but we did it. I had a lot of help from my spouse and family. Nursing was the best decision I ever made. My daughter is a senior in high school now. She is planning on going into health care as a athletic trainers as a BS working toward becoming a physical therapist. I am blessed!
The day of nursing school orientation, the head of the department stated "If you're not pregnant, don't get pregnant; if you are pregnant, you'll never make it." (Nice, huh) Kudos to those of you who did it!! Never underestimate the power of an underestimated woman!
Wow!! That's quite the thing for a nursing school to say to their students..
I'm in an akward position myself. I'm at the point where I keep feeling this need to be a mother and have felt this way for quite some time. My husband has said that he doesn't want to be in his late 30s (he just turned 29) before he wants to have children. We've been together for 7 years and married for 3..
I've worked at a psychiatric hospital for a little bit now, which has been pretty demanding and stressing me out because of all the mandatory overtime and sometimes having to work 16 hour days. For this reason, I have thought about not working there anymore because my BP has been a bit high since I started there. I am in nursing school 1/2 time right now because I have already taken most of the classes I need to have. I am in my 2nd year of school and wondered if it'd be worth it to quit my job and use my financial aid to live off of and just be able to focus on what I want. But then sometimes, I think would this be a bad idea? I don't know why I've got this in my mind, but I just thought I'd share... opinions anyone?
Specializes in Med Surg - OR, nursing homes, hospice,.
I would like to get my story out there so that all of you nursing students can learn from my mistake...
I am currently in my third trimester and am finishing up my third semester of nursing school at a local BSN program. My husband and I were not planning this pregnancy and I attempted to keep it hidden because I knew for a fact that the college did not hold a favorable view of pregnant students. My scrubs hid my belly quite well until about 6 weeks ago, and I had to "come clean" that I was expecting when I was no longer able to hide the belly.
I wasn't expecting a warm reception regarding the news, but I also was not expecting for the instructors to wage an all-out war on me once they found out. Though somehow I was having no "performance issues" when no one knew I was pregnant, suddenly I was being accused of slacking off, being lazy, etc. when the news broke. I was called into the dean's office TWICE for issues that did not involve me breaking school policy and procedures, poor patient care, etc. I won each battle considering the fact that schools cannot persecute a student based on "unspoken" rules regarding eating peanut butter crackers while hiding in the bathroom, but why did I even have to go through that?
The straw that broke the came's back was when I was asked (for absolutely no particular reason) to provide my medical records from my OB to the university. Needless to say, I am refusing to accomodate their request as such information is private/HIPAA protected and my pregnancy has not affected my ability to perform as a student. I am hoping that they will come to their senses and drop the issue, as my pregnancy is actually high risk due to my age and other factors and the university might actually be able to dismiss me on that basis if they found out.
In short, universities consider pregnant women to be a liability. If we were to contract TB, CMV, etc., it could possibly come back on the university. Therefore, clinicals do NOT want pregnant students around. Even though they cannot blatantly discriminate against you, they can find little miniscule things to pick at you about until you are spending so much of your time defending yourself and your pregnancy that you can no longer function as a student.
heathIam, RN
54 Posts
It's not impossible, but it is hard. 22 years ago I was a single parent of three children getting my degree when I found out in fourth year I was pregnant with 4th child. I gave birth 3 days into the final term and returned to class the next week. Baby went to a day home, other children helped and we all graduated with the rest of my class. School was the easy part. Try working full time as single supporting parent and balancing their school and day care.
But, we did it. They survived and I survived.