Considering Going to College and Impact on Family

I am in college now, finishing up. And it is a huge stress on family life especially if you work at the same time. I find I can't concentrate enought time on everything, I know I need more time to commit to my school work, and I already don't get to see my son as much as I would like. It's stressful, but I think if you take it slow especially in the begining so that you can see what you can handle, and do something that will pay off in the end, then do it.

one thing to keep in mind is that hospitals are trying to do away with the LPNs all together, as QMA's can do almost the exact same jobs with only a few exceptions & pull in lower average wages so are cheaper on the hospitals. What I did this summer was to go to school for my CNA liscence so that I can work in that field while continuing school for a degree in Surgical Tech. a car wreck & broken bones has slowed that process down but I'm planning to resume that track next year. I went to PrimeWay Institute up on Meridian & 37th for the 4 week course, total cost was only $980 (which they do in payments). the instructors there were very throrough so I was very satisfied with the learning I got for my money's worth. they also help you to find a job after the course is complete.

Absolutely it will allow for more time. Going back to school is always a good thing!!!
Go for it!!

Go for it!! Yes, the honest truth is that it will put strain on things at home...it does in my home at times, but if you have a strong support system, you can make it through! I started to get my LPN degree at a local Tech college where a year before I would have finished, (I went part-time, was pregnant with second child) I lucked out and was offered an academic scholarship to a local college with a reputation for having an awesome nursing program..so now I am in a BSN program and will finish in a little over a year and a half. Many things fell into place for me, I feel by the grace of God..and this helps immensly..(such as my children are at an awesome preschool and kingergarten ON my college campus) But, before that, I had to struggle with sitting issues, etc. We still made it though, and you can too. It will be such an awesome thing for both you and your family..especially if you like working with the elderly, it is a field that is in great demand and pays really well. My best friend was in the LPN program with me, she graduated and is now working at a local nursing home making $20.00 an hour, right after graduation...pretty good. Plus, now she is going back to school here soon for her BSN. It really does just seem to all work out and to fall into place, if you are dedicated to getting it done.
Good luck, please let me know if I can be of any help.
-W.

I am getting ready to do the exact same thing. I just had my son 3 months ago and decided that I want to pursue a nursing career in order to someday have more time with my family. I think the impact on my marriage and my time with my son will be huge but the long time reward will be worth it. I was in the mortgage business before I went on maternity leave and had no interest in going back to that field. I think you are absolutely making the right decision. The demand for nurses is so high right now that you are pretty much guaranteed a job upon graduation. It is tough to think about all of the sacrifices your family will have to make financially in order for you to go back, but it should be worth it. I'm not sure how we are going to be able to do it with daycare costs and school costs but somehow we'll manage. Good Luck!

Hi!

I've been a nurse (working on and off) for 11 years. I have a 5 yr.-old, 2 yr.-old and 3 week old newborn ......all boys (whew!). Currently, I work full-time in a hospital setting...3 twelve-hour shifts per week. I'm VERY lucky in that right now, my husband stays home with the kids when I'm at work. Here are the pros and cons from my perspective:

PROS:
--As it is right now, you'll probably be able to get a pretty good job fairly quickly (not necessarily EXACTLY what you want....but maybe).

--Especially in hospitals, managers are able to be rather flexible with your schedule. For instance, maybe they'll flex for 4 10-hour shifts per week...or even give you 8-hour shifts. Being flexible, of course, does not work so well in office settings.

--Decent pay....not as much as I think we should get, though :)

--Then there are the fulfilling aspects of the job....caring for others, always challenged, always learning, etc.

CONS:

--In most cases, VERY tiring physically and very high stress. The responsibility is HIGH. This DOES take a toll at home.

--It's hard to work 3 long shifts per week when you have kids because usually the DAYS that you work change. Sometimes you work Monday, Tuesday, Wed.,....the next week you work Mon., Thurs., Fri., etc. This is VERY difficult when it comes to babysitting. Most daycares want the days that your child comes to be the same each week, and they aren't open as long as 12 or 13 hours. I have friends that have had to get different jobs so they can work a more fixed schedule (think about this BEFORE you hire on).

I'm sure there are MANY more things I could list, but these are what pop into my head just now.

Good Luck!
B.F.

The hardest part about going back to school is what you are doing now, which is making the decision. I am back in school now going for my nursing degree, in addition I am working and have a two and three year old, so it is stressful and busy at times, however I am happy I decided to do it.

If you are considering starting in January you need to apply soon, register for classes, apply for grants,and student loans. There are a lot of schools that have online classes for prereqs, that allow more flexiblity to your schedule.

I know that you are concerned about having enough time to spend with your family, and so was I however I have found planning things out really helps. That includes quality time to spend with your family. I try to spend one day each weekend with my family doing fun family stuff. Sometimes that means I get home at 9 on a Saturday and work on homework till 2 a.m., but it is worth it.

The medical field is full of oppertunities! I love the schedule flexibility that it provides. Working 3 days a week for full time will definately allow for more time with your family in the future.

