Why do people try to discourage you? :(

wants2BRN · Jul 18, 2009

Is day care your only childcare option? Many churches in my area have Mother's Day Out programs. My daughter went 3 days a week 9am - 1:30pm. It's such a nurturing, educational enviroment and she loves it! Also, what about Montessori schools?

drinkmoresoup · Jul 18, 2009

For most of the pre-reqs, I'm sure it will be a lot more flexible as far as needing childcare. However, once I get into the actual nursing program it won't be. Class will be all day 5 days per week. Kinda sucks... :-/

I am really struggling right now with whether to do LPN first and bridge to RN or to go slow and work on all the pre-reqs for RN for about a year and get the best grades I can and try to get into the regular RN program. I just don't know what to do. I don't want to waste time waiting on a spot and so I may go for LPN first since it's easier to get into around here and it's only about a mile away. Either way, I have to find some sort of childcare once I get into the actual program. I know I can do most of the pre-reqs online, but there are some that I would definitely want to take on campus. I believe the school I want to go to has flexible schedules as far as the general courses, so I probably wouldn't have to find childcare just yet. Childcare is the one thing that is making me very nervous. I have never put either of my kids in daycare and am really having anxiety just thinking about it. I'm sure I'd get used to it, but my 4-year-old has not been in ever and so I feel nervous and sad about putting my 1-year-old in. My mom is considering moving to Georgia to be closer to me, so if she did I wouldn't be nearly as worried because she could keep him. Perhaps I will just go the LPN route, but take all of the pre-reqs that are required for the ADN program. Maybe that will take up some time and by the time I apply to nursing school, he will be nearly 2 and then I'll feel much better. He will be able to really talk by then and I'll feel more at ease because he can tell me if someone is hurting him or something.

drinkmoresoup · Jul 18, 2009

Go ahead and finish the course! Familiarity with terminology is very useful.
This is not to discourage! People keep saying "go get that A". When my dh went back to grad school, he deliberately chose to shoot for Bs if that meant he would spend enough time with his family, not the A that meant we'd never see him. So if sometime it comes down to a B and some time with your kids, or an A and no kid time, go for the B.
Somehow taking the pressure off made the A's easier. Believe me, I don't ask the new grads if they got an A or a B in medsurg I.
Don't go away! Keep us updated!:cheers:

Hey, thanks! Once I make it into a program, I'm sure I won't be as worried or feel as pressured. But the pre-reqs and getting in are what worry me.

My friend and I decided to do this together because we both want to be nurses. We were going to go talk to a counselor within the next week or two and do the pre-reqs and try to get into Winter quarter, but I think that is moving too quickly. I think we need to take things slower since we have a family and are both stay-at-home moms. We're the caregivers for our children and we need to give them attention and care that they need as well. I really want to be a nurse, but I don't want to neglect my kids over it or put them in daycare too soon. I think if we just work slowly for the next year completing our pre-reqs for the LPN and ADN programs, then we will have a great advantage. I don't know...I think so, anyway!

Thanks for the encouragement.

metal_m0nk, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2009

The only thing I'm struggling with is when to start my pre-reqs. I wanted to start soon to get started as fast as possible, but I am having trouble with the idea of putting my son in daycare. I really don't want to do that...wouldn't mind if he were at least 2 or 3. But I think there are options for all day Saturday classes at my college for the pre-reqs, so I will have to see about that so I can go ahead and get to working on it!

Is there a close, close friend or relative that would be willing to look after him for 1/3 - 1/2 of the time you're in class? Just so that it wouldn't be a daycare setting every time? Kind of mix it up between familiar and new territory until you are both (you and your little guy) more comfortable.

greysanatomyfan · Jul 18, 2009

I graduated ten years ago from high school and started to go to nursing school two times before it finally all fell into place. I was married and had a daughter before nursing school. Yes, it is competitive. Yes, it takes a lot of hard work. But you can do it!!!! Believe in yourself and ignore others ignorance. If this is what you want out of life....then go for it!!!

drinkmoresoup · Jul 18, 2009

I am from South Carolina originally and live in Georgia now. I have lived here for the past 5 years with my husband (who has lived here for a long time). However, "Atlanta" is so spread out and his family is so far from us in the suburbs south of Atlanta and we are NW. And they all work. I only have a few close friends here and one just had a baby and one works and the other one would be doing this with me, so...there is not really anyone else left. It is possible that my neighbor and friend who just had the baby would watch him, but that's another issue...the nursing program at my school is only $2,500 and I'd probably have to take out much, much more than that to cover childcare for two years. But I'm willing to do whatever I have to do. It would still come out to be under 20k, which is considerably less than what I've read on here from others.

wants2BRN · Jul 18, 2009

What are the pre-req's for your program? Are there classes you can take that are part of the program and are able to complete prior to being accepted? For example...the pre-req's for my program are Eng Comp I, A&P I & II however, the other classes I could take were Life-Span, Gen Psych, Eng Comp II, Microbiology, an Arts elective, Health Assessment, and Dosage Calculations. I had all of but two of these completed which helped me get accepted and lightened my load each semester. You may be able to keep yourself plenty busy by taking a class or two each semester untill your little one is at least in preschool maybe even Kindergarten. I actually had to retake A&PI because my school changed the time requirements for science courses...they couldn't be older than 5 yrs and I took it 7 yrs ago. Trust me, taking care of a home and family and getting used to using my brain like a student again kept me busy.

