As one kid spills their fourth sticky substance of the day on the floor, and the other shouts from the bathroom that it is time for you to wipe their rear end, there is one thought that probably is not going through your head.
“Now is a great time for nursing school.”
You don’t think you have the time. Heck, there are some days (more than you would dare speak off in public) when you don’t even have time for a shower. Plus there’s the financial aspect and—well. A whole laundry list of reasons why now isn’t the time to go back to school.
But here’s the thing: thousands of parents all over the country are making it work. And while no sensible person would ever describe nursing school as easy, it’s probably more accessible than you think.
In this article, we take a look at why getting a nursing degree as a busy parent is more possible than ever. Read on to learn more.
The Parent Advantage
It’s easy enough to come up with a long list of reasons why now isn’t a good time to resume your education. But let’s take a look at some reasons why you might actually have an advantage as a well-established adult.
- You’re more responsible than you were as a teenager: Let’s hope so, anyway. One significant barrier to learning for traditionally aged college students is that they don’t know how to balance their social, personal, and educational responsibilities. While that’s a struggle everyone can relate to at least a little bit, chances are you’ve had time to hone these skills in the years since you last picked up a paper and pencil.
- You may have better access to funding: This isn’t to presume, of course, that you have five figures in liquidity sitting around to pay for your education. Most people don’t. But you probably can finance your education a little bit easier than you could as a kid. Maybe you have the cash or income to afford to pay for your classes in real time. Maybe you have an employer who will foot some of the bill. Maybe you’re just better at looking for grants and scholarships.
- You might have background experience: If you already have a college degree, your path toward becoming a nurse is going to be a little bit easier. In this case, you probably won’t have to enroll in a four-year program. Skip the gen-eds and enroll in an accelerated program. Not only will it save you a significant amount of time, but it will also cost less money.
- You know what you want: One of the craziest things about Western society is that we ask children to decide how they want to spend the rest of their lives. Then, we insist that they borrow tens, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund an idea that occurred to them during high school homeroom— essentially ensuring that they are financially bound to that choice for the rest of their lives. As an established adult, you’ve had more time to think this decision through. You know you want to be a nurse. Now it’s just a question of figuring out how to make it happen.
Which is the next big step, isn’t it? So, how do you make nursing school work as a parent? Let’s get into it.
Explore Flexible Learning Options
The proliferation of elearning has made it much easier to enroll in school as a parent. Now, you can tackle many aspects of nursing school from the comfort of your home. Not only does this spare you the pains of a commute, but it often means that you can do your class work at times that are most convenient to your schedule.
Do note that there are some aspects of nursing school that aren’t as flexible. For example, you will need to log in a significant amount of clinical experience. That means studying in a hospital environment—something you obviously can’t do remotely.
Still, the potential to do some, or even most of your classwork from home is pretty sweet.
Find the curriculum that makes the most sense for you. Note that, while you may find relatively fast-paced curriculums that could lead to certification in as little as 18-24 months, you are always free to take a slower pace if it better complements your lifestyle.
Find Balance
No matter what, going back to school as a parent is going to be challenging. However, it’s important to go in understanding that you’ve entered a marathon, not a sprint. The key to finding success is to make sure you keep enough gas in the tank to take you across the finish line.
Strive for work/life balance. In this case, that means being practical about your course load. It may also mean taking a step back from some of your household responsibilities. Hey, it’s a great excuse to sweep a little less than usual.
Tap Into Your Support System
Having a support system is, of course, a privilege that not everyone has. That’s the big challenge of going back to school as a parent. Your usual responsibilities don’t just disappear on their own. Ideally, you will have friends or family available to help you during this challenging time.
If you don’t, however, nursing school is still possible. You may have to let chores slide. The classwork could take longer than you would like to complete. But it is still possible. Figure out a way to accomplish your goals, and execute the plan. You can do this!
Conclusion
It’s not going to be easy. Nursing school never is. Parenting never is. Few things worth doing are easy, come to think of it. But a rewarding career waits on the other side of your struggles. So figure out your plan, buckle down, hit the books, and never forget: Your dream job is waiting for you.
