I am a 38 year old pre-nursing student with three kids ages 4, 7, 10. I am also married. I am about to send in my application to nursing school. I have finished all of my pre-reqs (anatomy, physiology, and microbiology) plus I have all of my GE classes done as I used to an English major at a 4 year college.
My question is....
I am wondering what the time commitment is as far as hours at school or clinical? I am just trying to figure out how I will get my three kids to their three schools and/or pick them up. I do have a nanny and a helpful husband so I am not worried about care per se but more of the logistics. Each semester for our school is about a 12 hour load. I am applying to Santa Rosa JC in Santa Rosa, CA. I know that a 12 hour load means 12 hours of class time but for example our anatomy class was a 5 unit class but the class, lab and open lab time meant i was at school almost full time.
Anyone else at SRJC with advice as to how their program is going and if you like it.
Right now I am in mircobiology and love it. In the Fall I will take a medical dosage calculations class which sounds interesting. So that's it for now. Thanks for the advice!
Jollydog, our program is such that we must complete Anatomy, Physio and Micro before we apply. They are all 5 hour classes except Micro which can be 4 or 5 hours. For our anatomy, we had four cadavers and we had major open lab just to get our dissections and learning done. Each student had a dissection they were completely responsible for and we were graded on if we made any vessel nicks etc. I had the celiac trunk and all vessls going to those organs plus kidney, and spleen. It took me about 12 hours just to dissect this and then i had to present to the whole class. Our lab exams were timed, two minutes per four questions. There would be pins stuck around the body and then a question associated with it. Rarely just straight forward as to what the organ was or vessel. (btw, i aced my dissection, perfect score!) It was one of the most gratifying days as our teacher said no one ever gets a perfect score. It was my only chance to be a surgeon. Anyway, that class was full time just for me to get the level of knowlege I needed to pass. I feel if I can do that class, I can get through pretty much anything! We are the only nursing school, adn or bsn that has cadavers that we use and dissect. All the other schools get our leftovers and use the pieces. I feel lucky about that because i do know the body pretty darn well.
So, good luck to you all and keep your eye on the end prize.
I don't know about all schools but our's is weird. We choose our schedule each 8 weeks for lecture and clinicals - then they change it to fit what they want. I never make any plans until after I have gone to orientation every 8 weeks to make sure what my schedule will be. They will also make changes in the schedule mid-way sometimes.
There is a little saying when you start nursing school, "Kiss your family, friends, and leisure time goodbye because you won't see again for 2 years." This is pretty close to very TRUE.
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Hi,
I am a 38 year old pre-nursing student with three kids ages 4, 7, 10. I am also married. I am about to send in my application to nursing school. I have finished all of my pre-reqs (anatomy, physiology, and microbiology) plus I have all of my GE classes done as I used to an English major at a 4 year college.
My question is....
I am wondering what the time commitment is as far as hours at school or clinical? I am just trying to figure out how I will get my three kids to their three schools and/or pick them up. I do have a nanny and a helpful husband so I am not worried about care per se but more of the logistics. Each semester for our school is about a 12 hour load. I am applying to Santa Rosa JC in Santa Rosa, CA. I know that a 12 hour load means 12 hours of class time but for example our anatomy class was a 5 unit class but the class, lab and open lab time meant i was at school almost full time.
Anyone else at SRJC with advice as to how their program is going and if you like it.
Right now I am in mircobiology and love it. In the Fall I will take a medical dosage calculations class which sounds interesting. So that's it for now. Thanks for the advice!
MammaNurse2Be
First I want to say congrats!!! I have 4 kiddos myself, looking into getting a nanny, my husband is well hmmmm TBD HAHA,
Anyway at our school, they told us between Clinicals, Class, Commuting to Clinicals, Studying and so on we can expect it to take up around 50 hours a week give or take. After I passed out, I thought, well thankfully I will have summer and winter and spring breaks. LOL
I do not go to your school, but I can tell you what its like at my school.
1st semester
Monday 12 hours clinical 7am-7pm.
We actually had to be at the hospital at 6:30 am, and depending on your drive it could have been a 14 1/2 hr day.
Tuesday Pre clinical 8am-12pm
Wed Lecture 8am -11 pm
Thursday Lecture 8am -11 pm Skills lab 12pm -3pm
Friday Pre clinical 8am-12pm, Open lab skills 12- 3pm
This semester (2nd)
Monday 12 hour clinical 7am-7pm, but must be there by 6:30am
Tueday Lecture 9am-2pm
Wednesday Skills lab 9am-12 pm
Thurday off
Friday Open lab (however long you need to pass checkoff)
Both semesters we have to go on Sunday to the hospital, and pick a couple patients for Monday, and get all of their paperwork. This generally takes a couple of hours + driving time. Then we have to write a report for all of their labs, all of their meds, a patho report, and 3 careplans for each patient. This usually takes from about noon when I get home from the hospital until about 4am in the Morning on Monday when I get in the shower so I can go to clinicals. When I get home on Monday I haven't slept in 40 hours...Its fun!!!