I understand you wanting to stay home and raise your babies. I'm only comfortable going to nursing school full time now because my daughter will be in preK and I have the help of family and friends.

J9G2008 · Jul 18, 2009

I took A&P on Saturdays (when hubby was home), some classes I took at night (hubby would leave work a little early to cover) and some I took online. My kids hardly noticed that I was even gone.

Now that NS has started, my little guy had to go to a sitter (four days a week first semester, two longer days last semester). It was not my original plan, and I didn't like the option of daycare, but I had to do it, and it's worked out well.

As for a sitter, I prayed that God would send me someone that my son would love, I would trust, and would be affordable. A month later, I was sitting across from her as she told me her fee was $10 a day, she was smiling at his antics, and she acted just like my mom. God answers prayers, and when it's something you're supposed to be doing, it just falls into place.

seasoned hopeful · Jul 18, 2009

my school, otero junior college in colorado, has a part time nursing program that has you go on the weekends and do your clinicals in the evening. that is something that may be doable when you get your pre-reqs completed. i am sure other schools do the same.....good luck to you, we , at allnurses are cheering you on. :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah:

studentinnursing · Jul 18, 2009

Drinkmoresoup, it's a bunch of hooey (LOL is that a word?) Anyhow, first I'd like to say I quit high school in 10th grade, got a GED 5 years later, and then guess what, when I wanted to learn I got 4.0's across the board; that was for medical transcription, 15 years ago! I am now 3 semesters in, pre-nursing/prereq's, and guess what, still 4.0's across the board. So, if you were in the top 5% of your high school, imagine what you can do!! You're ahead of me already!! Do not let anyone tell you that you cannot do it. If you want to do it, you will, and it sounds like you'd do it with flying colors.

The only truth to that is it is competitive; my school only requires a 2.75, but the average acceptance GPA into the program is 3.5, but again, if you are willing to study and go to class you will have NO PROBLEM. Most of the younger crowd (I'm older, have a 9-year-old and a 1-1/2-year-old) doesn't really care about their grades. I have people in my class who could be doctors probably (they get 80's on A&P exams without studying), but they don't study or read the book, etc., so the competition is not with everyone in your class. The competition is with people JUST LIKE YOU, and there are not too many of those, which I have learned to my surprise, so you will get in and you will be a good nurse if that's what you want to do, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise, cause it just doesn't matter what they think. Period. How proud are your children gonna be when you are a nurse and save a life?! What more satisfaction is there in the world to a mother (or a nurse) . . . do what you love.

studentinnursing · Jul 18, 2009

drinkmoresoup, from someone who has done medical transcription til I hit the top of the ladder, do what you feel you want to do, and the sooner the better. At the time I started, I didn't even have children; when I had my first, I was very happy I could do it at home; nine years later I had my second, then I realized I was just plain bored when I went back to work, and decided on school. I was still breastfeeding when I was applying, etc., for that fall (he was born the December before), so he was only 8 months old when I had to place him in daycare (my husband, no support by the way was actually out of work and at home, yet I couldn't depend on him for anything [we are now separated]) and he absolutely LOVED it, and he never ever cried when I dropped him off. I used this "justification" to myself. My 8-year-old at the time was worried he'd never see me cause I had always been home for him, but my classes were done during the day when he was at school, so he never knew the difference; when classes went late and he had to go to an afterschool program, he begged me to come late! so he could stay and play! and here's the justification to putting my 8-month-old in daycare--he will never know the difference; the only one who knows he could be at home with his mom is you; he sees 15 other babies in his class, and guess what, their moms drop them off and pick them up later; your 1-year-old will never know the difference. The hard part is WE know the difference because we got to raise one until they went to school, so it's our own mind that makes this difficult; your child is going to be just fine. Don't forget, most mommies in the world have jobs where they had to put their babies into daycare at 6-8 weeks of age! And remember you are doing it for you and them.

Sorry to go on and on, but I had the same anxiety about putting my baby in daycare. He is now 18 months old and is waiting at the front door once he's dressed and his hair is brushed--he knows it's time to go to "school" and is excited every day!

MammaNurse2Be · Jul 18, 2009

All of my kids went to Montessori school. I just love it! I was lucky enough to have a teacher for my kids that was kind of my "teacher" as well. I was used to having my kids glued to my side all the time and thought that I was only being a good mother if things were that way. She gently tried to explain to me that my kids need to develop and learn the skills that there are others that can take care of them for short periods of time and that mom will return and things will be ok. She said this develops their self-confidence and lets them learn skills to cope in real life. She said you will not be there 24/7 for the rest of their lives. Let them learn those skills slowly so it doesn't just happen on the first day of kinder that they are away from you for 6 hours or whatever it is these days. She said that is shock to their little systems when they aren't used to it or they haven't developed their own self-soothing mechanisms. Lord I carried guilt around for a while and once i let it go i realized we would all be just fine. One glass won't pull you away for that long and will good for the kids too.