It seems that, amid all the stress we’ve been going through lately (which is another post entirely, and will be coming, I promise), there is still good to be found. Not only am I now in the ranks of paid bloggers, but I also just found out that this fall I will be starting nursing school.
This has been in the works for over a year, and some of you may remember when I first started out on this journey. I’ve slowly been taking classes here and there, working on the prerequisites needed to even apply for the program. I finished those prerequisites this past fall, just in time to meet the deadline for applications to the online nursing program.
My local college offers an online program for those who already have a bachelor’s degree in something else, and are seeking a career change. All of the lecture is done online, and then labs and clinicals are scheduled for one day a week. The beauty of this is that it means I can still go to school without having to juggle crazy babysitting schedules, and without quitting my current job. I can find time in my schedule to commit to one day a week.
Getting into the program wasn’t a sure thing. They only offer admission to the program once a year, and there are roughly 50 spots available, when generally about 150-200 people apply. The three biggest factors for snagging a spot are your grades from your prerequisite classes, your grades from your first degree, and your scores on the Nurse Entrance Test. After that, there is also an essay that is considered as well. Luckily, I graduated with honors for my first degree, received nearly all A’s for my prerequisites (that damn Organic Chemistry class ended in a B), and scored high on the NET. Yet even with that, I still worried I might not get in.
The acceptance letter was such a welcome sight to see. Yes, I love writing and blogging, and will likely never give those up, but at the moment I can’t make a full living from them. And while my job as a student advisor is a personally rewarding job, it’s not that rewarding financially. I enjoy helping people, I enjoy making a difference, and nursing will give me the ability to do those things, all the while probably making more money part-time than any full-time job I’ve ever had paid.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not going into it just for the money. My mom is a medical technologist, and I grew up hanging out at the local hospital, so I know how hard nurses work. After having Cordy, I also came to admire the work of the nurses on the OB floors. But the money is a factor I must consider when it comes to providing for our family. Aaron wants to go back to school, also, and once I get through nursing school, he will have that opportunity.
We’ve already been discussing the possibility of me quitting my job in the fall, too. Writing three blogs (and looking for more to write), going to school part-time, raising two children, and working part-time outside the home may just be too much for me. The biggest time drain, with the least amount of myself invested, for all of those would be my job. If Aaron gets a raise (which he’s already due for, if they would ever complete his review), if we pay down our debt, and if I continue to find writing work, it is possible that I could quit. It’s certainly a goal worth aiming for.
So, what does all of this mean to you? Depending on how things go, it could mean a few things. First, I won’t be giving up blogging, as this is my one true outlet to turn to when I need to relax. It could mean that I’ll have a whole bunch of new school stories to share in the future (only the funny ones, of course). If the stories are boring, it could mean nothing – the status quo as I continue to do what I’m doing now. Or it could mean you’ll get an interesting glimpse of someone breaking down from too much stress, as all of the hats I’m juggling turn to stone and crash down on me. Let’s hope for one of the first two, shall we?
I look forward to exchanging school stories with you.
Congrats on getting in!
Congratulations on being accepted into the program! That’s something to be commended for indeed.
It sounds like you have a good sound plan for your family’s future. I wish you the best with it and hope you achieve everything that you are aiming for.
Yay – way to go, nurse mommy!
Congrats!!!
Good luck to you! The world needs devoted nurses.
congratulations! you are to be admired for having the courage to make the changes you want, and following the path you want. everything else will fall into place.
can’t wait to hear the nursing school stories!
Congratulations. You should be so proud of yourself. (Really, don’t be all “all schucks” about it…. you have worked hard to get where you are).
Jennifer
btw, organic chemisty is a bitch!
Congrats and congrats! And good luck!
P.S. Today I am FINALLY getting around to acknowledging your kind nod…and finally got my blog roll updated with you in it. Sorry for the delay; I’m just waaaaaaay backed up. I have six blog posts in the queue LOL.
Congrats! 🙂 That’s very exciting!
Wow that is big news …. congratulations!!!
Oh, so happy for you – that’s awesome! They must have loved you to hire a pregnant woman no less. Yeah!
Haha…just realized it’s an online program. They don’t know you’re pregnant. Duh.
Even so, it’s awesome for you. I know great things will come out of it.
That is so awesome!!! I always wanted to be a nurse but never pursued it because when I worked a veterinary surgical assistant, I learned I cannot see too much blood or guts without feeling faint. It’s a bit of a barrier to a nursing career, eh?
But like you, I was so impressed and inspired by the nurses and the midwife when I delivered my son that I really did start thinking about it again. I love helping people. I just need some kind of hypnotherapy to get over my blood/fainting thing.
It sounds like an awesome program. Best of luck to you!
Congratulations!
I was a nurse for fourteen years, and yes, it is hard work, but the rewards (and certainly the money) outweigh the rest. You have some big changes coming up this year…..best of luck with it all 🙂
I really hope things go exactly as you want them to go! Exciting to see change coming, and we’ll be following with you! YAY!
Congratulations! You should be very proud of yourself. Being a student and mother at the same time is very challenging.
Science Projects for Kids
Congrats! It’s one of those selfless occupations that should be very rewarding. This is very exciting!
Sorry I missed the girls night out 🙁 Hope I can see you again sometime soon.
Mega congrats!!!