Starting nursing school with an infant

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I'm looking to start a conversation with other Moms and Dads who are in nursing school with young children. Is it possible to manage your time and still be successfull in school?

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You might want to post in the Pre-nursing or General Nursing student forums. There is much more general posts there. Or you could search the forums for it in the "search" utility. There have been a lot of exchange on that topic, you might join one of them...Good luck!!

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Hi :) I just wanted to reply and offer some encouragement and advice about parenting and school. I begin my prereqs a week after my baby girl was born. I started nursing school when my son was 2 months old. Even though being a parent and a student (not to mention a wife and I am also working as an RN intern at a hospital) is difficult it is worth it. So many people told me to "wait" until my kids were older. If that works for some people I give them kudos. As a parent I have found out that it doesn't get any easier as your children become older and if you want to achieve your dream then you consistently work at it. My daughter is 4 and my son will be two in May and I have been pursuing this goal for a long time now. I am on my final semester and I am already signed on to work at the hospital in which my scholarship is at with an interim permit until I pass the NCLEX. I am almost done. I wanted to add that I worked my butt off in school and managed to maintain a 4.0. Know what your resources are. Allnurses is GREAT. I have come on here many times for help. Financially, if I had not contacted the hospital I would not be able to pay for my school, even though my husband has a fairly secure job. Be up front with your partner about the need for him to help you with the baby, dinners, cleaning. My husband although lazy at times (in the whole domestic engineering realm) steps up when I need him to. When my babies were infants I would be sitting on the couch and breastfeeding while I was studying. I read my textbooks aloud. I practiced assessments on them (still do)both my kids know what a stethoscope is for and a blood pressure cuff. When my daughter fell on the playground she howled holding her knee saying that she thinks she bruised her patella. My son who is 19mo can show you where his clavicles and mandible are lol:chuckle

Now that they are older it is not "quiet" like when I got to nurse my oldest on the couch and read. When they are playing I pop my cd dosage calculations into my laptop and do dosage calculations standing up. I figure that if I can figure out the calculations with all the noise and chaos then I will be safe administering meds in a busy nurses station. I am an incredibly curious person so I do like to google things and find out how things work. Never lose your curiosity. Attain your knowledge for personal satisfaction not just because you have "memorize" something for a test. I think that I have demonstrated to my children my love for learning and working hard to attain a dream. Don't let this journey consume you though. Sometimes when I am burned out on reading I will turn up the music loud and dance crazy with my kiddos. Make sure you laugh aloud and kiss your baby many many times. They grow up very quickly. If you plan on breastfeeding (I breastfed both of mine-and actually still nursing the 19mo old) I would invest in the Medela pump in style. It is a great pump that works very fast. A good site about breast pumping and storing of breast milk is kellymom.com. Oh and don't forget about your partner. My husband is very supportive but he has times when he wishes I was DONE with school. The little things make a difference- make sure you have a time when you can talk-it doesn't have to be long but gives you a chance to reconnect. Good luck with your journey!

I

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I agree with much REIDESERT has to say! My oldest daughter will be 2 in April and my youngest is 10 weeks old. I started my RN Program 2 weeks ago and although I feel VERY overwhelmed, I am so excited as well! Whenever I feel like I must be crazy for doing this, I think of the vacation my husband and I are going to take the girls on after I graduate and how different our life wil be when I am all done. Organization is key... find a little corner to make "Mommy's space" where the baby can't get to. I squeezed a desk in my kitchen and a babygate blocking the girls in the livingroom. I sit there to do all my work but can still see what is going on. I began all my pre-req'swhen my first was 3 months old... and breast-fed her until I found out I was pregnant again. I too have the Medela Pump-in-Style and love it. I tortured myself the first time with a cheapie and my new Medela PIS is by far the best investment I made this time around!!! It takes me 10 min. to pump 5+ oz. so even if I don't get an official break I squeese it in whenever I can and have been making it work so far... even during clinicals! Tr to set aside and hour of playtime with your baby, it will relieve some of the "seriousness" of Pharm Calc and is good for ya!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, geriatrics, peds, corrections.

