Starting LPN school with no college t all out of high school for 6 years

worriedmommy2 · Jul 10, 2011

I know what u mean!! everone is nervous!!!! My program costs 14,000 and fin aid hasnt gone thru for anyone so i had to pay out of pocket so far!!! I have no room for failure!! My usband would kill me if I wasted that much $

radicalsenseofhope · Jul 10, 2011

Katalina, I'm so glad that sharing that story about my mom helped you. My mom is still working as a nurse today and while she has had her fair share of frustration with the job over the years, she still loves being a nurse and can't imagine ever doing anything else. :heartbeat And I'm still proud of her!

I totally understand your drive to go into nursing and your concerns about your kids. I was in school as a pre-nursing major going for my 4 yr BSN degree when I got pregnant with my first. I had all my prereqs and support courses done and was ready to apply to the nursing program. But after she was born, I decided not to go back to school. I just could not leave her. My kids were 3 and 5 when I first got the itch to go back for my RN. Due to the rigors of the full time BSN program that I wanted to finish and needing to retake a lot of my prereqs that had expired with age, I decided that my kids were more important at that stage and I went back to school to finish an associate of arts part time instead. I just couldn't imagine being a slave to school for over 2 years while my kids were so young. I could not stomach the thought of daycare. We didn't really need the extra income at that time and my husband didn't think it was a good idea either. Again and again over the years the desire to go for my RN would pop up and I would end up deciding it wasn't the right time.

So I homeschooled my kids and spent tons of time with them and we've led a good life. But that desire to be a nurse has never gone away. But, I just keep suppressing it, and it just keeps coming back. Had I considered LPN programs before, I probably would have done it years ago, since that can be done part time or done quickly in a year full time. A year goes by so fast. Do you have any part time LPN programs in your area? That is what I have decided to do and I think it is going to be a perfect fit for my family.

As for you and your decision, only you know in your heart was it right for you and your family. It seems like your 5 year old may start Kindergarten about the time you start school. So if you take classes during the day while they are in school, that sounds like a good plan. Maybe you could wait until your youngest starts first grade if kindergarten is only half days in your area? And yes, you will be busy like crazy studying and whatnot in the evenings after school, but a year goes by so fast. If you know in your heart that this is what you want-- do it. I've come to realize that there really is no such thing as the right time to go to nursing school, LOL. Don't wait for that magical right time. Nursing school is hard and a sacrifice no matter when it is done. And honestly, a year is the blink of an eye. You will always be giving up something for that year, no matter when you do it. Only you can know when that year of sacrifice is worth it to you.

That said, I am grateful for the years at home that I have had with my kids. Homeschooling has been great for us. I was never willing to give that up to pursue my dreams. But now things feel different. My kids are more independent and I think I am ready to take this plunge. So know that if you do end up deciding that right now the sacrifice isn't worth it to pursue your dreams, it doesn't mean that you are giving them up. Just maybe putting them on hold.

And as for your abilities and skills. Don't worry. It may be hard, but true learning almost always is. You can do it!

Best of luck to you and your decision. Being a mom is so hard. Just remember, if you are happy. Your kids will be too!

Katalina · Jul 10, 2011

Radicalsenseofhope,

I don't have any part time programs in my area. I wish we did! That would be perfect! I do have an online program, and then I would go to clinicals on the weekends. But, since I don't know how I would do learning that stuff on my own. I decided against that one.

My son will go into preschool next yr. They have a preschool class at the elementry school. But, it's only half day. They get out at 11. My daughter just finished that class and loved it. A lot of the local daycares pick kids up from there. And she always begged me to go with them. Cause her friends would tell her how much fun they had.

I know what you mean about daycare. That played a big factor in my decision to wait. The worst part is that I'm pretty sure the program lets out at around 4. So there will be a little daycare involved. A couple hours after school. And all day during the summer. The thought of daycare always made me sick.(full disclosure: I felt a little sick about leaving my daughter at preschool, and it was at the elementry school!) I guess I started to come around to the idea of daycare when my daughter wanted to go so badly. I still feel a little sick about it though. :uhoh3:

Especially since the one she REALLY wanted to go to was a home daycare. Two of the little girls from her class went there and would talk about the fun things they did.

It's a hard decision to make. But, I know that I can't wait until they're old enough to be left home alone. When they were born and my husband and I decided that I would stay at home it was at a big financial cost. We live frugally so that I can stay at home with them. And the plan has always been that I would go back to work when they go to school.

But, on the other hand I'm like,"MY BABIES!!"

lol.

p.s. At least right now they go to sleep at 7pm. That gives me 2-3 hours to study a night. That's good, right?

Worriedmommy,

I know what you mean about the money. My program wouldn't cost me nearly that much. But, it's still a lot of money to us. And if I were to fail then it would be a VERY bad thing. He would feel the loss of the money. And I would feel soul crushing devastation.

So not that big of a deal, right? lol.

