When should enough be enough?

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Specializes in ED, Rehab, LTC.

I can only answer this question for myself, but would love some opinions. I am sooo stressed out. I am a new grad. LPN, for those of you that didn't know, and I am working on ADN. I have been going to school for a few years without even a summer break. I moved to an area I hate, because I have an aunt who offered to help with my child. Her help is at no small cost, she will tell me boldly that I owe her and I have to do things like scrub floors and run whatever errands she sees fit. I am not being ungrateful, but I am a single parent with a home, job, school, and no other support person in the area. I feel like I have to jump when she says to and I barely have time or energy as it is. Besides that I hate my job, and have found it virtually impossible to find another one in my area, especially one that works around my schedule. I have to work tonight and have a test tommorrow morning that I am to stressed to study for. I also have an email assignment due today that I can't send, I contacted my instructor for help Friday, and I guess shes busy since its a holiday and has not responded. when it gets this bad I think something is telling me to stop, but the fact that I've made it this far tells me to keep going. I am not 100% sure about my career choice to be honest, but I love it so far. I just don't know if its worth it right now. I am seriouly considering putting it on hold for awhile, there is nothing wrong with that. Except I will have to repeat half of the program. AAh that sounds like a nightmare. Wait, this is a nightmare, lol, and I will soon wakeup!!! Seriously though, I have been through worse, and its sounds silly that I'm making such a big deal out of this, but I am just really stressed out and unhappy.

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What about this: finish this semester, take a year off and rest from school. That will give you the time to find another resource for child care, even if it means moving away, because it does not sound like your aunt is the best choice for either you or your child. In a year pick up the program where you left off, that way you wouldn't have to repeat it.

Is there a Parents Without Partners group in your area? I've heard they're wonderfully supportive and it might be good for you.

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Specializes in ED, Rehab, LTC.

If I leave the area and transfer schools I will have to start at the begining of thier ADN program. I have looked into transfering credits, they will take my pre-reqs, but not my ADN courses. I was really unhappy when I found this out.

My aunt is a pain for me, but she is great with my child, but maybe I should try to eliminate some of my suffering and search for other options. I haven't heard of the program you suggested, I will look into it though.

Thankyou.

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Please remember that "this too shall pass". Right now your life is complicated. When school is over it will be less complicated. It will be much better for the rest of your life to complete your RN. Better for you and your child and any children you may have in the future. Right this minute you seem overwhelmed but quitting school is a bad choice. More often than not school will be a hard thing to fit into your life later on with more variables added which now you don't know about. Hang in there. You will be happy you did.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

IN IL, we have a program for single moms to go back to school and they fund day care too. Consider looking further into other options.

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Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.

Wow. You are sure having a hard time right now!

If it's at all possible to tough it out, do so. As Rita says, "this too shall pass." It really will!! Remember that this is your future and your child's future you are working toward and it will be worth it in the end.

It takes a strong person with a lot of guts to do what you're doing and I really admire that.

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Specializes in hospice, home care, LTC.

At my alma mater (Rivier College) you can enter the ASN program as a LPN and not have to start at the beginning of the program. There is work here for LPN's (LTC). Standard of living is good and the people are kind. Look into southern NH.

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Specializes in Brain injury,vent,peds ,geriatrics,home.
What about this: finish this semester, take a year off and rest from school. That will give you the time to find another resource for child care, even if it means moving away, because it does not sound like your aunt is the best choice for either you or your child. In a year pick up the program where you left off, that way you wouldn't have to repeat it.

Is there a Parents Without Partners group in your area? I've heard they're wonderfully supportive and it might be good for you.

I agree wih TazzyYou could always do a bridge program later,They have all those distance and online LPN to RN programs,which you could do when your life is more stable.

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IN IL, we have a program for single moms to go back to school and they fund day care too. Consider looking further into other options.

Hey can you give me more info about this program please? Thanks a lot

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Specializes in Rehab.

Don't stop, you can do it. I have been fighting my way to get to where I am b/c I had my first child at 20 and my second last year. I do have a husband that is a great help but I still work, take care of the kids, and go to school. We don't get any breaks from eachother or the kids b/c we don't live by any family. I consider my job my break and my job sucks! I've felt like throwing in the towel and doing it later but then what? Whats going to be so great about later? You can do it, I can do it, lets get all this out the way so we can have a good career and not have to depend on anyone else as soon as possible!

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I'm not really sure what you should do but let me offer a word of encouragement, whatever decision you make. Many of us have traveled this or similar roads. We did it, you can, too.

God bless you.

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Specializes in Rodeo Nursing (Neuro).

Can't really add to the good advice, so far, but wanted to add my encouragement. Nursing school is hell, but it doesn't last forever. Nursing isn't always a walk in the park, either, but if you can survive school, you can thrive in nursing.

As new GNs, my friends and I used to laugh: "Remember when we thought Nursing School was hard?" And it's true: the transition from student to nurse is even harder, in some ways--but you do get a nurse's paycheck, and the combination of life and a job is more manageable than life and a job and classes. You have a real leg up on us, though. As an LPN, you've done the hardest part of that transition, and anyone who can make it through LPN school--from what I've heard--can do pretty much anything.

Anyway, as Trudy said, God bless you.

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