:heartbeatSome words of encouragement for you my dear...you can do it! I promise. I am a mother of 5, and currently enrolled in RN program going into 3rd semester. I took a semester off with my now 3 month old (c-section) and I also have an 19 month old, 7,10, and 16 yr.old. My family means the world to me, I don't know what I'd do without them....but I also know that I am important. So important that continuing my education and following my dreams of being an RN will make me feel like I never gave up. Whatever you dream you can achieve. Pace yourself, make time for you and school, and then seperate time for your family. I always think....it's only for a season. Where will I be if I don't do it.....

Good Luck 2 U...

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Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

Thread moved to General Nursing Student Discussion Forum for better exposure.

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Specializes in Clinicals for Practical Nursing.
I'm looking to start a conversation with other Moms and Dads who are in nursing school with young children. Is it possible to manage your time and still be successfull in school?

i started the PN program when my son was 4 months, and i also had a 9 year old son and a 6 year old daughter plus a husband (which is like another child). at first it was overwhelming and my stress level was high, i was in class from 7a-1:45p went straight to work as a claims analyst for heath insurance company (by the way who gave me more encouragement and helped me thru my tough times when i wanted to crack), stayed to work until about 8pm. in the PN program we were taking 3 exams in one week! which was crazy, and if you did not pass you were out of the program. another stressor i had was i recieved no funding or pell grant, nothing, so tuition was out of my pocket. now i grad in March and i am so happy, my baby is 16months now and i am well overjoyed. i give all the thanks to God for blessing me thru these hard times when i wanted a divorce in the middle of the program and all. now my husband and i have worked things out and he's on his way to becoming a Firefighter and my next step is RN. thank Jesus, i made it and i never thought i would. it was rough, with a family, not to mention my family had to move in with my mother (who is a RN and very dictative, but supportive) because of the financial hardship. but i would do it all over again for the confirmation i feel in my heart for nursing.

SO YOU CAN DO IT AND FINISH WITH A SMILE IN YOUR HEART AND SHOW YOUR BABY THAT MOMMY ACCOMPLISHED HER GOALS FOR THE BETTER!!!

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Specializes in Clinicals for Practical Nursing.
Hi :) I just wanted to reply and offer some encouragement and advice about parenting and school. I begin my prereqs a week after my baby girl was born. I started nursing school when my son was 2 months old. Even though being a parent and a student (not to mention a wife and I am also working as an RN intern at a hospital) is difficult it is worth it. So many people told me to "wait" until my kids were older. If that works for some people I give them kudos. As a parent I have found out that it doesn't get any easier as your children become older and if you want to achieve your dream then you consistently work at it. My daughter is 4 and my son will be two in May and I have been pursuing this goal for a long time now. I am on my final semester and I am already signed on to work at the hospital in which my scholarship is at with an interim permit until I pass the NCLEX. I am almost done. I wanted to add that I worked my butt off in school and managed to maintain a 4.0. Know what your resources are. Allnurses is GREAT. I have come on here many times for help. Financially, if I had not contacted the hospital I would not be able to pay for my school, even though my husband has a fairly secure job. Be up front with your partner about the need for him to help you with the baby, dinners, cleaning. My husband although lazy at times (in the whole domestic engineering realm) steps up when I need him to. When my babies were infants I would be sitting on the couch and breastfeeding while I was studying. I read my textbooks aloud. I practiced assessments on them (still do)both my kids know what a stethoscope is for and a blood pressure cuff. When my daughter fell on the playground she howled holding her knee saying that she thinks she bruised her patella. My son who is 19mo can show you where his clavicles and mandible are lol:chuckle

