I was just recently accepted to an Accelerated BSN program for January 2011. I'm moving about 5.5 hours away from my immediate and extended family, which is heartbreaking because we're all so close, but I am more than excited for my life to start AND to be on my own. I should be making a deal with a landlord, sometime in the next few weeks, on an apartment that allows dogs and cats. I was thinking that I would adopt a small to medium sized older dog from a shelter that has been housebroken and up to date on his/her shots. I know that I will have long hours during the day, (so I'd have to make sure I come home during lunch or put the dog in daycare), but I'd like a companion to have around. Are there nursing students or current nurses who have or have had a dog while in nursing school? How did it work out for you?
Specializes in Med/surg, ER/ED,rehab ,nursing home.
Lets see....I had a husband that was in the military...sometimes home, sometimes not. I had a 2 yr old child,too. Also one Sheltie that was a year old. He had the yard to stay in, plus shelter in the basement when no one was home. The child went to a sitter. This all was part of life when I was in school. But if I had a decision to make on pets, it would be an ADULT cat or two. There are always someones loved cat that has a deceased owner. Each cat is different. My current one is the best. I have always had some kind of pet. Cats, dogs, fish, birds.
Of these, the cat is the easiest. The Beta fish would be next. They don't die if you forget to feed them a day or two. Also they don't need their water changed often. Birds like interaction with their humans, even a finch or canary.
It is up to you to decide what you can handle. Perhaps getting settled in, and getting use to your learning work load should be first. Then maybe a pet. Good luck. By the way, I have one dog, two cats, and two Beta fish, plus a husband. No longer working.
If you like dogs more, get a small dog that can be house trained to have a litter box (wee-wee pad, as they call them here). Then you are good with one walk a day with him (about 30-45 minutes) and that's it. Plus, he is going to keep you company, and be a good friend. (I am thinking of getting a Havanese while I am still on maternity leave, so that we have time to adjust to each other before I start school).
But learn carefully about different breeds first. Some of these little fellows (like chihuahua for example) are very needy of a LOT of undivided attention.
About birds, if you decide on birds, please keep in mind that the vast majority of the ones that ARE going to keep you company and not just sit there and sing require about 3-4 hours of active attention a day, otherwise they are going to get nervous and pluck themselves.
Specializes in taking a break from inpatient psychiatric nursing.
I already love that special older dog you want to adopt, and think a dog can be very grounding during stressful times and good company when you're so far from family. But, like other posters, the responsibility may be too great. How's this for an alternative? Once you move, post some signs around your apartment complex or neighborhood saying that you would like to walk a dog or babysit a dog.
Maybe there's someone with a great dog who needs to share some of their responsibilities. You get to have your necessary flex schedule, and the dog owner gets to give his/her dog more company or excercise.
My sister gave me a kitten during Nursing School, and except for the landlord keeping my deposit, Maggie worked out just fine and I had her for many years post graduation. Contrast this with a friend who's girlfriend gave him a little dog. Heidi worked out except for the barking, stools and puddles of urine that she left on Tom's bedroom floor, which he stepped in, w/o fail. And the chewing. Cats get my vote.
I wasn't planning to go to school so I bought a puppy in january. I started school in July and Don't Do It!!! I was new to the area, so I bought the puppy compulsively so I would have my 'small family support' n look forward to come home to. When my boyfriend tried to talk to me out of it, I didn't listen. Now I have my puppy, with help from my boyfriend, and my mom who moved to the area, its still too much with school and work. I try to spend almost all the spare time I have with her (sometimes I sacrifice my time with boyfriend) but it is not the same. The dog should not suffer like that just because we are lonely. My dog is hardly ever by herself, but I still feel bad. It is nice to have a dog, but I would wait for at least a semester so you would know how much time you would have for the dog..
I actually did adopt a medium sized dog after my first month in nursing school. I too had moved away from a very close knit family and was devastatingly lonely. The dog stayed with me for 3-4 days before I had to return him. He was an adult dog, but he still got into enough trouble to make keeping him impossible.
Just the very fact that I had to dart home between classes to make sure he wasn't destroying my things was an added stress when you factor in travel time and parking. Not to mention getting up extra early on clinical days to walk him because he'd be in a crate all day. In the end, it wasn't fair to either one of us and I returned him to the animal rescue I adopted him from.
A year into the program I adopted at cat. Now this was a match made in heaven! She couldn't care less when I spent 12 hours away from home, but she welcomed me and loved me a lot when I finally did make it home. A cat gives you the freedom to take off for a few days and come back. I use an auto-feeder and a really big litter box, so she can go on for 3-4 days easily without any issues.
I had 3 dogs and 2 cats in nursing school. I also had 3 kids, never considered giving any of them away! School is hard and time consuming so I would suggest starting with 2 kittens or cats. Kittens are ok as they grow up quickly and they get litter trained very quickly
I am in online MSN program, living with and caring for terminal mom, and 6 yo granddaughter, We have 2 dogs and 2 cats, They all learned to love each other in 3 days of moving in. You need to take breaks, and without family nearby your pet will fill in real well..just no puppies!
