Nursing/Pre-nursing student mamas? - Page 6

[minkajane]

Originally Posted by aphel 

Is this Frontier? I've looked into it a bit, as I really love the idea of bridging directly from the ASN, but I really do not love the idea of distance learning. Also, I'm wondering how well a degree from there really works out? Is it as reputable as everyone says it is, or would a degree from an on-site program be better? Just curious if anyone has any thoughts/experiences. Perhaps I'll poke my head into the midwifery sub forum . . . 

Yep. There is a CNM program in my town, but there is no RN-MSN bridge, so I'd have to do RN-BSN, then do the traditional MSN. I love distance learning, online classes were always my favorites. I do worry that it will be hard to find a preceptor in town with OSU's CNM program right here. They may work exclusively with OSU. But I'm assuming that the school will help me find one or at least give me some leads. Most of them will.

I've heard nothing but good things about Frontier. You do get hands-on work with your preceptor, so it's just the academic stuff that's online.
 

[USAmma]

Originally Posted by Gator-mom 

Congrats!! And thanks for the advice!  I had been wondering about the job market myself :)  Did you do your capstone in pediatrics?  I have been humming and hawing over whether to pick a capstone that I know I WANT to do, vs picking one that is practical (like Picking OB vs MedSug)

AFM:  I took my LPN NCLEX this summer, and will be doing some PRN/part time stuff this Fall.  I'm starting my Senior year in my BSN program and will be graduating next June.  I am so happy that I am finally on the downhill slope of this climb!! 

Good luck to everyone else out there working away!

Yeah, you are less than a year away!! You are smart to do the BSN-- I just applied to start that bridge program on-line but now will put it off until my training is over.  I think if I'd had the BSN the job search would have gone a lot better.

I didn't choose peds, but it chose me. My youngest child had a very rough first 5 years and I became somewhat of a reluctant expert into complex medical issues with kids. Although she inspired me to become a nurse I thought I would enjoy adults better. THey are easier (most of them) because they want to get better and understand that the treatments may be painful or scary but it will help them, and they cooperate. With kids it's tough because they just think you are hurting them. 

So I applied everywhere but peds jobs were hard to find even if I wanted one. I finally was picked up by a home health agency that does mostly peds clients, but both clients I was assigned to fell through for various reasons. I decided to look at the children's hospital after all, thinking maybe I was meant to do peds and Someone was telling me something. So I applied on Monday, was called Tues, and went in for the interview and was hired on the spot on Wed! Literally, before I left the interview I was hired. I picked PICU over med/surg because I have a technical background in my former "life" and found PICU to be interesting and intense. I'm not afraid of the invasive equipment. I know I'll be mentored well before I get the really sick ones, too.

[mamayogibear]

So does anyone have any advice on how to afford daycare while in nursing school? I was going to get a need-based state grant for childcare that would pay daycare if I worked part time as a CNA while in school. But it turns out I have too many 'assets' since my ex has a car registered in my name that I can not legally get out of my name without him signing paperwork which he won't do. But he did say if I moved back in with him he would watch the kids but I'm not sure if I want to go for that option.  Even if I took out the maximum amount of student loans it would not pay for both of my kids to be in daycare while I am in school. I am at such a loss for what to do as I have worked really hard to get this far and don't want to give up. My ADN program starts mid September and is five days a week four hours 3 days and 8 hours 2 days so it's a lot of time in daycare for the kiddos. Any help is appreciated:)

[aphel]

I have my first class on Monday!!!! I'm terrified, but excited. Clinicals start the first week of September, so I'm anxiously awaiting that. And snuggling with DD, who I'm going to miss terribly while I'm in school. Luckily, two days of the week, I'll only need to be gone for about 2.5 hours, and 4 hours for the other two. Clinicals are 6 hours on a fifth day, but I got a site pretty close to home.

How is everyone else?

Mamayogi, any luck on childcare?

[Fieryfly]

Starting my 6th and final semester of my BSN-RN program...never thought I'd see the day! Looking forward to a great semester with much appreciated clinicals (12hr shifts, but only once a week, thank goodness!!), public health and integrative nursing theory, aka dissecting case studies, gonna be a fun one!

