Working during nursing school

To work or not work during nursing school?    Yes and no.

It certainly can be done.  I worked full time when I did my Master's degree (and graduated top of the class, if I might be so bold as to add that tidbit of info!) :-) So I know first-hand that it can be done.

But this upcoming school stint will be very different, in that I am no longer a single, childless woman.  I now have mommy and wife responsibilities (and I love that!!!).  I've seriously considered working part-time at my current job during my first couple years at nursing school, but between work, school, studying, and day-to-day life stuff, it may just be a bit much to do.  I still think it could be done, but it goes counter to one main reason I'm leaving my work -- namely because our current work/life balance (or lack thereof!) is burning us out and stressing us all.

However, I do think I will work part-time doing something I used to do a long time ago.  Teach music!  There is a music school very near our house, where I would like to teach for a few hours each week.  The commute is extremely close (I could even walk there), and I wouldn't have to go through the effort of setting up my own piano studio just yet.  I dream one day of having my own little music studio. 

Ideally, I'd love to work part-time as a nurse, and part-time as a music teacher from home.  Those are my two areas of work/life that I'm most passionate about, and always have been.  Imagine actually having both of them as "work" -- goes with the motto I love most -- "do what you love, love what you do."   It may finally be coming true for me.  Yahoo!  :-)

I used to teach piano in high school, under the guidance of my own piano teacher.  After finishing my Gr. 10 RCM piano exam in high school, I went on to study music at university and graduated with a BMus. degree.  Then I got my current job, and was so happy to have a job, that life took me down my current path.  So I definitely have the qualifications to teach, as well as experience (albeit a long time ago!).  But when I honestly look at how I related to the children I taught then, compared to what I know now about children, I have a completely new and deeper understanding and appreciation of how children are.  I will definitely now be a much better music teacher in terms of how to motivate them, cultivate their musical abilities and encourage them.

I've been wanting to make music a greater part of my life for many years now, and it looks like that time is coming closer now.  And I think perhaps it might be a better idea to make a clean break from the work I do now, rather than making an even more protracted transition.  I love writing and will always do some form of communications-related work in my life (be it public health nursing or freelance writing), but just not in the particular industry I am currently in.

It amazes me somewhat, what the spin-off effects of making one major life decision can have on other parts of your life!  And I mean positive effects!  :-)

Onwards and upwards.

Friday's words of inspiration

Here is a poem I had on my bedroom wall during my high school years.  I still love the text as a whole, but I also find that individual sentences resonate at different times, depending on the situation at hand.

Enjoy!

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                     Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desiderata

Work/life balance and school/life balance

One major reason I am looking forward to starting nursing school, is that our current family life, with 3 kids and both parents working full-time, is not sustainable for us.  Some families manage this, are uber-organized and don't mind having a scheduled, planned daily life.  I salute you if you are like this, and if this works for you.  It just does not work for us.  We are not super-organized, and enjoy spontaneity. 

I really enjoy spending unstructured, unscheduled time with my kids.  They are such interesting, loving, little people, and even in the relatively short time we've been parents, we have realized just how fleeting the childhood phase is.  Making the most of 'quality time' just isn't enough.  I so enjoy the spontaneous conversations and questions that crop up when we are drawing pictures together, walking the dog or just having the kids hanging around as I'm getting dinner ready. 

Some people indicate that nursing school is the 'hardest thing they've ever done'.  I agree that it will be work, perhaps more work at times than others, but will it ever compare to the 50+ hours each week that I am away from the family now?  No.  Will it be harder than the science degree I have?  No, especially given that a lot of the physiology courses I have already studied. Will it be harder than working full-time while getting my MA full-time?  I doubt it. 

I believe my nursing school experience will provide the work-home balance that is currently missing in our home life. 

My course load will be somewhat reduced in the first couple years, given that I've been accorded credits from previous studies.  In the first term of the coming two years, I will only have 3 courses each term, and 4 courses in the winter terms -- that's a total of 9 and 12 hours of class, respectively.  Even with study time factored in, my weekly school commitment will be far less than the 50+ hours a week a currently have to devote to my job and commute. 

It is a question of being organized, dedicated and committed to a study schedule. 

My youngest child will still be in school only half-days during my first year of studies.  How I am looking forward to being home in the afternoons with her!!!  And being home when the older two come home from school will make such a difference in our lives.  At the risk of sounding like Mrs. Cleaver, my being home will also allow me to have dinner ready, and we can eat as soon as dear husband comes home from work.  And that leaves the rest of the evening wide open to whatever family activity is on the agenda.  That was the way our family life worked were when I was on my maternity leaves, and it worked beautifully for us.  The difference this time, is that I won't be walking around in that bleary-eyed, sleep-deprived delirium state that newborns bring by subjecting moms (and dads) to months of not getting more than 2-3 hours sleep at a stretch, 24/7, for the first 9-10 months. But I digress....

Our lifestyle changes will be excellent.  One way I can easily rationalize this career decision, is that we've come to the conclusion that regardless of whether or not I'm going to nursing school, I am leaving my full-time job. 

As I said, our current lifestyle is not sustainable, and not healthy for our family. With family being our priority, and having the proven ability to live comfortably off one salary, this is what is best for us. Going to nursing school, is just an added bonus for me. 

