Wedding during ABSN

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Hi everyone -

I'd love some advice about when to start my ABSN program. I am working toward completing my prerequisites right now, and planned on applying to several schools for the Spring 2019 semester start. I recently realized that one of the schools will allow me to apply for the Fall 2018 semester, as they have less prerequisites than some of the other schools. I would love to get started, obviously, but have a slight issue - I am getting married in October of 2018.

Would I be completely crazy to start an accelerated BSN program right before getting married? The program would start in August. Ideally I would have pretty much everything planned before starting school, but I would have to do some things in the weeks before. It wouldn't be terrible if I waited until Spring 2019, as that was my original plan, but if it's manageable then I would love to get going as soon as possible.

Thanks in advance :)

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

Wait. You will make yourself crazy with two major projects at once. Not to mention that if you want to go on a honeymoon, you cannot miss clinicals. Or class.

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What things would you have to do in the weeks before? Is it possible you could hire a coordinator to take of any last minute things for you like making sure the vendors have the schedule etc. Will you have to miss Friday before the weeekend? Do you know your school's policy on missed lecture or clinicals? Also, if the program is longer like a 16 month program instead of 12 months, perhaps there is more room built in so that you would be able to recover more easily. I vote for applying to Fall 2018 and Spring 2019. This way you can make the decision once it comes closer, but you will still keep your options open. I would hope that if you are missing 1 day of class for your own wedding, which is a once in a lifetime event, your instructors would be willing to work with you, especially if you are an A student. You never know how strict people might be, however. You could also try looking up the student handbook for each program to see if there is information of absences.

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Specializes in mental health / psychiatic nursing.

It really depends how big of a wedding you are having, and how well you cope with stress & change. A couple classmates married over winter break in my program and one married over the weekend in February. I think the two over break had larger (though not LARGE) weddings, but the one over the weekend had a very small affair at the court house with the understanding she and her husband would have a larger party and honeymoon once the program finished.

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Personally I would not want the spectre of nursing school to hang over and cloud my wedding. I would wait until after the wedding to start school. That is me.

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I do have a "month of" coordinator who will help me in the last few weeks before the event, and as for honeymoon I would probably do it over winter break instead of right after the wedding (if I started in Fall 2018). I would still have to be present for some things though like the last meeting with vendors, dress alterations, etc.

I was thinking that I should probably wait, as I agree that I don't want school to cloud the event and make it more stressful vs. enjoyable. I've been planning it for months and even though I do fairly well with change/stress, I'm not a masochist! It would be a lot. I just wanted opinions as to whether I should go for it since the option presented itself.

Thanks for the advice!

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Specializes in Psychiatric and Mental Health NP (PMHNP).

Congratulations on your impending marriage!

It really would make more sense for you to start the ABSN in Spring 2019. An ABSN is very fast-paced and intense, and the last thing you will need is to get married in your first semester of the program. Even if you hire a wedding planner, there will still be a lot of details you must attend to. Just focus on your wedding in the fall. Then you can have a nice relaxed honeymoon and get set up as a new couple. There is no harm in waiting 3 to 4 months and starting in Spring 2019. I take it this is your first marriage and (hopefully only one), so take the time to be able to enjoy it!

Best wishes.

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Specializes in PICU.

Get married Oct 2018, enjoy your honeymoon, start school Spring 2019. Enjoy the wedding planning process, enjoy the day. Don't try and figure out how you are going to work wedding stuff around classes, etc. You want to really enjoy your wedding and your honeymoon.

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Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Like others said definitely just apply for the spring 2019 term. I got married this past September while taking pre-requisites for nursing school and that was super stressful. I had a full on wedding planner and I still had a lot to do leading up to the big day. Trust me when I say you're going to want to be able to full enjoy the days leading up to and after your wedding without having to worry about work for an accelerated program.

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