Background...I am finishing up my second degree, an Accelerated BSN this December. I have a BA in Psych from 2002 and have been working in child development ever since graduating with my BA. I do developmental evaluations on children birth to 3 and am on a specialty team that evaluates and then monitors the development of all the extreme premature babies in our county. In fact, I decided to go back to nursing school to ultimately become a PNP because I absolutely LOVE working with all of the medically fragile and disabled children that I see.
I have gotten practically straight A's throughout my BSN program, and this was on top of the fact that I still work more than 20 hours a week, have a 4 year old child to care for, AND I commute 2 hours each way to school!!! This has been easy for me and I have really had to study a very small amount. I also got one of the top scores out of my class on the Exit HESI. Only issue I've had is a bit of stress just from having to meet deadlines for both work and school. The work hasn't been hard, just time consuming, kwim?
So here's my dilemma...I graduate in December and my local university has a DNP program that starts the following August. I have a HRSA commitment so I will need to work 2 years full time or 3.5 years part time regardless. But my question is, how hard is a DNP program??? I'm not bragging, I just want to clarify that getting all A's in my BSN program has been very easy for me, so I want to know opinions of others in the same boat...how time consuming is a DNP program, either full or part time. Do you think I can do it while working? I will have about 6 months experience as an RN before I start, so I won't be a total newbie! Plus, I'll keep working the whole way through school so that'll add to my experience.
I have done some graduate work in the past as well, so I know that graduate classes are different than undergrad classes. Is it the same for nursing programs? Do you have to do all the time suck care plans and crap in a DNP program?
So whatdyall think, should I apply now for the August start or should I wait a few years? Don't you just love it when people ask you to make their life decisions for them on this forum? Any thoughts will be appreciated!
I always thought that children's needs got smaller as they got older. As I have one going off to college, one starting high school, and one starting middle school next year--I can tell you--they need you even more!
AMEN! I don't know what I was smoking when I thought "life will be so easy when she gets in school full time" but it definitely was some strong stuff because life gets WAY busier once they get in school! PLUS, they are very aware of your presence...or your "unpresence."
I don't want anyone to get me wrong, there were times when my daughter saw me studying and I made sure of that. I think it is good for her to know that you have to study hard and work for something and I think it gave her a realistic view of what college is all about. She was standing up rooting for me at graduation though :)
This is my FAVORITE response. I am getting my BSN right now, but I had my second child right after I finished my LPN and I tried to go on for the RN, but our house sold sooner than we thought it would and we had to put a rush on building our current house while living in my parent's basement with a newborn...I ended up dropping my classes and getting half of our money back urg, but it was the right choice and I have never regretted it. Our daughter got RSV, and a very serious flu during our stressful time and I got to be there for her the whole time. Being in school with kids is hard, and I am the type that fights for every A I get, it doesn't come easily....so do you think I should consider the DNP option. I already plan on getting my MSN and the DNP program here requires a MSN, but I often worry if I will be able to handle it all.
I recently finished my FNP and I started when my daughter was almost 7, finished after she turned 11. I fought hard for my daughter (in vitro, cardiomyopathy, etc.etc.etc.) and no way in hell was I going to sacrifice time with her for grad school. I chose a program that would allow flexibility i.e. let me take anywhere from 1-3 classes per semester and I transferred to the ER where I could work as much or as little as I needed/wanted. We are fortunate that my husband is the main provider so my income was not absolutely essential. We did supplement from time to time with a student loan here or there and I have no regrets about doing that. The extra $$ allowed me to not work as much and to enjoy more time at home.
I made it a point to study during the hours my daughter was in school and then stayed OFF the computer between the hours of 3-8 and would pick it up again. When I was finding preceptors for the clinical portions, I always found preceptors who were fine with me flexing my time in order to get the hours, but still be able to pick my daughter up from school. I used summer camps creatively and scheduled my summer clinical hours to be jammed into those days when my daughter was at day camp.
I graduated in December and have found a wonderful part-time job (2.5 days per week). Dont be apologetic about needing family flexibility, just be creative with it and make it work. If you don't *have* to work a gazillion hours a week and take a full class load every semester then don't. I realize there are some who have to and I admire them. I didn't need to and I am happy to say I didn't miss a ball game, a Sunday afternoon off with my kid, a room party or an awards assembly or concert....and I am more proud of that than I am my diploma!
Thank You for your post!
This is my FAVORITE response. I am getting my BSN right now, but I had my second child right after I finished my LPN and I tried to go on for the RN, but our house sold sooner than we thought it would and we had to put a rush on building our current house while living in my parent's basement with a newborn...I ended up dropping my classes and getting half of our money back urg, but it was the right choice and I have never regretted it. Our daughter got RSV, and a very serious flu during our stressful time and I got to be there for her the whole time. Being in school with kids is hard, and I am the type that fights for every A I get, it doesn't come easily....so do you think I should consider the DNP option. I already plan on getting my MSN and the DNP program here requires a MSN, but I often worry if I will be able to handle it all.
I know this is an old thread but I guess there's always someone that can benefit from the information, right? I had a GPA of 3.92 all the way through underdrad and all the way through my first year of grad school. The first semester of the second year and I'm struggling and questioning my sanity. For the past three years I've pretty much done a little homework here or there during the week, and then a decent chunk of the weekend, but always had Fridays, Saturday and Sunday evenings free...I made sure of it. I had a tough time with graduate statistics but with the help of a tutor one night a week, and the use of the Laerd Statistics website I made an A-. This semester I'm doing Patho and Advanced Health Assessment. It's only the third week and I've pretty much had a panic attack every day and been frozen in fear some days. What have I done? The Patho class is just sheer volume. Lots of papers, unmanageable reading. The Health Assessment class is basically "How To Be a Doctor in One Easy Semester!". I literally spend every night after work and every weekend, all day, all night studying just to meet the assignment demands, and I just feel constantly behind and scared. There's class, didactic, reading, labs, practical skills, exams, virtual patient assessments. It's never ending, and the virtual patient assessments and write ups take two days on their own. I'm just praying to make it to December. I have never doubted myself until this class. Have to keep hanging on. The struggle is real folks. If I didn't have a fantastic partner and no children I don't know how I'd do it.
carachel2
1,116 Posts
AMEN! I don't know what I was smoking when I thought "life will be so easy when she gets in school full time" but it definitely was some strong stuff because life gets WAY busier once they get in school! PLUS, they are very aware of your presence...or your "unpresence."
I don't want anyone to get me wrong, there were times when my daughter saw me studying and I made sure of that. I think it is good for her to know that you have to study hard and work for something and I think it gave her a realistic view of what college is all about. She was standing up rooting for me at graduation though :)