I’m enrolled to start Lpn school next month. But I’m starting to wonder if this is really what I want to do. I don’t do well under pressure, I have bad anxiety, and in 2.5 years my kids will be starting school . While I’ll be working 12 hour shifts. I’m thinking about switching to go for a teaching degree. So I could always be home when my kids are. But I live in a small town and it’s also 4 years of college . I’m living with my parents right now and currently separated. So my having an income for 4 years will be tough. Idk if I can manage school, work, and still have time to be a mom to my kids. I have help from my parents and their dad. But he is working and so are my parents. So i don’t want go over stress them out watching my kids every day. My family income is too much for daycare assistance. If anyone has any tips or advice I would be extremely grateful! Thank you
Why did you choose nursing in the first place?
If I were you, I’d get the LPN degree – which I think you can do fairly quickly – and work the 12-hour shifts. If your parents are willing to help out, let them. You’re very lucky to have that assistance. You might only need it until your kids go to school, and by then you might be able to afford after-school child care, have a roommate, have a new significant other.
You can wonder – but no one really knows until they start to do something. It’s all set up; you’ll be making money relatively soon (instead of first going to a four-year college); and you’ll feel more independent.
Honestly I just didn’t know what else o choose and there’s a good nursing school in my area. Also my sister is an RN and that was my goal eventually, to be an RN. But I don’t know if I’m really going to like it. Especially the schedule with my kids.
Yeah I agree with you but I think my fear in the back of my head is I don’t have what it takes to be a nurse. I can’t make quick decisions, I’m very hesitant, and the lives of others will be in my hands. That scares me
The lives of others are already in your hands. You’re the parent of two toddlers. You make quick decisions all the time – like when one of your kids runs toward the street or picks up something he/she could choke on.
Long ago, I was a biology major in college, and I had good enough grades that I could probably have been admitted to medical school. But I didn’t apply because I was afraid that I couldn’t cope with the lack of sleep during a medical residency and the responsibility for the lives of others.
Then I had kids. And I realized that lack of sleep and responsibility for the lives of others had become part of my reality.
If I knew that when I was in college, I might have made a different decision about a medical career.
You could also be a respiratory therapist (RT) or many other things at CCs that only take two years, especially if they have a great placement record of their students getting jobs in their field. Our CC has a nearly perfect record of placing RTs.
Look into placement for now and what’s projected for when you graduate. Around here, teachers are getting hired–many nurses can’t get jobs in their field, UNLESS they move 1000s of miles away to get experience and then they MAY get hired.
I would start the LPN school. You can still do some research and see if other medical fields are “easier” school-wise or better in terms of future job prospects. Start LPN school anyway because it is likely that your courses will transfer to other medical areas and I suspect you’re just having cold feet.
My D1 is a new nurse and she had no problem finding a job right away. We even got a signing bonus for referring her somewhere. YMMV depending on where you are (but you have a connection with your RN sister).
Nursing is a very flexible profession. You can do those 12 hour shifts, or work in a 9-5 office, or in a school, etc. I’m sure you can work things out.
Nursing can evolve into other things, like administrative positions. You don’t have to do patient care for the rest of your life, if you decide later you don’t want to do so.
If LPN is not your cup of tea but you wanted to work in healthcare, I wonder if you thought about becoming a radiology tech. The pay is good, scans like MRI and CT are becoming staple diagnostic tools, and you will not be making a life and death decisions on the spot. Someone else will be reading those images.
Do not go into teaching just because you want to be off when the schools are off. Teaching is hard and often thankless, and the pay is low. You have to be pretty committed to it.
An ADN gives you the RN (assuming you pass NCLEX) but does not take 4 years. You can do an online RN to BSN program later.
When someone admits something like this, I take it seriously. Anyone who has known someone with a serious anxiety disorder will agree that nursing isn’t the right career. Working full time with two small kids and no spouse at home is hard enough without taking on a job that you aren’t well suited for. As mentioned, there are other healthcare related careers that might be better choices.
I agree with MommaJ. OP, you definitely need a good job to take care of your kids. Have you explored all options at the local community college that would allow you to start working sooner and in a career that will get you a good paying job when you graduate? That’s where I recommend starting.
I would take that a step further @MommaJ and suggest healthcare may not be a good fit . I’m not a nurse, but I have worked in healthcare for over 30 years. Healthcare in general has become more more stressful with more demands being placed on its workers. Not to mention the competitive nature of the educational programs that are science and math intensive . Many have waiting lists just be accepted into the program. Maybe a trip to the career center at the college would be helpful.
When you narrow in on a degree program, perhaps you might consider taking one class per semester until you feel t you can handle more or until your kids start school.
Down the line, you could become a school nurse.
I think it’s good to start now. Eventually you and your kids may outgrow living at your parents’ home and you will want to be ready with a job, preferably a good one. I know people that have put this off, thinking that time will expand as the kids are no longer toddlers. They have found that it’s not true (for them). What are some other options for training? can you work on a medical assistant program? or a bookkeeping? i am thinking of jobs my friends with little kids have held in the past. teaching is nice for moms in some ways, but you may well have to move to get a job. For example, in our area, the competition for jobs is fierce. If you would like to stay near parents (and support for your kids from them) look around your town to see what is always in demand. LPN is a good choice in that regard.I wish you the best of luck in working to better the situation for your family…go for it!
If you are good with numbers, bookkeeping or accounting can be a very useful field and offer you the flexibility of part time work.
Yes, I was going to suggest bookkeeping/accounting. Sure, becoming a CPA is quite involved but there are many bookkeeping jobs out that that don’t require that credential. Also, I thought LPNs are not paid well but maybe I am wrong.
I know several bookkeepers who work from home and one who started at H&R Block and now is an instructor there.