People start nursing school at many different times in their lives. For some it comes right out of high school, for others it is after they retire from another profession, and then for the rest of us it happens somewhere in the middle. I started nursing school after I had my four children and was getting a divorce. I needed a way to support my children. My mother and sisters were all nurses and so that seemed like a good choice.
I am thinking about this because a student nurse at work recently asked for advice about what she should do. She was contemplating quitting school; she only has 6 months or so until graduation. She was telling us that she was too stressed and she just couldn’t stand to be away from her children any longer. She thought maybe she should quit school and get a job waiting tables so that she could be free of the stress and see her kids more. If she could make it 6 months she will be a registered nurse (RN) and be able to support her children on her own.
Nursing school is hard on almost everybody I think. I don’t doubt that most everyone considers quitting at some point, but you really should stick with it, because the rewards will be so much greater if you just get it done. If you put it off, chances are you will never get up the nerve to go back. So, as I said to the student, please don’t give up, stick with it! You will be glad you did!
