Wife, Mom of 2 Kids, Working & Nursing School..........is It Possible?

Updated on June 15, 2010
V.S. asks from Lima, OH
7 answers

I have 2 kids (2 year old daughter and 5 week old daughter). I plan to go back and work part time after my maternity leave is up (probably around 25-30 hours per week). I would like to go to nursing school, but I'm unsure if right now is the time to go. I want to be there for my family, but being a wife and having 2 kids definitely makes it challenging at times!

Has anybody out there done this? My husband is very supportive, but he's afraid I will try to quit after awhile because I quit college for Medical Assisting because I got a full time job and the classes were not offered at night and I quit massage school because I had to be out of class by 9pm so that my husband could leave for work on time (he works 3rd shift). I would have had to make up the last half hour of class and it was hard to find the time to do it. He is afraid I won't follow through with the nursing school, but who can blame him. So in a way he is supportive but in a way he isn't. I don't want to miss out on family time with my kids or husband, but in order to go in the right career path I may have to sacrifice some things.

Should I try to go ahead and get my general ed courses out of the way and only attend class 1-2 times per week or should I just wait to go back to school? Right now there is a waiting list for the clinicals and I believe it is 2-3 years. My husband and I did want to try for baby #3, but not for another 3 years or so. I just want to make sure that I make the right decision here and any advise at this point will do.

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D.T.

answers from Muncie on

My mother did it with 3 kids. It can be done if you really want it.

My suggestion to you would be to finish what you have on your plate now. I mean no offense but you seem to have plenty to do right now and from what you said, you do have the tendency to drop things. I suggest finishing what you have now, then taking the part time job and focusing on your family until your third is born. Then wait a bit longer until you last child is in pre-school, that way your children aren't so dependent on you. You can probably drop your job then and focus on school.

Just my thoughts really, you can do anything if you put your heart and mind to it.

Good luck to you.

1 mom found this helpful
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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

Getting your RN in most places is a 5 year thing. 2 years of general ed... a "lag year" (because nursing schools are so competitive to get into, nearly no one without ALL of their prereqs and volunteer hours and i's dotted/ t's crossed gets in... so you have to wait until you have the whole shebang, and THEN apply, which creates the lag year). Oddly (or not), getting your BSRN (big jump in pay) takes the same amount of time + about 1 quarter. Versus getting your RN and then going back to school for your BSRN, which takes 1-2 years.

Personally I started school when my son was 2 months old. I went part time (1 class the first quarter, 2 classes the next couple quarters, up to 3 -too hard- backed off and stayed at 2 classes). I figured: worst case scenario I would get my associates out of the deal... and if I needed to wait until kiddo was in school to go full on for nursing school & practicums... then I'd know it, rather than guess it.

Being in school was a great compromise for me. I got to only be gone 10 hours a week (on average) and studied while kiddo was sleeping. I earned as much with my financial aid as I would have working full time and paying for childcare. So the whole thing was win win.

I myself would never have been able to work AND go to school AND be the primary caregiver. The whole sleep-is-necessary thing. But I know others who actually split parenting who are able to do so.

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M.K.

answers from Houston on

Get your pre reqs done part time, either online or at a community college, they alone will take you around 2 years - after that you can do your BSN, which will take another 2 years. but by then 1 kid will be in school, and the other will be a more manageable age, I think number 3 will have to wait a while!
CCConline carries a lot of nursing pre reqs which you can do in your own time, and they are reasonably prices at around $250 an hour.

I start my pre reqs in the fall, and that is the route I am taking, you could easily work while doing your pre reqs, but most colleges discourage you from working while doing your BSN

L.B.

answers from New York on

You can probably start taking 1 or 2 pre-reqs. Just beware, nursing school is extremely demanding. I called it boot camp!

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S.S.

answers from Santa Barbara on

Honey-
How many hours are in your day? I wish you the very best and wish I had the energy to even think about keeping a rigorous schedule like this.
Best,
S.

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C.F.

answers from New York on

I did nursing school with an infant and a 2 year old, but I did not work. It IS possible, but VERY demanding. I went to a diploma school ( I already have a BA and MS) and contrary to what someone else said, there is NO difference in pay if you have your BSN or not. You only need your BSN if you want to go on and get into management.. The school I went to was affiliated wtih a hospital; it was a 2 year program and you had to go full time and it . It was, by far, the HARDEST thing I did in my life. I don 't say that to be negative, I say that to give you an idea of how challenging the school work was. YOu should definitely start with your prereqs as most schools require you have those done (chemistry, A&P I and II, Microbiology, sociology, psychology). Check with your school for their exact requirements.
I wish you the best of luck with whatever decision you choose!

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C.N.

answers from Flagstaff on

I am trying to get my degree in Nursing too! It is a challenge for sure. I had 3 kids and pregnant with the 4th and went to school full time. I didn't work but being a wife and mother at home was a full time job. You just have to prioritize your schedule, I have a husband that wants us to revolve around him and still trying to work out our issues. How I got through is family and friends, they were my support group. In the mornings it was about my kids and around noon time when my 19 month went to sleep I studied/did homework til my girls came home from school at 4pm. I had to stay on a repetitive schedule. On weekends I had my family or friends watching the kids, yeah I felt bad leaving my kids but there young. They won't know it now cause there young but when they get older they will know that I am doing it for us. I had classes Mon-Thurs 5-10 pm and somehow got 3 A's and 1 B. I would wait on baby no.3 for now, when I started school in the fall I didn't know I was pregnant with baby no.4 til 3 months out. I gave it a shot and barely pulled through. If I were you and I got 2 kids, I would go back to school and get that knocked out. You've got to sacrafice alot in the beginning but in the end it's rewarding:-)

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