We also have a community service requirement which averages about 2 hours a week, but can be done all at once if you want to get it out of the way.
As far as studying Sunday, and mondays are thrashed becasue of clinical, and care plans. Tuesdays your exhausted, and in lecture all day. When you get home you must cram for skills the next day. Weds you are only in class half a day so you come home and study the other half. Thursday you can do you community service, and study. Friday your in open lab practicing. And Sat is your free day if your lucky before you stay up the next 40 hours.
It's hard but its doable. I am 39 with 3 kids, and divorced. I am lucky because my two oldest are 21, and 22, and my baby is 13. My parents, and friends help a lot, and I only have 8 1/2 months to go.
When I went to the Nursing Information Session, the administrator said "For 2 years, YOU'RE MINE!" She said to arrange for someone else to take care of the kids, and everything else because you will live and breathe NS
I remember them saying something similar to us when we were at orientation. Take it with a grain of salt. I remember walking out of there wanting to cry. It's not as bad as they make it sound.
I remember them saying something similar to us when we were at orientation. Take it with a grain of salt. I remember walking out of there wanting to cry. It's not as bad as they make it sound.
I agree with that - it depends on so many things but I have been lucky enough to NOT have to work while in NS and I think that makes a huge difference. Also my kids are school age. I think if you have to work, have small children (and no nanny!) and really want to get A's in NS, you can probably kiss your life good-bye, but as the original poster has a nanny and doesn't have to work, I woudn't say the same. Yes, I do decline some "fun stuff" in favor of studying, but I'm not a party animal anyway, so that's fine. If something comes up that I really want to do, I work around it (meaning social things like dinner with friends). I have gotten almost all As and will graduate in May.
Congrats on applying to nursing school! I can understand your worries, as I too have the same worries, with a husband and two young children, AND a full-time job. If you want it bad enough, you can achieve anything in life...as long as you believe, it will happen for you! Just work hard and put your mind to it when things get difficult. I think you'll do fine since you have the support of a husband. Try not to get too excited about the house being a little messy...which is something I was told. (I'm a real neat freak!) Unfortunately, I'll still have to work full-time while in school for the first year of NS (I applied to the evening/weekend program), so I'm expecting there will be many late nights studying and NO free time, but I'm keeping my eye on the prize at the end! Good luck! :)
I am a current ADN student there, and I'm doing alright for myself. I'm a solo parent with 3 kids and I have a long commute, but I have worked for three years to get here. I won't let anything stand in my way. The obstacles are there to keep everyone else out. Yes, the time constraint is challenging, but what have you done so worthwhile in your life that ever came nice and easy? I had the same worries, but once I was in, the program was center stage in my life and everything had to adjust to it.
Keep up the good work. Only through your own endeavors will you succeed.
Go to the above "Region" tab and then click on "California". This is the best way to know the requirements at your school in particular. They're all different. There, you can talk to someone in YOUR program. Here's a link I searched relating to your school information. I'm sure you'll do well with that support system you have in place. good luck.
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I can understand your worries, as I too have the same worries, with a husband and two young children, AND a full-time job. If you want it bad enough, you can achieve anything in life...as long as you believe, it will happen for you! Just work hard and put your mind to it when things get difficult. I think you'll do fine since you have the support of a husband. Try not to get too excited about the house being a little messy...which is something I was told. (I'm a real neat freak!) 
Unfortunately, I'll still have to work full-time while in school for the first year of NS (I applied to the evening/weekend program), so I'm expecting there will be many late nights studying and NO free time, but I'm keeping my eye on the prize at the end! Good luck! :)
MammaNurse2Be
247 Posts
Thanks everyone for the replies!
Jollydog, our program is such that we must complete Anatomy, Physio and Micro before we apply. They are all 5 hour classes except Micro which can be 4 or 5 hours. For our anatomy, we had four cadavers and we had major open lab just to get our dissections and learning done. Each student had a dissection they were completely responsible for and we were graded on if we made any vessel nicks etc. I had the celiac trunk and all vessls going to those organs plus kidney, and spleen. It took me about 12 hours just to dissect this and then i had to present to the whole class. Our lab exams were timed, two minutes per four questions. There would be pins stuck around the body and then a question associated with it. Rarely just straight forward as to what the organ was or vessel. (btw, i aced my dissection, perfect score!) It was one of the most gratifying days as our teacher said no one ever gets a perfect score. It was my only chance to be a surgeon. Anyway, that class was full time just for me to get the level of knowlege I needed to pass. I feel if I can do that class, I can get through pretty much anything! We are the only nursing school, adn or bsn that has cadavers that we use and dissect. All the other schools get our leftovers and use the pieces. I feel lucky about that because i do know the body pretty darn well.
So, good luck to you all and keep your eye on the end prize.
:) MammNurse2Be