Probably giving up :((

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Last semester was by far the most difficult and stressful semester in my many years of college, and it was only one class (divided into lecture and lab). A&PI really kicked my butt. I have a lot of criticisms for the program here. It’s as though they set you up to fail, and I’m not sure how that produces quality nurses. There were many times when the answers to quiz questions were word for word from the book upon review but still wrong, yet instructors wouldn’t give credit for them. I passed but barely. It’s more like a person has to get lucky enough to make the right guess than actually understand concepts. For all the fault of the program itself, I think I have to finally admit that biology is NOT my strongest subject. I’m just not good at rote memorization.

I think I would be an excellent nurse once I get beyond the curriculum. I have been very enthusiastic about it, I expected setbacks and was realistic about things. I’m a natural caregiver and want nothing more than to help people feel comfortable during the worst moments of their lives. But I think I’m goig to have to move on. The program I was in yanked the rug from beneath many of us, abruptly changing the entrance exam to one that could only be taken once prior to the application deadline, only weeks after the announcement was made. This caused a setback by a semester.

5 years ago that would’ve been a minor irritation but acceptable, but I’m going to be 40 soon, and while it’s never too late and we don’t expire past 40, it really is difficult that I’m going to be in my mid-40s entering the workforce as a newbie nurse as it is. I can’t afford any delays financially, and every semester counts and costs. I was going to spend 3 years pursuing an associates degree already, now 3.5? 4 counting the semester I just completed—so, 4 years for an ADN??? Only to have to go back for my bachelors once I finish. Um ?Furthermore, there’s no guarantee that I would get in even with a stellar GPA since there’s a waitlist, which no doubt is growing since so many were unprepared for the exam change.

i could do it, but I started questioning if it was worth it. I’m so frustrated. I looked in to teaching, and I could actually finish my bachelors degree in teaching 1.5 years sooner than my associates in nursing. Absurd. This makes a huge difference. The pay isn’t as good, a difference of abt $14k on avg, but the benefits are better. If I put in 20 years, I get a lifetime pension, while I’d be working till infinity as a nurse. For me, at 40, with no retirement to speak of, it makes all the difference in the world. The sooner I start making money & contributing to retirement, the better.

Fortunately I’m *almost* as enthusiastic about teaching as I am about nursing. But I’m very sad to make this decision. It’s not set in stone yet. There is an alternative technical college that I could finish faster, but there’s no guarantee of admission, & I’m not sure I could handle the pace. I can’t afford to make the wrong choice. I know I could get admitted to the education program as soon as I apply. Ugh :(( all my plans. I’m a flexible person but I guess after more than 10 years of dreaming of becoming a nurse, it’s hard to burn the idea ????

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Specializes in ICU.

What state do you go to school in? Are there other schools within a reasonable commuting distance for your ADN?

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Louisiana. The only other school I’ve looked into is about an hour commute. It’s still an option and I haven’t ruled it out, but I’m worried that if I don’t get accepted, it’ll take just as long. There’s also no guarantee I’d be successful and I just can’t afford anymore setbacks. I’m confident I could easily succeed with honors in education. I’m just not cut out for maths and sciences, sadly.

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Specializes in ICU.
1 hour ago, maybe_baby said:

Louisiana. The only other school I’ve looked into is about an hour commute. It’s still an option and I haven’t ruled it out, but I’m worried that if I don’t get accepted, it’ll take just as long. There’s also no guarantee I’d be successful and I just can’t afford anymore setbacks. I’m confident I could easily succeed with honors in education. I’m just not cut out for maths and sciences, sadly.

Luckily nursing is basic math, even I can do it, that's how basic ? and you can also get tutoring for your sciences. It's not an easy road but only you can decide what's best for you.

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It might be a different story if you were in your early 20's but at this point you need to make the best choice. I made the choice to return to nursing at 37 and it turned out to be a mistake I would not have stuck with had I known the outcome at the time. The older we get, the more important that we don't make career mistakes. Best wishes with your decision.

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Do teaching, the way that you are complaining will increase when you become a nurse. Some times we have to recognize that it is best to do what one can handle mentally. Yes you could be a great nurse but if the curriculum is bothering you this much, just imagine when you are in the real world of nursing and you have to do many things that don't make sense short handed. Teaching offers the benefits of it being routine. Once you get it down, it will be pretty much the same, with a few changes here and there. Nursing is not like that.

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How is the job market for teachers and RNs in your area?

Both education and health care have their frustrations. You are required to "do more with less" and "work smarter, not harder".

One major advantage of teaching is that schools are not open 24/7. You always have weekends and holidays off (summers too unless you choose to teach summer school). This will NOT be the case in nursing. Even some outpatient clinics are taking Saturday appointments. We do get PTO, but those holiday times are popular and it can be hard to get even one day off during the week of Christmas and Thanksgiving.

Nursing school (and sometimes the nursing profession) is extremely stressful and you haven't gotten to that part yet. Don't just think about the time it takes to complete your training, think about having anxiety the next 3.5 years. Education can be stressful too, but you have those vacation times to look forward to.

