radicalsenseofhope

I need some encouragement and maybe a kick in the pants.... Back in 1999, I was a 3.9 gpa pre-nursing/pre-med major and loving it. I dreamed of being a doctor or a nurse practitioner working in primary care someday. In 2000 I left to become a stay a...

Just wanted to come back and update. My husband's schedule has become a little fuller, taking away from his ability to help as often with homeschooling. After some serious thought, I've decided to wait until both kids graduate from high school (in 8 ...

Thank you so much for your lovely compliments, encouragement, and advice. Also, thanks for sharing your personal experience. Good luck with pursuing your dreams! You are certainly not too old! :-)

Yes, age is a big factor. I'm not getting any younger and if I'm gonna finally do it, now is as good as time as any. If I wait too long, my dreams will become regrets. Thanks for you advice! :-)

I am trying to decide what route to take into nursing. I know I want my BSN someday, but I'd like to start with LPN or ADN and then bridge upwards, due to tuition costs and not wanting to take out student loans. I have worked as an aid in long term c...

I've decided to go for it. This summer I start finishing up what I need to apply. I'm either going to enter a part time LPN program, or do the ADN program at my community college. Both are cheap and have excellent reputations and NCLEX pass rates. T...

I suppose you are right. In my heart I know what to do. I just need to stop and listen to it for a while.

Thank you so much. I truly appreciate you taking the time to share your wisdom and experience with me. All of the above, (and my own fears), have kept me out of nursing for over 10 years now. My mom is an LPN, and has been for over 20 years, and rece...

Thanks so much for sharing. You are right. The school years will fly by.

Thank you! :-)

Thanks for your comments. Good points. I like the thought of teaching my kids how important hard work is. Also, I have never liked feeling dependent on my husband financially. I am a fairly smart lady and I've always felt like I should be using that...

I might just have to add that last line to my motivational wall. Thanks! This thread has been a great kick in the pants for me. Just what I was looking for. :-)

Thanks for your encouragement and thanks for sharing your inspirational story with me. I just want to shout, "You go girl!" Way to live in the here and now and take control of your life. You will be an excellent example to your patients (and us all) ...

Well, in this economy many probably stay because of their huge student loans or because they need the income, not because they love nursing. :-(

I appreciate your honesty and perspectives. Thank you so much for sharing. It is stories such as this that have seriously given me pause through the years. Much to think on.....

Some people can hack it on the night shift, others just can't. Our bodies are all so individual. I worked rotating shifts back when I was in the Air Force. I seriously struggled through nights. That was in my early 20s! Since then my ability to stay ...

Thanks for your advice. You are right. It is now or never. I'm going to decide once and for all whether I'm doing this. :-)

Thanks so much for sharing your story. I appreciate the encouragement! :-)

Thank you so much for sharing! It is so nice to know that I am not alone in my situation. Best of luck to you in the spring! Let me know how it goes. :-)

I made flashcards for myself that listed all the landmarks on the bones that we had to memorize. I also bought a set of flashcards with pictures of all the bones on them. The process of writing out the landmark cards really helped me learn the inform...

What a lovely piece of writing. Well done. Very moving. My grandpa spent his last days on earth in an ICU after a heart attack. I was in my early 20s. Watching the nurses care for him was amazing. They treated him with so much respect and compassion....

So true. Two of my new words of encouragement to myself are: "No guilt! Your happiness, your dreams, and your goals are important too!" and "If you wait too long, dreams become regrets." Thanks for sharing your experience. I bet it was hard to be in...

Oh yeah, forgot to mention. I'm not sure exactly where my husband's motivation behind discouraging me comes from. Part of it could be selfish reasons. It will require a ton of work for him to step up to if I decide to do this. He has discouraged me e...

Awesome! Thanks for chiming in. Nice to know I'm not alone in my situation. :-)

Good luck to you! You can totally do it! My mom had a mom similar to yours. She was always discouraging her from doing things she deemed her incapable of. Because of that she has always encouraged me to follow my dreams, whatever they were. Your sto...