Good luck to all the busy student parents out there, we can do it! Crossing fingers the next 16 weeks goes by quickly!

~Lisa

[minkajane]

So I'm officially accepted! I go tomorrow to meet with financial aid. I'm going to have to take another math class. I've taken FIVE college-level math classes now but because colleges refuse to get together and decide on a standard, I have to keep taking them. And don't get me started on that whole "this is quarter hours but we do semester hours here" crap. 

[Robin128]

Hi and nice to meet someone else in the same boat as I!  Where are you located?  I am taking a online rn to bsn program from a school in California.  Maybe we can form a study group!

[olliemi2005]

I am starting Nursing School next week AS program - I have a BA and I am an IBCLC and a birth doula. But my main job for the past 8 years has been as a SAHM and LLL Leader.

Curious if anyone struggles with the medical model part of nursing. I love the science and the idea of patient care but I am very non intervention...allow the body to heal. pain with a purpose. I had homebirths and very slowly am vaccing my non circed kids.  I work part time in a hospital now and the stuff I see. I can not be me or truly understand or respect most of what I see going on (with babies and moms).  I have to keep my head down and my mouth shut. I am not there, it is a shell of me.

I have not know a lot of sick people in my life so I need to understand that side of it I guess.

I fear this will be a struggle. I am very nervous about feeling alienated, leaving my children, the gigantic costs of school and just wondering if deep down I don't belong in this field.

I have no idea where I will work or how I will fit in.

Eve

Edited by olliemi2005 - 9/1/11 at 2:31am

[minkajane]

I thought about the same thing when I decided to go into nursing. I plan to continue on to become a CNM. My philosophy is that I can make things better for the people who do have hospital births, since most people do, and be the one that supports the natural birth moms, the birth plan moms, etc. Same with nursing before my CNM is done. I can be the nurse who asks for the "difficult" patients who want to make their own choices and buck the system.

Nurses can make a HUGE difference in someone's life. I had to transfer to the hospital for an emergency C-section with DD when she came footling and precipitously. The L&D nurse was AWFUL. Literally laughed at me when I told her I didn't rush straight into the hospital because I was waiting for my contractions to start. Thankfully I only had to deal with her for about 5 minutes. Then I had total angels for postpartum nurses. They were there in a heartbeat when I needed something, helped me out of bed when I could hardly move, didn't say a thing when I turned down vaxes, etc. They were so great I wrote to the hospital to rave about them.

The whole situation could have been a total nightmare if I'd had different nurses. That is the kind of nurse I want to be.

[olliemi2005]

I am so glad I found this thread. I was feeling so alienated.

I became a doula as a trial run for midwifery.   Life is so hard on call with little children but we shall see...

I am going to take it one semester at a time and see how I feel. After preparing for nursing school for years it feels like I have to pee or get off the pot.

I am not anticipating that my program is progressive at all. I am preparing myself for the worst. I know where some of the instructors work and I know these hospitals are ass backwards when it comes to birth.

I am thinking I may change course completely through the process and end up wanting to work in a completely different area like some of the other moms have posted on here. My passion has been in women's health for many years but we'll see how that plays out.

Thanks for staying in touch. I think MDC might be the key to me getting on with this.

E

[Neldavi]

olliemi, I just started my second semester of an ADN program and I have had many of the issues you are concerned about having. Like you, I have had my babies at home, believe in letting the body heal itself most of the time, and have never been around sick people for the most part. 

Starting clinicals was very difficult for me.  I felt like an imposter.  I'm hoping this semester is a bit easier.  I got some good advice from an alternatively minded experienced nurse:  focus on the patient.  In those moments when you're just hating everything that's going on on the floor and there are asshole doctors and nurses that don't care (or are just too tired to show they care), just focus on the patient and what they need and want and do whatever you can to help them.  Though, in general, it is a good thing to look at the big picture when it comes to chronically ill people, the reality is that as a floor nurse or nursing student you're probably not going to be able to solve those problems.  But you can solve the little problems that are making the patient scared and uncomfortable in the interim. 

Good luck!