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41 minutes ago, 2BS Nurse said:

How is the job market for teachers and RNs in your area?

Both education and health care have their frustrations. You are required to "do more with less" and "work smarter, not harder".

One major advantage of teaching is that schools are not open 24/7. You always have weekends and holidays off (summers too unless you choose to teach summer school). This will NOT be the case in nursing. Even some outpatient clinics are taking Saturday appointments. We do get PTO...

The job market for nurses in my area is very good from what I understand, not so great at all for teachers, I’m not even sure I could find a job within 20-30 mins drive.

My mother is a nurse and she’s definitely had her ups and downs but has had a solid career. She has frustrations w the job especially at hospitals and always yearned to quit—but never could really give it up even when she could afford to. She actually retired a few years ago but had to return to the field. She likes hospice much better and enjoys the flexibility and feels very at home in the field. Meanwhile my sister in law is a teacher and has strongly advised against it. The job market for teachers locally is not so great. While she enjoys her summers & holidays off with her kids, she says that like nursing, there’s not much fundamental you can change about the job, no matter how wrong it seems.

I’ve weighed benefits and drawbacks of both jobs to the nth and remain at an impasse. I think I could get past the curriculum issues w nursing, eventually. I would much prefer the eventual potential schedule (3 days on 4 days off), bc my husband works shiftwork and we could be off together during the week, but I’m not sure I’m comfortable leaving my son home during the summer and holidays. Caliotter, you’re absolutely right about not being able to afford making the wrong choice at 40–I just don’t know what the right choice is. Short term, it’s either one—teaching bc it’s only 2 years away, but nursing bc more money and better job security; long term, teaching comes w a pension after 20 years, but my husband has excellent benefits and while it would be nice, I may not need a pension.

I could do this all day. One minute I’m leaning toward teaching, the next I flip back to nursing.

Im speaking to advisors and visiting schools. I’ve discovered Chamberlain and while the tuition seems outrageous, it’s actually no more expensive than LSU and it’s a bachelors in 3 years w no wait list. It seems sketchy but I’ve heard good things. I’ve definitely given up on my dream of going to Charity (where my mom went). Hopefully I’ll get things sorted out before the semester begins. ?*kicks dirt*

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I don't think being a nurse will be the same as being in school. I wouldnt know personally yet, but I do know some people that are nurses that have regular 9 to 5 jobs and complain of no stress at all. Dr offices, specialty clinics, and even a school nurse... if you want to combine nursing with teaching! ? I don't think you should give it up if you don't want to. There are SO many options out there other than hospital jobs. You can even do home health nursing. But I would suggest being a school nurse, though you might need some experience for that. Do what you want. You'll regret it if you don't. If a job stresses you out, don't waste time, quickly find another type of nursing job. That way you can start your time leading up to retiring. ?

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Thanks AprilMarie!

Well today is the last day. I have to make my final decision. As of last week I was pretty much set on transferring for my Ed. Degree, but the school has really dragged its feet—classes start *Wednesday!* I applied over a month ago and they still haven’t sent my registration info. I still felt kind of torn. As I mentioned previously, money and a need to start work is the main issue. One reason I was switching to teaching is that I am closer to that degree and would start working more than a year sooner.

Last night, as I realized my tuition is due, it suddenly dawned on me that I could try LPN school. I looked into it and I could be working even sooner—18 months from now!! Wow. And then the LPN-RN transition degree is only 3 semesters... I don’t know if I could work during that time, but working prior to finishing would at least help take care of my debt and I’m sure I could save some money for those 3 semesters.

Thats definitely a solution, however...I kind of did start seeing myself more as a teacher than a nurse. Maybe I just switched gears and need to find something that excites me about nursing again—besides the money and schedule. I have to decide TODAY, before midnight. Whatever I decide is the one I’m going to stick with.

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Actually, some work places may pay for your 3 semesters of LPN-RN. If you do decide to go the LPN route, check the places where you apply for a job and ask them if they give tuition reimbursement. Most hospitals/clinics would want their staff to have BSNs or MSNs eventually.

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On 8/11/2019 at 9:55 AM, maybe_baby said:

Thanks AprilMarie!

Well today is the last day. I have to make my final decision. As of last week I was pretty much set on transferring for my Ed. Degree, but the school has really dragged its feet—classes start *Wednesday!* I applied over a month ago and they still haven’t sent my registration info. I still felt kind of torn. As I mentioned previously, money and a need to start work is the main issue. One reason I was switching to teaching is that I am closer to that degree and would start working more than a year sooner.

Last night, as I realized my tuition is due, it suddenly dawned on me that I could try LPN school. I looked into it and I could be working even sooner—18 months from now!! Wow. And then the LPN-RN transition degree is only 3 semesters... I don’t know if I could work during that time, but working prior to finishing would at least help take care of my debt and I’m sure I could save some money for those 3 semesters.

Thats definitely a solution, however...I kind of did start seeing myself more as a teacher than a nurse. Maybe I just switched gears and need to find something that excites me about nursing again—besides the money and schedule. I have to decide TODAY, before midnight. Whatever I decide is the one I’m going to stick with.

What did you decide? ?

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