autonomyforall

Definitely check out the COSLEEPING facebook group. I don't know how you guys sleep now, but there are lots of pictures of various bed set ups, peer support, and things like that.

I would say go for it while your baby is little. They're much more easy to work around then, and if you wear your baby, s/he can nurse on demand, get all the benefits of skin to skin, get all the benefits of being held upright without over stimulation, and your hands will be free. Just make sure you follow safe guidelines for baby wearing and it will be great. I also highly recommend co sleeping. There are some great facebook groups out there if you're interested. Some of my favorite groups and pages are: Evolutionary parenting, attachment parenting at work, peaceful parenting, HITNA, saving our sons, whole network, and COSLEEPING. Also, Kelly Mom was a great resource for me and I highly recommend it. Congratulations on your baby!

The best part was the classroom instructor. He was very personable and made class fun. The worst part was my classmates. All but one of my classmates was female, and out of about 15 students, there were maybe 5, including the male, that actually acted like decent human beings. I really felt bad for any patient that would have some of my class mates. They would be really loud, mean, and petty and for some reason almost everything was sexual or related back to sex in some way for them. It was a really odd group dynamic, and I felt bad for the male student, because I honestly felt like he was sexually harassed. I wasn't looking forward to my RN classes because of this, but thankfully most of my class is really great and we're very respectful and supportive of each other. I have no idea what was going on with my CNA class...

Have you looked into Metropolitan Community College? It will cost a lot less than Brown Mackie, maybe even if you have to pay out of state tuition. Kansas City Community College also has a program, I think, but I'm not familiar with them. I would really advise against Brown Mackie, but that's just my opinion.

I am finishing up my ADN program and should (hopefully) graduate in May. I'm really interested in working for a HCA facility, specifically Research or Lee Summit Medical because I had a positive impression of them from my clinicals. I'm having a couple issues, though. 1. I have not seen anything positive on here about HCA in general or Research in particular. However, all the negative stuff about Research was from before the nurses union was voted in. Is it still bad? The people I've spoken with at the hospital seem to like their job, but who is going to tell a student that the hospital sucks? 2. I've been applying for PCT jobs with HCA, but usually most say "not under consideration." I just had 2 interviews (1 with the supervisor and 1 peer interview) for a PCT on the PCU unit and I'm really hoping I get the job because the people I met seemed really diverse and interesting and the unit itself seems like it would have a lot of opportunities for learning. However, my application just says "completed." I'd really like to work at Research and would like to hear your stories and opinions of it.

Things like this make me sad. A person with diabetes wouldn't have to ask if they could be a nurse. Mental illness is a real illness, not some sort of character flaw. I would say that since you are actively treating your mental illness, that it would no more impact your nursing care than if you were a diabetic that was actively controlling your diabetes. I'm still a student, but from what I've observed, it is a wonderful profession with so many options and I think you may enjoy it. I wish you luck in whatever you decide to do.

The program is going through some changes of leadership now, so my experience may not be the same for you. You will need a stethoscope, pen light, black or white shoes, black scrub bottoms, and something to hold your id on your shirt. They say you need a lab jacket and a program patch, but no one in my class or the classes before and after us have ever used either, so that was a waste of money for us. They do give you a large list of books before class starts. I'd wait to buy those. The books that we've actually used are the fundamentals book, the med surge book, and a drug book. Linda will mark in your skills book too. The books have changed, so I'm not sure what books you will have.

I call people ma'am as respect. I know you can use miss for younger women, but that has always struck me as disrespectful, but that's probably because of all the times I was called "little missy," at the beginning of being berated for something. So for me it's ma'm if you're 19 or 99.

I would advise against a for profit school. Have you looked into getting an ADN from a community college? You can get your BSN as you're getting paid as an RN. Personally, I went through the same bad grade issues as you, but got accepted at my community college, where they only cared about the pre req grades and teas score, on the first try. Many of my other classmates have said similar things. Regardless, please think twice before going to a for profit school.

I'm a 30 something mother of a two year old and I'm getting ready to start my last semester of my ADN program. I completely understand where you are coming from! For me, my prioritization has been: mother, wife, student. Becoming a nurse is important and will positively impact my family situation, but it is not the most important thing in my life. If I focus first on school, I'll miss out on all the fantastic memories of my son growing up and my relationship with my husband. I look at it this way: when life comes to an end, which will make a difference - that I was a straight A student, or that I was a dedicated and present wife and mother? Will my son look back and say he's glad I put him on the back burner, or will he say he cherishes the time spent with his father and me? I'm not saying that nursing school isn't important and won't require time spent studying and away from your family, because it absolutely will, but I don't want my son to ever feel like I put him in second place. One of things that has really helped me has been recording my lectures. I listen to them when I'm in bed for the night while I sleep. This doesn't take time away from anything and I get to hear the lecture over and over. This has been the biggest help to me. Also keep in mind that nursing school gives you the basics of nursing and teaches you to pass the NCLEX. That is it's focus and purpose. All of the nurses I've spoken with at clinicals have said that you learn to be a nurse on the job and school just gives you the foundation to build your skills and knowledge on. You can absolutely do this! You will learn and build on your knowledge and things that are completely overwhelming and make no sense will come together as you progress and will become something that makes complete sense.