Student nurse/single parent

Hi, i will be applying to universities soon to do adult nursing. I have been told that the course is hard work. i really want to be a nurse but i also have a daughter that will be starting school when i start uni. I just want to find out if i will be able to cope with the course, assignments and placment with being a mum, taking and picking my daughter up from school and doing my duties as a mum. i will have abit of help from my parents with childcare. i just want to find out what the course is like and how the theory part and placement is divided. will a single parent be able to cope??? Thanks

Reply 1

Scienceisgood

21

Don't see why not, I know someone who has a 2 year old daughter and is doing a Forensic Science course at my uni.

Reply 2

lilibet01

9

You will have to be very organised and have help with drop off and pick up. Some placements may be more accommodating than others but basically you have made the decision to do the course and it's down to you to arrange childcare. You will be required to work long days, nights and weekends. Check what childcare bursary you are entitled to. You are taking on a lot, it is doable but only with help. Several mums at my uni have dropped out because they couldn't make it work, and they had partners, so be very sure that now is the right time for you, it may be better to wait until your daughter is older. I'm a mum and I know that I couldn't have done it without my husband's help and my kids are a lot older and I can leave them when necessary. There are a lot of mature students (I'm one) taking nursing degrees so you don't have to rush into it.
I hope you can sort out childcare because it is a great course.
Good luck

Reply 3

moonkatt

19

Original post by Scienceisgood

Don't see why not, I know someone who has a 2 year old daughter and is doing a Forensic Science course at my uni.

Nursing is a little bit different to most other courses. You spend half your course on clinical placements working the same shifts as the nursing staff. It's explained on open days to people that they will be expected to work shifts covering the whole 24/7 pattern.

Original post by Zainab96

Hi, i will be applying to universities soon to do adult nursing. I have been told that the course is hard work. i really want to be a nurse but i also have a daughter that will be starting school when i start uni. I just want to find out if i will be able to cope with the course, assignments and placment with being a mum, taking and picking my daughter up from school and doing my duties as a mum. i will have abit of help from my parents with childcare. i just want to find out what the course is like and how the theory part and placement is divided. will a single parent be able to cope??? Thanks

It isn't easy, but many people will have done this before you and many will after you. As has already been said, you'll find some placements will be more flexible to your childcare needs than others. Expect to have shift patters where you won't be able to take your kids to and from school and have to rely on childcare/helpful parents/friends. The parents when I went to uni and did nursing tended to be the ones with the best time management skills, probably because they had to use them so much.

Reply 4

Zainab96

OP

8

Alright thanks, do you know how the theory and placment is divided. I've been told u go to placement for couple of weeks?

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Reply 5

Zainab96

OP

8

Original post by lilibet01

You will have to be very organised and have help with drop off and pick up. Some placements may be more accommodating than others but basically you have made the decision to do the course and it's down to you to arrange childcare. You will be required to work long days, nights and weekends. Check what childcare bursary you are entitled to. You are taking on a lot, it is doable but only with help. Several mums at my uni have dropped out because they couldn't make it work, and they had partners, so be very sure that now is the right time for you, it may be better to wait until your daughter is older. I'm a mum and I know that I couldn't have done it without my husband's help and my kids are a lot older and I can leave them when necessary. There are a lot of mature students (I'm one) taking nursing degrees so you don't have to rush into it.
I hope you can sort out childcare because it is a great course.
Good luck