Situation: I'm not sure if it's worth switching from a very flexible, family friendly job to one that will be exhausting, stress-inducing, and take me away from my family more just to experience more stimulation and have more security. Since starting the program, both myself and 2 of my children have experienced health issues that are ongoing and consuming, and I worry I am missing out on their childhood too much.
I can drop out of the program and work as an LPN for a time and continue the program later-or not at all-while focusing on my children and health now. While I would initially be making less money as a nurse than I do working part-time right now, but eventually, a nursing career would provide more income and better benefits.
Background: I am 38, at the start of the 2nd year of my part-time ADN program, married with 3 children, and a MA in English Education. For the past 13 years, I have been teaching and tutoring at 2 local colleges as a writing professor, and I have been part-time ever since I had children.
A couple of years ago, I wanted to pursue something more interesting (my 1st degree is in biology, and I have always been interested in nursing). My husband is a cancer survivor and has had multiple complications due to his treatments, and I have been very motivated by his nursing care. With his health scares, I have also been concerned about my ability to fully provide for my children as it is very difficult to get a full-time tenure job in humanities. While I have access to health insurance, since I am part-time, it is very expensive, and my retirement is a joke. I have been reliant on my husband for both for years.
Assessment: I am exhausted and stressed all of the time, even after reducing work hours. My husband is exhausted and stressed due to his demanding job and picking up the extra responsibilities of the kids and household while I am busy with school. My Hashmito's and IBS have been acting up and making me feel miserable all of the time, and my IBS is getting increasingly worse as I cannot function without massive amounts of coffee. One of my children has weekly dr. appts for the foreseeable future and needs quite a bit of extra time right now. My youngest is 5 and asks me almost every day if I can stay home with her more, and I'm so tired of missing out on activities and extra time with them.
My priorities have also changed, and I am no longer so career motivated or worried about full-time work aside from the concern about my husband's health. However, I am worried that I will regret dropping out. Please provide Recommendations.