Now that they are older it is not "quiet" like when I got to nurse my oldest on the couch and read. When they are playing I pop my cd dosage calculations into my laptop and do dosage calculations standing up. I figure that if I can figure out the calculations with all the noise and chaos then I will be safe administering meds in a busy nurses station. I am an incredibly curious person so I do like to google things and find out how things work. Never lose your curiosity. Attain your knowledge for personal satisfaction not just because you have "memorize" something for a test. I think that I have demonstrated to my children my love for learning and working hard to attain a dream. Don't let this journey consume you though. Sometimes when I am burned out on reading I will turn up the music loud and dance crazy with my kiddos. Make sure you laugh aloud and kiss your baby many many times. They grow up very quickly. If you plan on breastfeeding (I breastfed both of mine-and actually still nursing the 19mo old) I would invest in the Medela pump in style. It is a great pump that works very fast. A good site about breast pumping and storing of breast milk is kellymom.com. Oh and don't forget about your partner. My husband is very supportive but he has times when he wishes I was DONE with school. The little things make a difference- make sure you have a time when you can talk-it doesn't have to be long but gives you a chance to reconnect. Good luck with your journey!

I

thank you for giving me some tips with managing the family life along with study time. this was extremely helpful to me. i think i am too consumed into the PN program that i have lost a connection with my husband, with my kids and with myself. you have really given me some ideas. thanks

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You are all my inspiration!!! I have an 8 month old and am 5 months pregnant...long and behold last month..I got my acceptance letter for the RN program this fall. So many things went through my head.....what should have been an exciting and joyous feeling came this shadow of doubts and fear....but I've had parents in my prereqs class with two, three, four, five kids..and some of those people were actually the best students in the class. So I'm keeping an optimistic mind. It's February now, and my baby will turn one in May and my new baby will be born that month as well, and I figure a few months with them before school starts will give me a bit of paradise before the stress and pressure starts. But I'm keeping a positive mind. I have my parents around, my boyfriend is very supportive, and his family are always there to lend a helping hand. I figure doing the RN program now, while my kids will still be young, would be a lot better than down the road when they can actually TELL me in their own words how little time I'm spending with them. But I know this will better our future, and will finally land me a career I can love and enjoy. So I'm excited.....still a little frightened, but definitely excited. And I'm motivated now more than ever to find a group of people who are also telling me it will be okay. =]

Katrina

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Specializes in Psych, ER, Resp/Med, LTC, Education.

My daughter was little--like 3 when I did my first bachelors in Health Science and she was like 9 and my son 5 months when I started my accelerated BSN. It was hard and I learned how to do a complete 20 page research paper in like 4 or 5 hours as my --now ex--husband was not super supportive. But it made me stronger. I figured it was one year so I could suck it up and get through for that long-- I give a LOT of credit to some of you here with several small children close together--thats hard enough forget adding nursing school!! LOL Amazing!! Now that's what I call a "super-mom"! It'll take a lot of dedication and hard work but it's worth it!!!

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I don't think I will be much help, but I am 4 weeks into my 3rd semester and 31 weeks pregnant. It has been very hard for me and I am sure it will be even harder going back in October after having six month at home with my baby but I know this is my dream and will be worth it in the end and that alone is enough to get my through this.

Good luck!

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My daughter is 7 1/2 months old and I just started nursing school three weeks ago. Before school started, I was having motivation problems and thinking that maybe this wasn't the best time for me to do this. Not only do I have an infant (who I've been home with since I had her), my husband and I just relocated from Sacramento to San Diego. We had no friends or family down here and we were really worried about who would take care of the baby. Fortunately my husband is an RN, so he knows what it takes to get through this and he's been more supportive than I ever could've imagined and I've made some really good friends who help us with the baby. It seemed like everything was coming together so nicely, that by the time school started, I knew this was what I was supposed to be doing, when I was supposed to be doing it. I don't tend to believe in fate, but the way everything worked out, it was hard for me to ignore it. I've worked really hard to get to this point, I know that I can go to school, and do well, and still be a great mom and wonderful wife (even though my husband might say different!:D) Having a baby I think has even motivated me more because when she'd older, I want her to look back at what I've accomplished and know that she can do anything she puts her mind too.

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