Seriously though, I agree that failure is not an option. When I decide to go I will be bringing my A game....and hopefully getting the A grades. lol....yeah, I'm a nerd.

radicalsenseofhope · Jul 11, 2011

Katalina, from everything you have told me, I think you should go for it and don't look back. One year will fly by, really it will. I don't remember my mom being gone excessively while she was in school, maybe it is because I was older, but I don't remember it being that hard on us kids (just hard on her, ya know?). Not saying it will be easy with little ones, but the benefits will be worth it in the end. And your kids are old enough to be told that mommy is doing this to make everyone in the family's life better. And after that year is over and done with, it will be just that, over. The kids will likely not really remember or dwell on it once life goes on, ya know? If I was in your shoes, I would do it. :)

Katalina · Jul 12, 2011

Thank you radicalsenseofhope. You've really helped me talk this out and I appreciate it. It seems like the people in my life don't really have an interest in it. I hope that all the moms who are going back to school will keep posting on here. I would really like to know how everyone does. What inspiring stories we will create!

I think I will apply next yr if everything works out.(financially, child care, ect.) It will make a world of a difference in our lives. I will do my very best to make sure they don't feel like they're "neglected". They will be in school for most of the time I'm in school so I think that will help. And then I will make sure to set aside some time for them after school. Probably try to do most of my studying after they're in bed. They're not very clingy and enjoy playing quietly in their rooms. I think that will help too. I couldn't imagine trying to do it with them any younger. I think all the moms here would remember having a baby crying outside the bathroom door.(or any closed door.) lol.

Not to knock the moms who are doing it with babies. That takes a very strong person and I tip my hat to you. :yeah:

radicalsenseofhope · Jul 12, 2011

I know what you mean about talking it out. No one around me really gets the issues I'm dealing with either in deciding whether or not to go back to school now. I guess you have to be a mom with a passion for nursing to really understand. Best of luck to you Katalina, and all of us mommy wanna be nurses. :)

SylverGurl · Aug 1, 2011

Ok guys, just took the NCLEX last Friday.

I PASSED!

Katalina · Aug 1, 2011

CONGRATS Sylver Girl!!!

WOOT!

:clpty:

I'm so happy for you! I can't wait til I'm in your shoes! I can't imagine how happy you feel right now.

I have my own little update too...

I went to the school and took the compass test and passed everything. So won't need to take any extra classes. AND went ahead and signed up for the A&P class I need to enroll into the LVN program. So I start A&P august 23rd! I've been looking up study tips and the like because I don't ever remember studying for ANYTHING. Even in school. I just read the material, and only ONCE. I retained the info and that was that. Obviously that's not going to work with this class. AND that was a LONG time ago!!

So far my plan is to just read things multiple times, make notes(maybe multiple times?), make quizzes and flashcards, have hubby quiz me..and that's all I've got so far. Is that all studying is?

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Aug 1, 2011

I was 38 when I started LPN school. So I had been out of high school for 20 yrs at that point. I had some college classes behind me (english, algebra) but those classes had been taken more than 10 years before I started LPN school.

I had two kids (one starting kindergarten and one starting high school), a hubby and a full time job. I graduated 15 months later (after full time school 730a-330p, M-F, no breaks like traditional colleges get, we went straight through!) graduated with honors and took and passed my NCLEX 5 days after graduation.

No fears, set your mind to it and you will do it. Just make sure you keep yourself organized and on top of your reading and assignements. Do not..I repeat..do not fall behind! Best of luck. :)

Katalina · Aug 1, 2011

I was 38 when I started LPN school. So I had been out of high school for 20 yrs at that point. I had some college classes behind me (english, algebra) but those classes had been taken more than 10 years before I started LPN school.
I had two kids (one starting kindergarten and one starting high school), a hubby and a full time job. I graduated 15 months later (after full time school 730a-330p, M-F, no breaks like traditional colleges get, we went straight through!) graduated with honors and took and passed my NCLEX 5 days after graduation.
No fears, set your mind to it and you will do it. Just make sure you keep yourself organized and on top of your reading and assignements. Do not..I repeat..do not fall behind! Best of luck. :)

I love posts like this. Makes me feel so much better. It's encouraging! Makes me feel like I can do it too! I get nervous butterflies in my tummy when I think about school. I'm sure it will be fine though. With hard work and lots of study time, it can be done.

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Aug 1, 2011

I love posts like this. Makes me feel so much better. It's encouraging! Makes me feel like I can do it too! I get nervous butterflies in my tummy when I think about school. I'm sure it will be fine though. With hard work and lots of study time, it can be done.

You CAN do it. And being nervous is normal.

I had my screen saver as my life motto during that time (and will have it back again come Aug 29th when I being my LPN to RN bridge program):

"If you can dream it, you can do it!"~~Walt Disney

Katalina · Aug 1, 2011

CT pixie,

I like that quote! I hope you don't mind if I borrow that..