Stressed/Lost/ frustrated

Shirt · Dec 11, 2009

Meant to post this pre-nursing sorry

Kornholeo · Dec 12, 2009

I understand some of your frustration. I am 33, starting my RN program in Jan. I quit my job and am lucky that my wife is an RN already to help paying the bills. We decided that we would rather take out loans to pay for school and for misc. living expenses than to have me try to work with the full-time class load. I know of some students who are able to work part-time while in school. Just don't give up. Use some school loans to help you with some of the bills and try to work a part time schedule. You will have many opportunities for work once you graduate. Just remember that the longer you put it off the longer till you are finished. Don't give up, keep moving forward. And keep your head up!

agldragonRN · Dec 12, 2009

don't do the cma program. can you do an lpn program instead? there are several lpn-rn bridge programs but i don't think there are any cma-rn.

well, my story, i initially took all my pre-reqs at the community college for the rn program and they kept putting me on a "wait list". i got tired of it and applied at a vocational lpn program. there was an entrance exam as well and many people took it. i told myself i would join the army if i didn't get in in the lpn program because i did not know what to do with my life. i had a previous degree (computer science) but unable to use it.

anyway, i got in the 15-month, 3 semesters lpn program. there were 30 of us out of 400 applicants. i worked full-time as a dialysis tech while in lpn school full-time. fast forward to now, i am nearing my 2nd year as an lpn and almost done with my lpn-rn program.

good luck to you. i hope everything works out for the best!

angel

Shirt · Dec 14, 2009

don't do the cma program. can you do an lpn program instead? there are several lpn-rn bridge programs but i don't think there are any cma-rn.
well, my story, i initially took all my pre-reqs at the community college for the rn program and they kept putting me on a "wait list". i got tired of it and applied at a vocational lpn program. there was an entrance exam as well and many people took it. i told myself i would join the army if i didn't get in in the lpn program because i did not know what to do with my life. i had a previous degree (computer science) but unable to use it.
anyway, i got in the 15-month, 3 semesters lpn program. there were 30 of us out of 400 applicants. i worked full-time as a dialysis tech while in lpn school full-time. fast forward to now, i am nearing my 2nd year as an lpn and almost done with my lpn-rn program.
good luck to you. i hope everything works out for the best!
angel

mmm no lpn program at my school although there are other schools with it but sadly since i decided to go to national american (private college) my credits won't transfer into a community colleges program!!#@# so. what i have been thinking of doing is taking the clep test's/ testing out.

you're right there is no cma - rn program that's why i was saying its good i finished my pre's so i can just finished where i left off which is my cna boards (will do that soon actually) and take my t's test.

i've really been thinking about just getting the lpn even if i have to pay $$ to test out for credits that wont trasnfer.

thank you both for your kind words i'm not going to give up:up:

Bob_N_VA · Dec 15, 2009

Hmm. I think you need to step back and think about all your options and put it all in a more long term perspective. I can say that because I have about 30 years on you and 3-4 years isnt nearly as large a piece of my history as it is yours.

You're frustrated, that comes through very clearly in what you write. Understandable. But how you deal with the situation is what will help or hinder you. You jumped into the CMA program as an alternative and now you are not happy with it. So now what do you do? Go back as an LPN, RN or something else?

You've got a long life ahead of you, treat it as a journey, not as an end state or goal. I'm not saying that you shouldn't have goals, but there is more to it than that. I'm just starting a 3 year evening/weekend program for a diploma RN, and my thoughts are not so much on graduating, but getting as much as I can from the education. For me, this will really be my third career, after serving in the Navy and then working for the government as a contractor. My plan is to take each day as it comes, there will be some failures for sure, but hopefully many more successes. I'll graduate when my time comes and hopefully it will be my last career switch before retirement.

So think some, weigh all your options, talk to your friends, parents, coworkers, whoever you feel can give you some straight advice and then come up with a plan. When you have that plan, come up with a plan B, just in case it doesn't go quite your way. An old army saying is that no plan survives first contact. And above all, be patient with the time it takes and especially be patient with yourself.

nnicolee · Dec 18, 2009

Hmm. I think you need to step back and think about all your options and put it all in a more long term perspective. I can say that because I have about 30 years on you and 3-4 years isnt nearly as large a piece of my history as it is yours.
You're frustrated, that comes through very clearly in what you write. Understandable. But how you deal with the situation is what will help or hinder you. You jumped into the CMA program as an alternative and now you are not happy with it. So now what do you do? Go back as an LPN, RN or something else?
You've got a long life ahead of you, treat it as a journey, not as an end state or goal. I'm not saying that you shouldn't have goals, but there is more to it than that. I'm just starting a 3 year evening/weekend program for a diploma RN, and my thoughts are not so much on graduating, but getting as much as I can from the education. For me, this will really be my third career, after serving in the Navy and then working for the government as a contractor. My plan is to take each day as it comes, there will be some failures for sure, but hopefully many more successes. I'll graduate when my time comes and hopefully it will be my last career switch before retirement.
So think some, weigh all your options, talk to your friends, parents, coworkers, whoever you feel can give you some straight advice and then come up with a plan. When you have that plan, come up with a plan B, just in case it doesn't go quite your way. An old army saying is that no plan survives first contact. And above all, be patient with the time it takes and especially be patient with yourself.

You have some sound advice and I gave you kudos.

As for the OP original situation, I know this is a difficult time in your life right now I'm like you everyday I question what I want to do and when things don't go my way I want to abandon them completely. If I was in your situation I however would stop the CMA program because you see the tell tale signs that being a CMA is not something you want to do for the rest of your life- and same thing goes that you're going broke basically trying to do it. Now I don't know anything about National University, but I do know how expensive private schools are and if I were you I would start taking classes at my local CC. It wouldn't hurt plus you could start working and save a ton of money on tuition. My local CC only charges around $86 for credit and I'm sure yours is around that price (that completely beats any private school's tuition!!!) Now back on topic, if you already know the CMA route may not help you in the future I say you start looking @ your state's Board of Nursing and look @ accredited either LPN or ADN programs near you. I assume there is an insane wait list for the ADN schools so maybe focus on LPN program (because as a previous poster said you can always bridge over). Even look into becoming a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) and getting some experience under your belt to see if you really truly do love nursing..... Well that's just my two cents. I know you have a tough decision ahead of you and I wish you the best in your future education endeavors.