Surving the Year

Jules A, MSN · Jan 15, 2009

I'm a former student but remember it being important to stay on top of the work load. I studied about two hours a night. It sounds like you will be just fine. The year will be tough but it will go by very quickly. Congratulations!!

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Jan 15, 2009

Hello, and welcome.

You kinda threw me off my your title "1badnurse" Are you a student ? Usually student nurses don't call themselves nurses. Anyway... I digress

If you are a student...I just want to wish you luck, and tell you to take a deep breath because you can do it ! My single mother of twins became a nurse and so can you.

Yes its hard financially, but once she became a lpn her situation changed.

I'm not a single parent, heck I'm not a parent at all, so I can't give you the best advice. But good luck anyway.

majik · Jan 15, 2009

It's hard at the beginning trust me I've been there. We all will get through that phrase and there are a bright rainbow ahead. Just don't give up and be persistent. :yeah:

1badnurse · Jan 16, 2009

the name is in anticipation of the future. i believe you are what you think you are, everything is mental, so in my mind i am 1badnurse!

pharmgirl · Jan 16, 2009

Well first off about the name....i'm hoping the 1badnurse is kinda like the slang, sarcastic "bada$$" nurse and not meaning that you are going to be a horrible nurse cause thats just too much pesimism. Ok, enough digressing.

I'm a mother of 4, grandmother of 3 and second semester student nurse. You CAN do this. There will be times when you feel like a bad (not the bada$$ version...LOL) cause you are studying and not playing with the kids, but you have to remember that you are doing this FOR the kids in the long run.

Secondly, time management is the key. Like another poster said, staying on top of the workload is the most important. If you can find a way to maybe put the kids in daycare for an extra hour, have someone watch them for an hour, put them to bed a little earlier and then study...something....but don't get behind.

Some things I have done to save time is I spend one weekend a month preparing dinners. I then put them on those plastic dividers plates and freeze them. Like homemade TV dinners. When I have a test coming up and need to study.......thats dinner. Its still healthy, its cheaper and its comfort food for the family. Another thing I've done....flash cards. these are different from the A&P note cards cause, well, nursing is different learning. The whole main reason for these is portability. I write notes on flash cards and bring them with me everywhere. If I have to grocery shop, I'm standing in line reading flash cards, if I'm at a basketball game, I'm reading flash cards. They are a lot easier to carry around then the 500 pound nursing book.

thirdly (or fourthly, whatever LOL), your kids still need to know you love them and want to be with them but they also need to know that when mommy has a book open its quiet time for them to read a book or watch some cartoons and when you are done, you will do something special with them (we bake cookies). If you start them in that habit right away they will get used to it and there will be no power struggles down the road.

Hmmmm, this is getting quite long, and I apologize but I do feel your anxiety. It's tough WITH a support system and even tougher without it but just know that you CAN do this for you and your kids. After the first week or so, you will get into your own routine and time will fly by. Good Luck!!

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Jan 16, 2009

the name is in anticipation of the future. i believe you are what you think you are, everything is mental, so in my mind i am 1badnurse!

Oh okay... Well wish you luck in nursing school, I'm going into my second semester of the LPN program, so let me know if you need help with anything.