dextera

Hello ~ How do you deal with there being different prerequisites for different schools? Is there a website that will allow you to compare schools with the same requirements? I'm looking at 3 different schools now, and they all have different requirements, so if I follow one path, I may not have a chance at the other schools. Help. ?

I've been quite good at saving money for the past 5 years, so I'm using that savings to pay for school. I'm also working (as a waitress) about 20 hours per week to cover basic living expenses. If and when school gets to be really intense, I will either cut back my work hours, or stop working altogether. At that point, I'll continue to live off of my savings, or take out a loan if I need to. :typing

I have had my Mirena for 14 months now, and it was an excellent choice for me--I love it! I had spotty bleeding for the first two months, then after that, I have not had any bleeding at all. No periods whatsoever. As far as the weight gain, I have not experienced that. I have lost about 15 pounds since I got my Mirena, thru eating well and exercising hard. Couldn't be happier!

How do you feel your career in nursing relates to your personal health? Is your job as a nurse so demanding that you neglect your own health and personal needs? How do you balance your career with the rest of your life? I have other hobbies and goals in life that have nothing to do with being a nurse, and I want to have time for them. I hear stories about how things can be so crazy that you don't get time to have a break or even go to the bathroom. There is no way I can go a 12 hour shift, or even an 8 hour shift without eating a lunch and snacking. Do you "take your patients home with you"? Or are you able to leave work at work? I can imagine worrying about my patients while I'm not on the job, and not being able to separate work from personal life. How do you do it? Lots of questions, I know. Can you tell I'm nervous about all of this?

Cold Feet? Or is Nursing just not for me? I started taking prereqs full time this January, after being in various jobs for the past 5 years since high school. Everywhere else I have worked (law firms, retail, restaurants) a nursing career has always been in the back of my mind, nagging at me. I never started school before because whenever I would look at the prerequs and wait lists, I would get so discouraged and not even go for it. Now, I have finally started classes, with the intention of starting LPN school in the fall, and then continuing on to get my ADN. My classes thus far have been going well (English, Body Structure & Function, Nutrition, and Math for Nurses), and I have a 4.0 gpa. I am a good student, and I know that I can study and get good grades. This past week, I have really started to worry about this plan. Am I really going to be a nurse? Is nursing a good match for me? I'm getting terrified that this is all going to be one big mistake. I have been so worried about this, that I can not function and focus like I should be, I feel physically ill and sick to my stomach, and I just burst out in tears because I don't know how to make this decision. Worrying about nursing is taking over my life. I read everything I can about nursing, and spend tons of time here on the website reading about other nurses experiences...but I can't get that feeling I want of "YES! Nursing is for me, and I'm going to give it 100%". I keep searching for something encouraging, but I feel like backing out and saying this is not for me. How am I really suppoused to know? I'd hate to give up if this is something that I could be good at, but I'd hate it even more if I kept going and completed the program and decided that nursing was not for me. Has anyone gone through this? Any advice or suggestions?

I'm curious about this as well... Does anyone have any input?

I'm hoping that a back up plan won't be necessary, but the thought has crossed my mind quite a few times. Right now I'm taking pre-reqs for a LPN program, and will hopefully be accepted into the LPN program that starts in August. If all goes well, I would graduate with the LPN the following August, of 2009, and then begin my classes for the RN. My goal is the get licensed as an RN, but the community college offers only an LPN to RN program, so I need to do the LPN first. I believe that 20 students are accepted into the LPN program. It is based on a point system, where you get points for your GPA, and points for prior experience, and points for other pre-entrance tests. I'm confident that my GPA will be excellent, but I do not have any experience in a healthcare setting. Some of the other students in my class are already CNAs, so even if their GPA is lower than mine, they might get into the program because of their experience. If I don't get into the program for this August, I will continue taking classes that are required for the RN degree. I'll need to take them sometime, so I might as well get them over with. I would also try to either get a part time job or volunteer several days a week in a healthcare setting to gain some experience. Then I would apply next year for the LPN program. But none of that will be necessary because I'm going to get in this August!! *wink!*