Eh, I got a pair of kittens halfway through nursing school. They keep each other company during the day and it's relaxing to cuddle with them when I study or sleep. Cats may seem antisocial until YOU'RE their parent--it's a special kind of bond.
I have a semester and a half of nursing school left and I have a puppy that I got at 4 months of age (now 6.5 months old). She is house-trained and does all of the commands I have taught her such as "sit", "stay", "go to your place", come", walks on a leash in perfect stride with me, and actually rings a string of bells on the downstairs door handle when she wants to be taken out. I have taught her all of this in less than a month and a half, all while attending nursing school. I spend at least 6 hours a day quality time with her, even though I am going to school.
I think you have plenty of time for a dog while you are in nursing school. For example, my weekly schedule looks like this: Mondays - (the only day that she is not lavished with attention) clinical rotation from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m (my wife comes home from work and takes her out on her lunch break on this day). I take her for a walk when I get home and she sits with me while I study, and I take 15-minute breaks every couple of hours and play with her until about 2 a.m. when I go to bed. Tuesday - No school, so my dog gets me ALL DAY. I take her outside about 4-5 times throughout the day, plus an afternoon 30-minute ball-chasing/exercise tiime. I also spend about 30 minutes on this day teaching her tricks , commands and obedience. She gets to sit with me, walk around the house with me from room to room, eat with me, play with me during breaks from studying, etc. Wenesday - I get up around 7:30 and take the dog out and feed her, read a little while she is eating and playing alone. I take her out and play a little with her before going to school at 9:30. I return from school at 2:00 p.m., take her out and I am hers the rest of the day (10-12 more waking hours). Thursday is a repeat of Wednesday. Friday - No school, so she gets me all day again and it is a repeat of Tuesday. Saturday and Sunday are , of course, free days that I spend studying and alternating playing with the dog. On either Saturday or Sunday, she gets to go to the dog park for about 2 hours and she plays really hard with all of the dogs, chasing tennis balls, frisbees, and her favorite pastime, jumping in the water pond and swimming around after tennis balls. She will play tug of war with any and all dogs for hours until I make her leave. She is exhausted and sleeps the rest of the night, and I study. :)
She hasn't cut into my studying, and I haven't neglected her AT ALL! I feel that because I have her, my obsessive studying habits have been broken up into the more preferred 2-3 hours at a time, followed by the 15-30 minutes with the dog relaxation time that has allowed me to learn even better. I think I retained more information this semester, in part, because of the forced breaks in studying that allowed my mind a rest and time to process the massive amounts of information that I take in during those intense study periods. I have maintained a very high GPA and got an "A" in my nursing class for the first half of this semester, while spendimg massive amounts of time with my pooch. In fact, BECAUSE I am in nursing school and not working, my dog is getting more of my time than she would if I were a working person. Nursing school has allowed me to spend a lot of qality time with my girl while she is young and she needs strong guidance and consistency so that when I may have to spend more time away after graduation and starting a career as a nurse, she will be able to handle it due to the consistent training and discipline that she is getting now. I say that if you are willling to take out a little time each day to spend with your dog, then your pet gets what they need, and it is a great excuse to take breaks from studying, if nothing else.
Dogs are the best pets in the world:anmllvr: and they are ALWAYS thrilled to see you. Just being in the same room with you is the highlight of their day. I say, (if you are not working) get a dog and enjoy it NOW when you are in nursing school and you can spend more quality time with it!
You must know my cat! While she is not the spawn of Satan, she did have a litter before we adopted her and the folks at the animal rescue named one of her kittens "Lucifer". I didn't know that until about a month after we adopted her and the folks at the animal rescue said that the Lucifer obviously took after his mother.
The funny thing is, my husband is a minister, so the mother of Lucifer lives in a parsonage now.
I have a 14-year old cat and he is the absolute joy of my life. I can't tell you how much I love coming home to him. He sits on my lap while I study or write papers. He's a cuddle buddy for sure. :) His love and support really keep me going. I take him outside occasionally, but he doesn't need to be walked and he spends a lot of time sleeping and cuddling, so it's not a lot of work on my part. The rewards of having him greatly outweigh the demands!
While she is not the spawn of Satan, she did have a litter before we adopted her and the folks at the animal rescue named one of her kittens "Lucifer". I didn't know that until about a month after we adopted her and the folks at the animal rescue said that the Lucifer obviously took after his mother. 
bradleau
146 Posts
Lets see....I had a husband that was in the military...sometimes home, sometimes not. I had a 2 yr old child,too. Also one Sheltie that was a year old. He had the yard to stay in, plus shelter in the basement when no one was home. The child went to a sitter. This all was part of life when I was in school. But if I had a decision to make on pets, it would be an ADULT cat or two. There are always someones loved cat that has a deceased owner. Each cat is different. My current one is the best. I have always had some kind of pet. Cats, dogs, fish, birds.
Of these, the cat is the easiest. The Beta fish would be next. They don't die if you forget to feed them a day or two. Also they don't need their water changed often. Birds like interaction with their humans, even a finch or canary.
It is up to you to decide what you can handle. Perhaps getting settled in, and getting use to your learning work load should be first. Then maybe a pet. Good luck. By the way, I have one dog, two cats, and two Beta fish, plus a husband. No longer working.