Good Luck!!

T.

hi C.. my name is K.. good for you on trying to juggle school and work! i actually may have an opportunity that may help you out! i think nursing would be a good field to go into, but as far as more time with your son...that may or may not happen because you would be working a lot of hours as a nurse-depending on the schedule you could get, you could be working long hour days, rotating schedule, etc. if you would like to know more about my opportunity you can email me at ____@____.com luck! hope to hear back from you!

good for you! considering going back to school, thats wonderful! yoou have to look at how your future will be when you get this degree, it will be a struggle at first, but have faith and you will be fine. i'm going back to school also in the spring to get my degree and i know i will have to make some sacrifices but the end result will be worth it! good luck and horray to you!

I'm thinking of doing the same. You might want to look at getting your associates in Nursing rather than LPN. You can get an RN with you Assoc then work toward your bachlors degree. Plus there is a certain point after you get to your clinicals that you can work as a student nurse and make money. I'm actually going over ot IVY Tech today to speak to a advisor. Good Luck Email me if you have any other questions. I've been thinking about this for a couple of years.

as far as family and nursing go it's a FANTASTIC opportunity! i worked full time before i had my babies and then went back to weekend option (get paid full time for working 2 12 hour shifts on the weekend) afterwards. i didn't like not having any weekends so i switched to part time in the resource pool (big money, less hours). when i had my second baby i didn't want to go back in the allotted 12 weeks so i switched to supplemental and took 6 months off. my point is there are SO MANY options!!! nights, days, evenings, shoot make up your own shift! the bad...you have to keep up with a lot of computer work and cpr, acls certifications etc. sometimes it's a drag. it's also not very fun at times. people who have children or family members in the hospital, or are hurt or sick are in a high stress situation. sometimes that gets taken out on you and you have to be very professional. you see a lot of things that aren't right about "the system" and feel like you have no control. this list goes on. you sound more focused on your family which is good so in the long run i think it's a great choice for many...but not for all. it's not always like what's on tv! :) hope this helps!

Hi Candace. I'm sort of in the same boat, but I have already given my 2 W. notice and am starting school at the end of the month. I am doing an LPN program that is 1 yr long and I can go on to an RN program for another yr or work as an LPN, or do both. My husband, 2 kids and I are even moving in with my parents for the year to save money and to have some extra help with the kids so I can study. Do you have any experience in the medical field? I worked as a Nurse's Assistant and as a unit Secretary for several years and I will tell you that nursing has a HIGH rate for burn out. But it is VERY rewarding. If you do floor nursing (at hospital or nursing home) it is pretty labor intensive. You also have to be mentally prepared to work with sick people. It's a really demanding job. But there is so much to do once you become a nurse besides working on the floor. You can work for schools, research companies, doctor's clinics, insurance companies, etc.
I actually left the medical field for a year because I felt like I didn't want to do that kind of work anymore, but I really missed it! I missed the patient interaction and seeing them get better and getting to know the family. But I went to work for human resources and it was really depressing to see people with bachelor's degrees and masters and phd's not able to get a job because the job market is hard! But if you're a nurse, you'll always have a job. The healthcare field and the military right now are the only fields that can offer job security.
I think you should check out schools in your area with LPN programs to see if they have full and part time programs. Also, you can go to hospitals and see if they give scholarships to people in nursing school and once you graduate you would owe them 1-5 yrs (work in their facility as a nurse). It's a great deal because you have to work somewhere right? Good luck and you won't be sorry if you get your nursing degree/license! E-mail me anytime at ____@____.com

Candace,

Education is so important. I am currently a practicing nurse anesthetist and LOVE my job. There is such flexibility in the entire nursing profession. I would recommend going for the RN from the beginning. You will be much more marketable and there are alot of opportunities out there. I worked weekends as a patient care technician and went to school full time during the week (Ohio). I'm sure there are programs out there that have weekend programs too if that works better for your family. Please let me know if you have any questions/concerns. I'd love to mentor you.
A.

I can't talk much about nursing - but I can talk about going back to school. I got my bachelor's degree as a single mom - after my first daughter was born. She was 0 - 5 years old throughout that time. I had lots of support from my parents and other family members during that time too, so I know that I'm lucky in that sense - and you will need support from your hubby and probably extended family too. It was difficult, but it was also quite rewarding to show my daughter that education is so important and worth the sacrifice. Now, I am married and have two kids and am working on my Master's degree. It has taken some sacrifice from everyone, but again - the kids see that their mom and dad value education and that they will be able to do this some day too. I am working full-time also - so God bless my husband. Some times our laundry doesn't get done, *sigh* but in three months I will be a Master teacher. I say go for it! It will be hard but you can do it! Your kids will be so proud of you when you take your walk to accept your diploma.

C.
I think that if this is something that you want to do you should do it! You don't want to regret it in the future. Nursing is hard but if you want to do it in the future you will make more money and have more time with your children. And having that nursing background you will always be ready for anything.
Good Luck
A.