[USAmma]

I graduated a year ago this month! :-) To all the nursing students, just get past school and you will have so much more autonomy when you are on your own. It is so rewarding!!

I work at a children's hospital on the airway floor. I started out in PICU but decided I didn't like it for many reasons. Now I'm still semi-ICU but I focus on kids with trach/vents, RSV, pertussis babies, pneumonia, and other airway issues that are less acute than the ICU kids. 

Someone asked about dealing with the medical model-- most of our kids are pretty sick and I agree with the meds they are prescribed. Of course if they are scheduled meds I have to give them. The PRN meds are more at my discretion to give or not give. I never like a kid to be in pain and I will give those meds if the kid is in pain-- being in pain means they can't rest and get better, and they are using energy to deal with pain rather than heal. However you usually have an option to give for example, 1-2 mg of morphine or ativan or whatever, and you can try the smaller dose first. You can also try other things such as heat or ice packs, music, and I often will tell stories to distract the kids and help them relax if they are old enough or cognitively aware. But sometimes you just gotta give the pain meds. 

I am conservative with oxygen use and will try other things first (oxygen is after all a drug). I try to deep suction the nose and that's often all that's needed for the RSV babies to raise their sats. Or I will give a bit of O2 and then adjust up or down according to activity level. I can call the doctor and gently suggest other things. Example I had a 2 year old developmentally delayed kid who was teething. He was very agitated and had chewed his cheek trying to grind the teeth. All he had was ativan for agitation, and morphine for pain. (He was chronic and severe health issues and really did need those meds at times.) I told the MD I thought he was teething and needed some more traditional teething meds, and he prescribed tylenol and teething gel. I wrappped gauze around my fingers and massaged his gums with that gel and it made him soooo happy! 

So within reason nurses really do have a lot of power to work within the parameters they are given, and be creative in healing. 

[ishereal]

I haven't been on in awhile. How are you ladies doing? I start the program in August, I was so excited when I received my acceptance letter!

[mamayogibear]

I've been accepted into nursing school again. This time I am really hoping I can afford to go! I will even go and get loans if I need to. I have passed up going to nursing school too many times, if I wait any longer my pre reqs will be too old to apply to nursing programs again! I have to take pathophysiology over the summer since it is a pre req but was not required for admissions (so was micro but I've all ready done that). So I'm going to be taking it online so I don't have to pay for daycare until I am in 'real nursing school'.

I've found a grant that will pay 70% of daycare for full time students but I'll still have to come up with around $500 a month for daycare while I'm in school. I've applied to about twenty scholarships and I'm hoping I get one or two to help cover tuition. I'm working (sort of) over the summer and hope to save up for an RV to live in so I don't have to pay 600-700 a month in rent and hopefully enough for the first month or two of daycare. I'm considering asking both sets of grandparents for help paying for child care if I can come up with my own tuition (even if I need to get loans for tuition).

I can't wait to find out what my schedule will be like. I'm hoping I can get by with either putting my kids in daycare part time. Or putting them in daycare full time and working part time. As a single mom with no child support, no allimony and no welfare (or workforce education grants) I'm really wondering how I can get this done! Thanks and best wishes to all!

[olliemi2005]

hey mamayogibear,

I wish you all the luck w/financing this. It is expensive but FT is cheaper so that is good.

If you don't have other loans for higher Ed. I would take advantage of those. i think it will pay off later if you are a good student and start working as a Nurses aid or tech during school that will lead to an RN job later!

[mamayogibear]

Originally Posted by olliemi2005 

hey mamayogibear,

I wish you all the luck w/financing this. It is expensive but FT is cheaper so that is good.

If you don't have other loans for higher Ed. I would take advantage of those. i think it will pay off later if you are a good student and start working as a Nurses aid or tech during school that will lead to an RN job later!

Thanks for the luck, I need it! At the university childcare center the daily rate is the same for 3,4 or 5 days so I can't wait to find out my schedule and begin budgeting. I have a loan that I used to pay for day care for my dd when I was doing pre reqs before I had my son, so at the most I could only get loans to pay tuition. I have my CNA certification and have worked as a patient care assistant in the past. I hope to work as a nurse tech as soon as I can since it is more of a 'foot in the door' than being a CNA.

