UTA online AP BSN program- with a baby

flyingauntmimi · May 20, 2015

Congratulations on the baby and acceptance! With a newborn and lack of sleep it will be tough - heck having a newborn is tough without anything else. With that said, I just finished my JR1 semester in the AP program. If it makes you feel better, I am a single mom with 2 kids (young - 1st and 4th grade.) I also worked full-time M-F during and had clinicals/lab all day Saturday and Sunday and managed to survive and do well. I am not going to kid you and say I wasn't exhausted, emotional and completely frazzled at times but it was exciting learning new things. Your success will depend on your motivation and organizational skills - there is a ton of reading, assignments, lectures and exams to prep for but I say if I did it - anyone can!

RnBound0510 · May 20, 2015

I just finished a week ago and I started my classes when my baby was around 3 months (sleeping longer and on a routine) with my 2.5 year old, and working full time too. It is very doable. I think you will be fine starting in maybe end of August or September. Just see how it goes with your baby...good luck!

Danilu14 · May 22, 2015

Congratulations! It will be hard but it is doable. The AP BSN program is awesome, I was able to work full time hours and keep up with my 2 kiddos (3 and 6 thank God they sleep through the night lol). My clinicals were also Saturday-Sunday for J1 semester and during the week I downloaded the podcast lectures on my iphone and listened to them while I did stuff around the house or worked out. They open up all of the assignments for that week at the beginning of the week (except for some quizzes) So you can finish as many as you can when you get free time. When I had some down time I would finish as many as I could and work ahead whenever possible so that nothing snuck up on me and I wasn't as overwhelmed if I did get busy later in the week. Definitely take care of yourself and get as much rest as possible with a new baby. Can't stress enough to organized, get a planner and check off assignments as you go and you'll have plenty of doctor's appointments for you and baby in the first months so make sure you keep a calendar, I would be lost without my planner to keep up with my work shifts, dr appointments, social engagements, test days, clinical days and everything else. Good luck, you can do this!

lharvick · Jun 22, 2015

Congrats on both!! The nursing program is very difficult but becoming a nurse makes it all worth it. That hard work and those days where you just can't hold back the tears will all be worth it. I graduated in May and feel like I can support my family like I never could before. I must say with working and having my son who is just about to turn two made life at that times hard but I wouldn't change it for the world. This is a good time to go too because your child will be so young that you won't miss too many special moments as when they are older. *You will miss some but try to imagine all the future moments you will get to be apart of because you worked hard to get through the program* I saw my friends with older kids miss out on a lot (graduations, first dances, baseball practices/games etc.) and it broke their heart. You can do this! Just think of the end results. :)

Like Danilu said above, get a planner and stay organized!! Find study groups. Utilize quizlet. Getting through nursing school is going to required a lot of support. Find your support system and cherish them. Don't take time for granted. And most importantly take time for yourself.

YOU GOT THIS AND ONCE AGAIN, CONGRATS!!

WonderousIvy, BSN · Oct 7, 2015

Are clinical EVERY weekend and is it every weekend throughout the entire program? I live in CA and would like to do the online AP BSN but would I have to relocate??