A week in the life of a nursing student

I'm still here, just unbelievably busy with school. I was mistaken in thinking that it wasn't all that difficult, and that I didn't have to give up most of my time to study. Then, we started clinicals. I love being with the patients so much more than sitting in lecture, but the paperwork is out of control. I spend 12-15 hours each week looking up each patient's diagnoses, looking up their medications, deciding on the proper nursing interventions, then typing up my care plan. Those are due on Wednesday, and inevitably, it's Tuesday night, and I am wondering why I've waited so long to get the work done. I can't do schoolwork between about 3:45, when Zach gets home, until after dinner, usually around 7:00. I have to help Zach with homework, cook dinner, and spend some time with Zoe during that time.

Here's what a week of nursing school looks like for me (not that you asked):

I have lecture and lab on Mondays, (lecture from 8-10:30 or 11:00, lab from 1:00-2:30) and there are always objective questions and readings for lecture. Sometime we get the information far in advance, and one time, we got it the night before. We always have a quiz on Monday, so it is important to complete the work early enough to be able to go over it at least once. I have a two hour break between lecture and lab on Monday, so that is usually when I go to the computer lab, watch whatever video we need to watch, then do the reading for lab. Lecture on Tuesday is a continuation of Monday, and there's no quiz on Tuesday, so Monday night would be a good night to work on my care plan. Unfortunately, I usually stay up way too late on Sunday, so Monday night I crash.

Tuesday nights we have Cub Scouts. Darren usually takes Zach to the meetings, and I cook dinner, clean the kitchen afterward, and bathe and put Zoe to bed. I usually have about 15 minutes of silence before the boys get home, then get to work on my care plan that I shouldn't have put off.

Wednesday and Thursday, I have clinical from 6:30-1:30. Our care plan is due on Wednesday, and we have a math quiz. I generally pass out those afternoons around 5:00, because I just can't stay awake any longer. Wednesday night, I try to start my care plan from that day, and look up any drugs or diagnoses that my patient from that week has. Thursday night is our TV night, with Survivor, The Office, Grey's Anatomy, and Private Practice.

We are off most Fridays, unless we have a test, and I drop Zoe off, go and get my allergy shots, then come home to do schoolwork, run errands, or clean. I never get enough done on Fridays. I will end up watching the recorded TV that I didn't get to watch that week, making phone calls, or playing on Facebook.

On the weekends, we clean the house, do laundry, go grocery shopping, and I try to spend some time with the family. I usually take Saturday off schoolwork, and study on Sunday. I've had to give up any social life that I had, and don't have time for phone calls anymore. I sure am looking forward to semester break! We have Thanksgiving and the day afterward off, but no holidays until then. Zach has Columbus Day off tomorrow, but I have school, unfortunately.

I just have to keep telling myself that the time taken away from family, dinners out that we can't eat, phone calls, TV shows, and debt will all be worth it in the end...