Second Verse, Same as the First...

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I have been a silent member of this site for over a year now and while I enjoy it immensely, I have never posted a thread because I guess most of the things I have thought/felt/experienced have and/or are already being addressed on here. However, today I am feeling lower than a snake's belly so I am taking this huge (for me anyway) step and posting my first thread.

A quick background: I am getting ready to start my junior yr of a BSN program. I am almost 35, married with two kids. I work full time but my husband and I are trying to figure out a way for me to at least go part time if not quit entirely.

I am the first person in my family that will (God willing) graduate from college. I came from a blue collar family and my parents just stressed hard work to us. To them, college was for "rich folks." So, I graduated HS and got a job and lived my life the best I could. I always wanted to go to college though and when I married my husband he and his Mom wholeheartedly encouraged and supported me and they still do.

I was pleasantly surprised when I began school and I was getting really good grades. I was on the Dean's list; I was invited to join the honors society. It was all very surprising and very exciting to me. However, (and here is where I finally get to why I am posting) that was before I actually started taking nursing classes. I just finished my first two nursing classes and while I did manage to do well in both classes, it was by the skin of my teeth. And the thing is, these were just the FIRST TWO. The get your feet wet, test out the water classes. I do not have any idea how I am going to make it through these last two years at this rate. I am tired and stressed and disappointed with myself...

I know this all sounds a bit dramatic and maybe it is just the exhaustion talking but have you ever felt like you know something about yourself that no one else knows? I just feel like I am not this smart. Sure, I can regurgitate facts back and get good grades but this whole critical thinking thing?! I just don't think my brain knows how to work like that.

Anyway, if you made it this far thanks for reading. I know it has all been said before and I am definitely not the first or last but I guess I am just hoping someone is out there that can say that "thing" I so desperately need to hear.

:confused:

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hello and welcome to allnurses!! you are always welcome here.

you have finished the first two classes of nursing school and you have been successful. wow congratulations!!! do not be disappointed in yourself, be proud. just to get this far, has been an astronomincal accomplishment. you have a job, husband and children and still maintain high grades, you are awesome......

you are carrying a huge load, and maybe some high stress burnout. have you applied for scholarships that would help with the financial aspect? how about fin aid? there is alot of money available for school these days. you might talk to your fin aid advisor and see what you could qualify for. i do not know how you are doing it with the load you are carrying at all!!!!:redbeathe:redbeathe:redbeathe:redbeathe:redbeathe

i am just starting my first semester of nursing school this fall. it has been 3 long years of pre-reqs to get there. i am nervous, excited, wanting to jump and shout and hide all at once. i am lucky in the way that i am 58 with nothing to concentrate on but going to school.....yippee..... although i always wished they would carry new brain cells in the school bookstore.lol:d

hang in there and see what you can come up with. get all the help you can from whereever you can.

i know you can do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!:yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::heartbeat:nurse::heartbeat:nurse::up:

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Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement Seasoned. I am planning on student loans so that I can take some of this weight off my shoulders soon. I really needed some help getting myself out of the funk this morning and God blessed me with you! Have a beautiful day and good luck with school. You are going to do GREAT!

p.s. If you do find that bookstore that sells new brain cells, let me know! LOL!

:lol2:

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I was a nursing student a hundred million years ago but I just finished my graduate degree so I don't think anyone would be mad at me for offering some words of wisdom. You are normal. Nursing school is hard and if you really apply yourself you get more and more overwhelmed with information, all of which seems pretty important. Get used to it. I have been an HIV nurse leader for 19 years and I still feel overwhelmed and underprepared at times.

We have the job of synthesizing information that comes from a variety of sources and putting it together. As you learn you will get better and better at it. Just think of nursing school as a really big thanksgiving day dinner. It's an enormous amount of food but if you just concentrate on taking one bite at a time you can really enjoy it. Good luck to you. I am sure you will be a nurse we can all be proud of.

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I think that those of us with children and husbands always get a little worried about how we are going to do it. Sometimes if I look at the big picture of what I have to do, I get so discouraged and anxiety ridden. I have to pull back and look at what I have to do next in the day and then all of a sudden I have made it through the day and my list is done. You made it through your first two classes, now focus on getting one or two more done. Try not to stress over it all.

My husband, in the beginning, when I wanted to go back and my kids were really young would give me all of the questions like "What will you do if the kids get sick on a school day?, What if I am out of town and someone gets sick?" Then I'd get all stressed out. I'd just say, "It will work out!" And it has. Yes, my kids have been sick during school, and I worked it out. When you want to accomplish something, you find a way.

Right now, my TEAS test is my huge worry. I have good grades but I'm behind in math. I get so stressed when I think of the math portion of the test. But my FOCUS is to do 10 pages a day of math. I do not focus on the test but on my plodding along to do those ten pages. Before you know it, I'll be done with the book and on my way to taking that test.

Write down what would make your life easier and focus on a few things at a time to make them happen.

Don't give up!

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