Difficult decisions and missed deadlines

I recently made the decision that I want to become a nurse. It's something that I've contemplated since I worked at a shelter for medically fragile children about nine years ago.

There's a long list of reasons why I have decided to go into nursing. The challenging part of confirming my decision was figuring out where to begin. My bachelors degree is in communication. I can write the hell out of a paper on gender communication style differences or effective listening strategies for intercultural communication situations, but when it comes to some fairly basic science and math, I'm quite frankly at a loss. I have a lot of catch up work to do in order to be competitive with my peers.

One of the most difficult challenges I've faced is just deciding where to go. What I've recently learned (thanks, MT!) is that I can get an associates degree in nursing and then be eligible to sit for the exam to receive my RN certification. This may seem like common sense, but it was news to me. Another option available is that I could take seven prerequisite courses and the GRE and be eligible to apply for a program at a state college where I could obtain my masters degree, and subsequently be eligible to sit for the exam.

At first, the decision seemed simple. Why would I get an associates degree if I could take a few extra classes and end up with a master's degree? The difficulty in the answer arose because I wouldn't be able to even apply for entry to the program until 2011. Lest you forget, I have three very, very young children. I can't just up and go to school because I feel like it.

So, after second guessing my decisions several times over, I've come to the conclusion that in order to meet the economic needs of our family as well as make the most of the time that it will take me to obtain my certification, I am going to get the associates degree and sit for the exam. I'm young. There's plenty of time for higher education.

Now that those critical decisions have been made, it's time to look at deadlines...

They have passed.

You heard (saw) correctly. The application deadline for admission for fall 2009 has come and gone. So where does that leave me?

I went ahead and submitted all of the application material that I could. I still have to take the TEAS entrance exam, which I will try to do over the next couple of weeks. However, at least I've made that first critical step in the process. My credit card has been charged and I'm on my way.

Love, hugs, and blessings,
The Mama