Sarah09

First of all, I just want to thank all of you who responded. I appreciate your suggestions, well wishes, and the links to the online courses. I actually found a Community College that is offering summer courses at my old elementary school. I also found some other online courses for Speech Communication. I think everything will be okay now. :) Thanks again for your replies!

I have a major problem. I am scheduled to take Nursing courses in the Fall: Intro to Nursing Practice, Health Assessment Lab, Intro to Community Health Nursing (with a clinical component), Concepts of Professional Nursing, and Gerontological Nursing. In addition, I wanted to take Speech Communications. The problem? Speech Communications is a PRE-REQUISITE to the Nursing courses, and I may not be able to take my Nursing courses without it. I have to write a letter to one of my school's departments, requesting special permission to take Speech as a co-requisite. I was given the option of taking Speech over the summer. However, I do not drive yet (am planning to get a license this summer) and I live in a very rural area. It's very difficult for me to drive to a community college. Additionally, my family needs my help at home. My stepfather has to work many hours to pay for the house and all. My mother just had twins (they're 1 year old now) and she has a 6 year old daughter. She needs my help with taking care of the kids. I don't see how I can take a speech class over the summer if I can't even drive, plus given my family situation. I don't know what to do. Does anyone here know of any online Speech Communication courses, where I could connect via webcam?? I'm not sure if they make such programs. I was supposed to take Speech in Fall 2006, but I wasn't allowed in the course because the waiting list was too long. I took a General Education requirement in its place. I then signed up to take Speech in Spring 2007, but my first day of class went horribly, I left in tears. I withdrew from the course. This past fall I took Accutane for my acne problem, and it made the problem worse before it made it better. I ended up with very severe acne (http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l300/Sarah52009/d9sfsofslfjsf.jpg) that has recently subsided, but ever since then I have had problems with anxiety. I know I'm mostly clear now, but in my mind it's like I still have that all over my face. Like, I am okay when it comes to dealing with interpersonal communication and small groups, but being in front of a big group of people is really hard on me. I think now I could handle speech (even though I'd hate it), but at the beginning of this semester I couldn't have done it. I'd get sick to my stomach at the thought of it. I'm not making excuses for myself because I know it's my own fault for dropping the course. I'm just really disappointed in myself. Last year I was motivated, much happier, and I had excellent grades. This year, it's a daily struggle to do things. I have to even motivate myself to get out of bed, much less study, and muster up the courage to make speeches. Do I need anxiety meds?

hi, i am starting a bsn program this fall -- august 29th to be exact. i will be living in a dorm, visiting home once to twice a month. i am purchasing a computer soon (this week), and i was wondering: laptop or desktop? i have about $800-$1000 in my budget to purchase a computer. (technically, i am getting it as a gift but i don't want to spend a lot of someone else's money.) i have a question to ask those of you who are currently enrolled in, or have finished nursing school. did you use a desktop or a laptop? i have already gone over the pros and cons of each type of computer (laptops being hard to upgrade, easy to steal, easily damaged, etc). the only thing that makes me even consider a laptop is the ability to take it to class and take notes. i guess i am just wondering what your opinions are... from your experiences, did you find having a laptop to be a big, significant convenience, or did you manage just fine by taking handwritten notes? thank you for your opinions. :)

I am planning to start a BSN program this fall. I have heard from a neighbor and some others about how time-consuming Nursing is. I think my neighbor may just be burned out, but how about the others? For those of you are are already Nurses, especially those that are married and/or with children, what's it like with your family? Are you always at work? Do you have decent time to spend with your husbands and wives? Are you there for the "little" moments that are a great part of being a parent, like seeing them open their presents at Christmastime, the goodnight kiss or bedtime story, being there for their birthdays, bathtime, seeing them in plays at school? Do many of you miss a lot of time with your spouse or your child? Is this a regretful career to have if you plan on having a family someday? Maybe I am worrying about this a little too early and I am in over my head right now--I'm young. I am going to have fun and not try to start a family too early or anything. However, one of the things I am looking forward to most in my future is having a family. I think Nursing seems like a great career to have, but I don't want to have that great career at the expense of missing out on my family. I have a four-year-old sister and I love watching her grow up and being there for her during those moments. I don't want to be robbed of that when I have children of my own someday. (I think ahead too much, huh? ) I know I will have to make some sacrifices for Nursing while in school and after I graduate. However, I don't want sacrifice to mean being robbed of many aspects of having a family someday. I've heard so many negative things about Nursing and I want to make sure I know what I'm getting myself into. Thank you for your replies.

