What I wish I knew before nursing.
First, hi. Welcome back to my blog. Its been a while. The move. The packing. The two jobs for a hot minute. Man, it was a whirlwind. Lets just say we are settling in and happy. Definitely still learning about OKC, but settling in.
I feel like to tell this story I have to start at the beginning. Well, maybe mid-way. The beginning of how nursing chose me a LONG time ago is for another post.
In high school I was a somewhat typical high schooler being that I had ZERO idea what I wanted to do afterwards. In junior high I thought I wanted to be a dentist, then in high school a hair dresser. I enjoyed working with people, especially kids but I really and truly didn’t enjoy most of school. The school day is NOT set up for a student with ADHD and I struggled with 90% of my classes simply because I hadn’t figured out how to study, nor could I sit still and listen for 90 minutes. (Thank you block scheduling). I had taken the idea that I was “bad” at school to heart and didn’t think much of stopping school after high school.
I had always had an interest in science, and thank the world for Mr. Green’s chemistry class my junior year, that interest really caught on. I still got a C but I loved the concreteness of science. Mr. Green was a part time beer chemist at a big beer plant up the road; He was down to earth, approachable and his impact was that he sparked a love for science that is still there today. So, thanks Mr. Green!
In our senior year of high school we were required to do shadowing of someone in a field we were interested in. I think we did my junior year too, but I blew it off and probably followed something I had very little interest in actually doing. So, senior year I ended up following a labor and delivery nurse at the hospital my Mom worked at.
I remember the day I went in there was a woman about to give birth to twins vaginally. Looking back now it makes so much more sense than it did that day. It was a blur as a high school student with no medical background. We were in the OR, things moved slowly. They let her body do exactly as it was supposed to. She delivered both babies without having to have a C-Section. It was pretty miraculous and I was hooked.
I decided nursing was what I wanted to do and went full steam ahead. Again, my grades weren’t stellar. I was a lazy student with very few coping skills for my ADHD. So I got in to one school, as a Pre-Nursing major. I had to apply for the nursing program once I had 3 semesters under my belt. I was pretty determined.
Those first few semesters of school kicked my butt. I did well A’s and B’s but still probably not well enough to get into the program in the end. I struggled to focus in class, and spent hours at the library making a million flash cards. What felt worse to me is that I really didn’t enjoy the campus I was on. I didn’t feel like I fit in, and made 1 or 2 close friends. I wanted to transfer schools SO terribly, but there were few nursing programs around the state, so if I wanted bigger and more exciting it would have to be outside Colorado and I’d be spending a lot more money. Like. A lot.
I got into Creighton University’s nursing program. I loved the feel of Omaha, and I loved the idea of a rigorous program, and I had a few friends that had gone or were going to Creighton. It was known for being a great health sciences University and I jumped at the opportunity. Well, that rigorous program started with difficult theology courses and incredibly hard nursing courses only followed. I definitely floundered those first few semesters. I really had to buckle down, learn my studying style and work through my ADHD.
This brings me to the #1 thing I wish I had known.
- Just because you aren’t a traditional learner doesn’t mean you aren’t smart.
Read that again. Just because you aren’t a traditional learner doesn’t mean you aren’t smart.
I hated lecture. We had SIX HOUR blocks of lecture so entire other days could be used for clinical. Welp. Carrie couldn’t sit through them. Thankfully, they were recorded so I’d go home and play them in my room. I’d do 50 minutes of work, 15 minute break, 50 more minutes of work and take another break. It took me longer but I absorbed a whole lot more.
And guess what? I did well. Was I burnt out? Hell yeah. Nursing school is HARD guys. But I did it. I learned about electronic flashcards to save time, I looked at charts and graphs and easier ways to organize things in my brain, retyped outlines of lecture, I listened to lecture in the car and in the shower. It was hard but I can honestly tell you I learned more at home and at the library rearranging lecture into a format I could digest than I did in lecture. I won’t apologize for that. Don’t be afraid to go after what you want because you don’t look or think like the “typical” student. Be determined, look for avenues to help you succeed and go for it.
While Creighton and Omaha were wonderful, it added a year of schooling on to my track and honestly SO MUCH debt. As a transfer student with an 3.5 GPA I didn’t qualify for student aid. I took out private loans to cover what I couldn’t come up with, AKA entirely too much money for a 20 year old to be taking out.
2. Debt is debt. No matter what kind.
This does pain me to say because my experience in college was fantastic; I made the absolute best and closest friends who I talk with often and are my biggest cheerleaders and closest friends to this day. Creighton offered me a priceless outlook on life, friends who were just as eager to learn and be successful in their studies. Nursing school friends are a special breed because you go through so incredibly much together. BUT..
I wish I would’ve gotten my degree at a more affordable school. But coming out of school with a $1400/mo payment for my student loans crushed me. It’s still crushing with an NP salary. As a nurse the money I make doesn’t depend on which school I went to. I was an RN, BSN and I could’ve had the same credentials for a whole lot less.
If I could do it over I would’ve gotten my ADN and then worked while I got my BSN online. Not the “glamorous” college life but I know at 20 I wasn’t thinking about how that debt would effect me, my husband and my kids later on.
Think about the return on your investment in yourself. If you’ll make $25/ hour for 36 hours a week– that $3600/mo feels like a lot less when almost 40% of your income goes right back to the bank. I wish I could’ve done it differently now. I would’ve allowed myself more flexibility if I had less debt.
My last piece of advice isn’t part of a story line other than to say I’m proud of the jobs I’ve held.
3. Each job will bring you experiences and learning opportunities. Stop worrying about the resume so much.
As a military spouse my resume looks like I jump around. One year in Nebraska where I scraped by financially. One year back home in Colorado where I worked two night shift jobs and lived with my parents. Then back to Nebraska for a dream job and to move in with my husband to be. Then off to San Antonio, Texas for my husbands training. Then to Del Rio, Texas. While my resume looks this way I truly and 100% believe that each position I took made me a better nurse. Two years of med/surg in two separate hospitals gave me a unique outlook on medical and surgical care. Six months in a nursing home gave me insight into how hard those nurses, CNAs and LVNs work. Three years of LDRP and NICU. One year of pediatric home health. One travel nursing gig. I’ve seen a lot and each experience brings me a different outlook and continues to help me today.
So if you’re thinking of making a jump because you’re unhappy, or you’re a military spouse and you don’t really get a say— try not to worry. Dive in to the new position, take what experiences and training you can and let it grow you as a nurse.
Life is full of ups, downs, turns and winds. While I wouldn’t change how things look today I hope I can help a new nurse, or someone thinking of becoming a nurse, or maybe a military spouse who is frustrated by their resume, or lack there of. I hope you find what makes you grow, makes you happy and enjoy life. What else is there?