And once I start my nursing career, I hope to only ever work part-time and casual shifts (that's the thinking now...this is all subject to change, of course!).  Nursing is a very flexible career, and from the many nurses who I've talked to with families, they all love how the various shifts gives them time to spend at home, rather than doing the 8-5, Monday-Friday drill all the time.

Positive changes for our family coming our way!!!  I am so happily looking forward to them.  And the old saying of "If the momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy" rings very true.  Things are a changin' for the better!!!

:-)

Friday inspirational quote

Even though I manage to write in my blog once every few days, I think I need some structure in my blog writing.  From now on, every Friday I will post a quote I find inspirational, as applicable to career change, transition, and simply put, to life.

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“Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.” - Buddha

Three more months

Three months -- that is how soon nursing school starts.  Just three more months.  Three  more months of going to work, of having a paycheque and three more months of having a chaotic home life where we never seem to have the time and energy to get anything more than the basics done (and sometimes even the basics don't quite get done on time). 

The end of this (extremely) long transition period seems suddenly very close.  And very surreal. 

As I've mentioned before, one reason I started writing this blog is because I couldn't find somebody else's blog detailing the process of willingly leaving a good, secure job to go fulfill one's dream job.  I figured that perhaps writing the process out would at least help me work through the issues one faces when deciding to take off the 'golden handcuffs'.  Reading somebody else's blog is one thing -- it is easy.  Trying to figure out the issues on your own blog -- not always so easy!

So I apologize if I appear to be waffling on this decision -- I am not.  I truly want to be a nurse, to work in the medical environment, to be able to assist others through medical knowledge (both teaching and doing actual procedures).  I am extremely grateful to have this opportunity at this stage in my life.

It is just that it is a huge decision.  Admittedly, it is something that I've been contemplating and analyzing the pros/cons for at least the last 12 years, so some thought has gone into it already!  :-)  But thinking about something is extremely different than actually doing something.  Thinking is 'safe', as you can always put off the thinking.  Actually making the decision real, that's a commitment.  And right now, I am at that stage of truly making this commitment by soon giving official notice in my current job.

I am so looking forward to leaving the transition stage, rolling up my sleeves, and hitting the books and soon enough after that, starting clinicals.

I just want to finally start.

Better Happy than Rich? (you bet!!!)

I picked up and read an interesting book last week, that highlighted some of the issues facing me in the career change decision.  Rather, it highlighted reasons, based on demographics and statistics, as to what people of certain age groups and personalities view as most important in life. 

It is called "Better Happy than Rich?" by Michael Adams.  Mr. Adams is one of the co-founders of the Canadian statistical research firm, Environics. 

This book explains, based on years of statistical gathering and analysis, what personality traits are associated with various demographic groups, in terms of their priorities in life. 

An interesting read, but also a rather quick read, as and one tends to focus on finding where one 'fits in'.  Given that it also explains the priorities of all age groups and personalities, it clarified to me why certain other people are reacting in various ways to my career-change decision, based on their values and priorities being significantly different from mine.

Always learning!

The purpose of this blog

So, last week was a major crisis in confidence about this mid-career change to nursing.  All my insecurities about making this change came to the surface again, namely leaving the known for the unknown, given family responsibilities I should perhaps just suck it up and put in the time for the next 25 years, and age.  This week, the mindset is better.

This leads me to why I am actually writing this blog in the first place.  Last fall, when I finally applied for nursing school, I looked and looked on the web to try to find a blog about somebody who had started nursing school as a second career (found a number of those) AND someone who voluntarily left a (seemingly) great job. 

There were many blogs of people returning to school after having been home with the kids for many years, there were blogs of people who were laid off or whose chosen career was unstable, there were people who were in dead-end jobs and who wanted to improve their careers, etc etc.  I even branched out my search, thinking perhaps I could find something where one started in a new second career in a field other than nursing.  But I could not find a single blog or article about somebody who willingly left a good job to pursue something different.  No luck.

I couldn't find any information at all about the process one goes through, when taking the initiative on leaving a great position.  So that's why I decided to start my own blog, to document this process.  They certainly don't call this situation the 'golden handcuffs' for nothing!

I still maintain that being in transition is making this process more difficult.  Once the change is real, and I am focusing on classes and clinicals, then it will be easier.  In my experience, it is always easier to deal with the tangible, rather then the theoretical. 

This week it seems I am mostly back on track.  I know I want to do this, I know I can do this.  In a nutshell, I am called to do this work.  Ever since I can remember, and even before that (so I'm told) I've been running to help people who were injured.  This switch to a nursing career isn't something that I've dreamed up lately seeing as my current career isn't particularly satisfying or interesting.  Rather, this is my calling and passion, and I am finally letting myself follow this career path (long and convoluted story there).

And I am so lucky and grateful to have the unconditional support and love of my dear husband, who has so patiently listened to me talk about nursing for over the past decade.  He has spent hours listening, discussing and convincing me that we are OK to do this financially, and that happiness is far more important than going to a job that gives little, if any, satisfaction - intellectual or personal - for the next 25 years.  And happiness and a paying job in a field that I love, priceless.  That man deserves an award!

Onwards and upwards!