[aphel]

How funny to see this thread again!

Mamayogi, there are so many people in my program with multiple little ones. It's hard, but so doable. I hope the finances work out. The grant for daycare sounds amazing, I'm so happy that came through for you.

As for me, I just found out I'm pregnant again. I found out the week of finals. It's still very early, but I would be due over winter break, and would have to go back to school with a 1-2 week old. Luckily I am in the evening/weekend program. Clinicals are sometimes on weekdays, but if the school is willing to work with me and understands that I can only do weekend days, then DH can be home and we just might be able to pull off the last semester.

What timing, huh?

[mamayogibear]

I am so bummed, I just found out I'm not getting a scholarship I was told I was getting. I am an out of state student so tuition is outrageous but there is a scholarship that pays all out of state fees to bring it down to the instate tuition which grants cover. I thought I was getting the scholarship because when I was accepted to the University it showed up as part of my fall financial aid. But recently I was officially accepted into the nursing program so my major changed from un declared  to BSN. Apparently that makes me ineligible for the scholarship because only students in non-impacted majors can qualify for it. I'm at such a loss for what to do, I really don't want to wait another year to go to nursing school. However I can not afford 15k for out of state tuition and 6k for daycare over the school year!

[dreamingtree]

Originally Posted by olliemi2005 

I am starting Nursing School next week AS program - I have a BA and I am an IBCLC and a birth doula. But my main job for the past 8 years has been as a SAHM and LLL Leader.

Curious if anyone struggles with the medical model part of nursing. I love the science and the idea of patient care but I am very non intervention...allow the body to heal. pain with a purpose. I had homebirths and very slowly am vaccing my non circed kids.  I work part time in a hospital now and the stuff I see. I can not be me or truly understand or respect most of what I see going on (with babies and moms).  I have to keep my head down and my mouth shut. I am not there, it is a shell of me.

I have not know a lot of sick people in my life so I need to understand that side of it I guess.

I fear this will be a struggle. I am very nervous about feeling alienated, leaving my children, the gigantic costs of school and just wondering if deep down I don't belong in this field.

I have no idea where I will work or how I will fit in.

Eve

I can identify with your feelings.  I have a BA, am working on becoming a LLL, and feel very passionately about low-intervention births, alternative medicine, etc. Although I believe conventional western medicine also has its place. 

I was accepted into an AS Nursing program in March. I got cold feet and DECLINED the offer. What?!? I'm still shaking my head wondering why I did that. Or whether it was the right decision.  It's a very competitive program and I made it in, 40 accepted students out of hundreds.  I talked to the Dean of Admissions at the college and now of course it is too late.  I have to take classes as a liberal studies student and do the application process in its entirety all over again for next year. Including taking the TEAS again, why I don't know (he insisted I'd need to take it again), when I already got like 93rd percentile on it.  

I'm feeling very conflicted and panicky about leaving my 2 year old at a daycare. And paying for daycare. And just the changes in general :( 

olliemi, please check back in to let us know how nursing school is going for you. 

[olliemi2005]

I declined entrance to nursing programs twice before starting nursing school. I also moved and switched schools.   I had a baby in that time too. I ended up starting school last fall right before my youngest turned 3.

I do not think you can put a price on being home with newborns and infants. They need mom sooo much and it is so exhausting being a student. I still feel like I can not give as much as I want to my kids. I want to be a great parent, a great student and a great employee (I work 24 hrs/wk too as an LC).

I hope I can finish school or find peace with quitting. Right now I know I do not want to be an RN in most fields of Nursing. I am almost halfway through a 2.5 yr part time program and I hate being in school during the summer and having so much homework.

The most challenging thing is letting go and being just okay at everything I do.  Sometimes I wonder about...if I died tomorow, then got another chance what choices would I make.  Lately I think Nursing is a cop out for me.  I am too scared to do something with less structure and less of a sure thing than Nursing.  I have had some great moments in school but I know there are other paths that would have brought me to those feelings- perhaps even more so.

Hope school inspires me SOON.

olliemi