Thursday, March 11, 2010

Setbacks

So I have encountered somewhat of a setback in my plans for Nursing School. I am one credit short of what I need to get the full points to be competitive enough to get in to The Program. I thought I would be able to get this one credit (PE) out of the way during the May mini-term. It’s not looking like they are going to offer what I need during that time though. I have a few options, none of which are ideal, so I am struggling to figure out what to do now.

Option 1: Take a course that starts on the 22nd of this month. It is a hybrid course where all the book work is done online, however I am required to log 30 hours in 7 weeks at their workout facility. Doesn’t seem like too much of a big deal right? Well, here’s the thing: the facility I will have to go to is about 45 min to an hour away. I work a full time job PLUS I have my A&P class Tue and Thurs nights along with my online Art class that is also starting on the 22nd, and let’s not forget my kids I would like to see every now and then. In order to get in the full 30 hours I will need to leave work on Mon & Wed and haul ass to this place and put in at least 2 hours each time. I will also need to go on Saturdays. I will basically be gone all week long and I will never see my kids. The good thing about this class is that I can pretty much set my own schedule as far as workouts and it is flexible. Problem with that is that it might be TOO flexible and there could be a chance I wouldn’t get in enough hours.

Option 2: Take a late summer course that starts in July and goes until the end of August. This class is Monday – Thursday evening from 6-8pm. This one is at a campus that isn’t quite as far as the first option, but it is still a good ways away from home and work. Also, this class is cutting it really close to the deadline for applications for the Spring 2011 program. It would be risky in that if they don’t post the grades from this class in time, I would be screwed. Again, with this schedule, I would never see my kids.

Option 3: Take my 4 credit Micro class starting during the early summer which runs for 12 weeks on Tue and Thurs. The problem with this one is that it starts the week we have planned our Disney vacation (which has already been booked and paid for) I could risk missing the first week of class and hope that I won’t get dropped or fall too behind from the very beginning.

Option 4: Cancel our Disney trip. This one I really don’t want to do. The girls are already super excited about going and it will be our last big family vacation before things start getting rough for us financially due to me quitting my job.

Option 5: Put NS on hold until the Fall of 2011, still quit my job in December, and take a CNA course next Spring. This one is a tough one for me. I really don’t want to put NS on hold any longer than I really have to BUT I think getting my CNA prior to starting NS can be really beneficial. I would be getting some experience in healthcare before starting NS, which as my husband says, would be able to tell me if this is something I really want to do or not. Plus, it might be something I could continue doing while in NS which will really help us out financially. It might be naive of me to think this, but it might even give me a leg up with finding a job after NS since I would have some previous experience.

I am so unsure of which road to take. Do I sacrifice the time with my children in order to get into The Program as planned? Do I put it on hold for just a bit longer and gain some sort of experience that would hopefully help me someday but also comes with me not having a significant income for longer than expected? I hate having to make decisions like this. Why can’t anything ever be easy?

6 comments:

  1. Tough decisions... my best advice to is write out your options on paper and then invite your family in on the process. Nursing School will always be there but family issues are sometimes more important. On the other hand experience can either be a good thing or a bad thing. Good because you will feel more secure in the environment and have more courage, but bad because sometimes its best to go into something blind to ensure you are looking at it from a unbiased view... finally... there may always be something to stand in your way of starting nursing school, so maybe diving headlong regardless of consequence is best because opposition is a guarantee in life. best of luck in your decision.

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  2. Yep, tough decisions and I won't even attempt to tell you which road to take. You'll do what's best for you in the long run.
    My piece of advice for today.......if you decide to do CNA work while waiting for nursing school or while in NS....DO NOT let that job sway your opinion about whether or not to become a nurse.
    I worked as a PCT, same as CNA, while I was in nursing school and had if being a nurse was anything like being a PCT I would never have became a nurse. The two jobs are completely different but you will gain some medical knowledge while working as a CNA.
    Good Luck. Enjoy your vacation to Disney, it's already paid for and as you said.........it could be a long time before you get to go again.
    Let us know what you decide.
    Dawn

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  3. Oh man I have totally been in your shoes when it comes down to getting things together for NS. First, don't cancel the vacation... once you start Nursing School you won't get one for a while where you can actually feel relaxed. Plus it'll be a great time with the kids who, sad to say no matter which option you take, you will not get to see much of until after graduation. As for the CNA part, I worked as a CNA for 5 years and totally quit wanting to be a Nurse because of it and went into the Customer Service/Office work field to get far far away from it. I HATED it and still hate it. Although the hospital CNA's were much better than LTC. Of course I came back to Nursing in the end because that's where my heart was...even if I had to take the long way around toward getting my RN. Good luck making your choice. Sheesh.. PE or Micro tough choice!

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  4. Can you reschedule the Disney trip w/o penalty? How does your family feel about the options? Reading over what you wrote, it looks like you've already kinda ruled out options 1-4. Which of the 5 options makes you feel a bit of relief to have it as an option?

    What I've learned about being a mom in nursing school is that you have to make a lot of tough choices. I've sacrificed study time to spend time with my kids and vice versa... you just do your best to find a happy medium somewhere.

    Good luck!

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  5. Hi!! Thanks so much for commenting on my blog and becoming a follower!! I'm glad you enjoyed my random ramblings ;) And now I'm following yours... yay NURSING SCHOOL!! Did you see on mine that I am *hoping* to start in the fall? Someone might die if I don't get in. Kidding. Sort of ;).

    Anyhow... what tough choices to make! Does the program you're applying to only start in the fall? Or is starting in January 2011 not ideal?

    I don't really have any good advice, except that if you want to see if nursing is for you, you could always volunteer in a hospital. That's what I started doing last June and turns out I know, 129419271249% that it's what I want to do because of my experiences. Just a thought. Best wishes, I'll send some prayers up to God that he makes the decision making a little easier!

    Thanks again for stopping by my blog :)

    Marianne
    ficklewhitewoman.blogspot.com

    ps, I leave novels when I comment, consider yourself warned haha.

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  6. Tough choice. (New reader, BTW). I'm a nurse, mom, and student (again). Option #5 might be the best, to be honest. Even if it does put you behind in your master plan of nursing school. Don't cancel your Disney trip. You might not get a real vacation for several years while you're in nursing school. As for missing the first week of Micro? Don't do it. You'll totally regret it if you get far behind, right from the start of that class.

    Lots of luck to whatever you decide!

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