2ndGoRound

This is a wonderful thread as I thoroughly enjoy reading all these stories. I have to apologize too since I am a pre-nursing student and am not as familiar with all the medical terminology. I have one baby girl, now 14 months old. I was only 34 weeks along and my husband had been on my case to pack a bag, be prepared and of course I just "knew" I had plenty of time to prepare and he had no idea what he was talking about...what a worry wart! On a Thursday I noticed I was losing some fluid, not much but enough to concern me. I called my OB who told me to monitor this development very carefully. By Saturday morning I woke up and wham, I couldn't even walk without the feeling that I was wetting on myself. I spoke to the nurse on call who told me to get to the hospital. I was still in disbelief and just knew that they would be sending me home. At 8 am in triage the nurse said "Honey, you are having contractions...don't you feel them?" I say "no, I just thought I was nervous" and burst into tears. The reason I burst into tears is because I wasn't ready. I didn't have a bag packed. The nursery wasn't 100% complete. My baby shower was exactly a week away. Was the baby ok? Was she big enough and were her lungs fully developed? The nurses were wonderful and kept me calm. The day was pleasant as my room was filled with family and friends. The doctor assured me that all should be fine and they estimated that my baby would weigh about 4½ pounds...a tiny angel. The nurse joked that her being so small might make delivery easier and I remember her saying "3 pushes, 3 pushes and she should be here"...wrong. After about 2 hours of pushing, a C-section was suggested. Again, I burst into tears. This was my first baby and for some reason I was disappointed that I couldn't "do it on my own". The nurse said, 15 more minutes and I said, I can do this! Well I couldn't...not exactly. I was wheeled into the OR to deliver since my baby was a preemie and in case an emergency C-section would have to be done. Talk about giving birth in front of a crowd! There must have been 10-12 people in there. My OB, L&D nurses, NICU, Respiratory, Anesthesiology. I am no longer shy. After a few good pushes and the help of some suction, I gave birth to a 17 inch long, 4 lb 11 oz baby girl, Kamryn, my tiny angel. We were blessed that even though she was 6 weeks early, she was in great health. She stayed in the NICU for one week learning how to suck a bottle and nurse and also dealing with jaundice but those were her only issues. The NICU nurses were absolutely fabulous!!! Though my experience was not something you may see on "A Baby Story" on TLC, it is my most special memory and my daughter is my greatest life accomplishment thus far. Special thanks to those who work in L&D and in the NICU. The nurses in the NICU and the special care that they gave us are some of the reasons I have decided to make a complete career change and go back to school for nursing. Nurses are truly the best. :thankya:

hs2005, thanks so much! I agree with you completely that the volunteering will give me a whole new perspective on things. I am going to volunteer at OLOL and so far it seems to be just what I need. The lady in charge seems to be very accomodating and allows you to "float" to pretty much any area in the hospital that you are interested in. I am excited, I think it will be good for me.

Crescentcitygrrl, my problem is not that I don't want to be a nurse, my problem, I suppose, is lack of knowledge and hands on experience. Based on what I know about the two career paths and what I have observed, I can see myself in both positions. There are (personal) pros and cons to each. I am hoping that my volunteering will be enough to sway me in one direction. I already have one B.S. degree, a laid back, part time, good paying job, a husband and a 1 year old...believe me, I am not in it just for a job. With the position I am in, I need to take this decision very seriously.

Thanks Dream Nurse, that's kind of what I was thinking too...that it would be frowned upon. I start volunteering in a couple of weeks and I am hoping that it will help me to make a final decision (I have until March). Thanks for the input, I appreciate it!

I am going to finish up prereqs at OLOL in the spring and I have been planning to apply to either the Nursing program or the Radiologic Tecnology program. My question is, I have the prereqs for both so would it be possible to apply to both? And if so, how would that look...would it be frowned upon?

I love this thread. I have a degree in Finance and a wonderful, laid back, weekends off, great paying, flexible, no holidays, 8 am - 3pm job and I am finishing 3 prereqs to apply to nursing school in the spring. Jitterbugg, I am with you...this is NOT who I am. I cannot see myself sitting at a desk and looking at a computer screen for much longer. I too hope and pray that I am making the right decision but, I am following my heart.

Hello all- I have an informal interview today to begin as a volunteer at a local hospital. This hospital is also the school to which I plan to apply to the nursing program in the spring (I am currently completing prereqs there). Do you think that my volunteering will help me to be accepted into their nursing school? Please don't get me wrong, this is not the main reason that I want to volunteer, I was just curious if it may have an affect on my acceptance. If it doesn't, I am still going to have a great experience and if it does, it is just an extra added bonus. What do you think? Thanks in advance!

Thanks 3rdgenRN2b. I have thought about that before too...a forum for mommies returning to school. Talk about a good place to find some support and encouragement!

Thanks Jbeau! The last time I took Sociology was in high school (I know that really doesn't compare) but I really enjoyed it. :) I hope you're right...I love painfully easy!

It makes me feel so much more at ease to read all these posts from wives and mothers going back to school...I know that I am not alone! I am thinking that pairing A&P with another class should be ok as long as it is paired with a relatively easy class. I think I am going to give it a shot and just do my best...just a little time management!

Can I get some friendly advice? I have a non-science degree so I am finishing up prereqs (that my previous degree did not require) and have Anatomy and Physiology I & II, Microbiology, Intro Sociology and Philosophy (Ethics) left to complete. Obviously I have to take A&P I & II in order and I cannot take Micro until both of those are completed. My question is, I am taking A&P I in the spring and am not sure what to pair it with (Sociology or Philosophy) or if I should pair it with anything. I am a wife, mother of a 1 year old and I work 30 hours a week. I guess I am a little worried about A&P and know I will need to dedicate time to it. Do you think it would be fine to pair it with Sociology or Philosophy since those are intro classes? Thanks in advance! :thankya:

My daughter was premature and spent some time in the NICU/Special Care Nursery at one of our local hospitals. I loved the way the Special Care Nursery was set up. In the cooridoor leading to the nursery there were "then and now" pictures and short stories of NICU Graduates. I loved this, it was very comforting to me. The decor of the Special Care Nursery was an aquarium theme in pastel colors. It was adorable. Each pod was decorated with a different fish...my daughter's pod was the angelfish (I thought it was very appropriate ). I remember that the way this nursery was set up and decorated gave me a feeling of home away from home. I have some pictures and would not mind sharing them so just let me know if you are interested. PS: Thanks to all the NICU nurses for all that you do...you are angels on Earth. The NICU nurses that cared for my daughter made such an impact on me that I am thinking of returning to school for nursing myself. :thankya:

Dsoginer, thanks so much for the great info! The only prereqs I am missing are A&P I and II and Microbiology. I think when I apply in the spring I will apply to OLOL (traditional program since my prereqs won't be completely finished) and BRCC to increase my chances. Do you know if OLOL in BR (that's where I would attend) offers anything comparable to the deal in NO with Tulane as far as tuition reimbursement? Thanks so much again, I appreciate it!

I want to thank you all for your replies, they are VERY encouraging. I think I am going to proceed with my final prereqs and apply to nursing school in the spring. In the meantime, I am going to pray about it and if nursing school is where God wants me to be, then it will all work out. Thanks again, I really appreciate it. I am off to take my mind off of all this for a while and watch some LSU Tiger Football!

A big thanks for the responses. I love to hear from moms and from 2nd degree nurses. I need to take A&P I, II & Microbiology and I will have all the prereqs. I think I may take your advice and take those and see how they go. I won't be able to apply until the spring so that gives me some more time to think about it as well.