Oh, I have read posts about nurses "eating their young," how difficult Nursing school is, the stress of the job, the nurse/patient ratios, and many other things. But I have also read posts about how this is the most stressful career they have chosen, but also the most rewarding. Health careers/Medicine is something that has interested me for my entire life. I also did well in Biology and Advanced Biology in high school, so I think I can handle it in college too. (They always say to find something you're good at!) I also want a career that is rewarding and helps people. (I also want a career that will allow me to make a decent living for myself. I was born when my mother was 17 and I saw how she struggled while I was growing up. I don't want to have to go through that.) I think that the job will be quite stressful, but at the end of the day, it will be worth it knowing that what you're doing is helping other people. I think I'm going into this for the right reasons. :)

Thanks for the advice, Suzanne. :)

((((CyberKat)))) My neighbor works in a hospital. I think it's safe to say that is burned out from her job. :stone ((((Pricklypear)))) I've been a lurker to this board for a few weeks now, and I have seen many posts from people that say how much they love what they're doing. I read and think of how much I am looking forward to it. That's why I was pretty surpised to hear my neighbor saying how horrible it is. I also want to go to graduate school to become a Nurse Midwife, and she said that it's a waste of time. She said "You might as well become a doctor, the education for both a Midwife and a Doctor is very hard, and you'd make more money as a doctor for doing similar work." My grandfather has also told me to do this, "The difference between a doctor and a nurse is only 4 years of education." I think there are certainly differences between the two. I would make more money as a doctor, but I like nursing and that is what I want to go with. He'll have to deal with it. My interest in the health occupation has interested me since I was young. It mostly stemmed from a personal experience. My grandmother was on dialysis for a long time before finding a suitable donor. I remember visiting her in the hospital and I had a great respect for those health professionals that took care of my grandmother. Since then I have wanted to be a variety of things--a brain surgeon here, a veterinarian there, a pharmacist. Nursing is something I have decided on in the past few years. However, my interest has always been in health. I find it very interesting (I love Discovery Health and reading about new medical breakthroughs) and I also want to have a career that helps people. If I was going into this for the money, I'd become a doctor (I'm 18 so I still have a lot of time to decide). My reasons for going into Nursing are the right ones. It also gives you the freedom to work in several different areas of medicine until you go to graduate school, where you tend to specialize in something. Sorry if I got into a ramble. Thank you for your responses! :) Sarah

Hi, I am a new poster here. I will be starting a BSN program this fall. I'm pretty excited to start and excited to be a nurse--it seems like a stressful but rewarding occupation. I have a neighbor who lives in my development. She is a nurse herself, an LPN. The way she describes nursing is like it is such a terrible job. She claims that many nurses are disrespected and have terrible working conditions. Of course I understand that Nursing is not a career for the faint of heart. It is a lot of stress and a lot of responsibility. I know I will have to spend a lot of time at work, I will have to work overtime at times, I will have to give up some weekends and holidays, and in the beginning I will probably not get to choose my preferable shift, nor will I get to choose the floor I want to work in right away (so far, I have interests in L&D, OB, Ped, possibly NICU) until I have experience under my belt. I am not expecting Nursing to be a walk in the park, and I am not going into it for the sole purpose of the pay and job opportunities. I am aware of the sacrifices I will have to make, however, this woman makes it seem like it is a miserable career to have. She says that it is very difficult to have a life of your own if you are a nurse. She says I will have to give up much of my life to this job and it will be hard to maintain a life at home and a family. She says nursing leaves very little time to enjoy your life outside of work. (Perhaps she is just exaggerating because she might be unhappy with the career she has chosen.) I was wondering though, what are your job conditions like? Do you still find some time for personal enjoyment and family? Is it very difficult to make time for both your career and a good life at home? I will not back out of this before giving it a chance (you never know until you try, right?), and I know I should never believe everything I hear, but I am just getting kinda nervous hearing all of the negativity. Also, while you were in nursing school, did any of you choose (or were required) to learn a second language? Thank you!

i found out about this site from the east stroudsburg university nursing research links page. i will be starting the bsn program there in fall 2005. i don't post much yet, but i'm a frequent lurker and i think this is an interesting site. :)