Nursing school in the time of COVID

Here’s my story. I’ve wanted to work in pediatrics since I was a child. I had the Fisher Price doctor kit and wore that thing out trying to listen to my mom’s heartbeat. (Side note: the stethoscope couldn’t hear a bomb go off.) When I went to college my goal was to be pre-med and then start med school as soon as I finished. But, for numerous reason, that didn’t work out. 

I’ve had various jobs throughout the years, many of which were medically adjacent. But about 4 years ago I realized I was miserable at my job and in life in general. So I started on my #RoadToPASchool. I took all of my prerequisites and then some in order to be ready for PA School. I maintained 3.6 overall and 3.45 science GPA. I figured I was golden. What I didn’t know was that PA Schools look at every grade you’ve EVER gotten. That meant Fs that I got in the EARLY 2000s were being calculated into my overall GPA, dragging me into the 2.5 range where no school would even look at my application. 

After consulting some PAs and NPs, I realized that my only chance of getting into PA school was by way of nursing school.  It’s a pricey and hefty detour, but it’s one I’m willing to take. 

I’m enrolled in an accelerated BSN program at Mercer University and the program lasts a year. While I’ve gotten some federal loans, my big loan recently fell through. Not gonna lie, it was a hard blow. But I’ve worked too hard to give up now. 

The program STRONGLY advises that you don’t work while in school. But the way my mortgage is set up, they want their money EVERY MONTH, and ON TIME. (Can you believe the NERVE?) So unfortunately, being single (i.e. no second income), with no rich relatives, and all of my sugar daddy prospects not panning out, I’ll be working at the hospital and going to school full time through the next 12 months. That means school and COVID patients. (But don’t I look cute decked out in full PPE.)It means school and Flu Season. It’s fast paced school and...life. I’ll do it but I will probably cry a lot during the process. 

I’m still working on finding grants, loans, OnlyFans accounts to pay for tuition. But school starts on the 31st and I haven’t purchased books, or my nursing kit, or anything else for that matter. Books for the 1st half of the 1st semester are $1100!!!! And I learned from someone who has already been through the program that it’s essential we buy e-Books from the school because they are embedded with programs that only the professors at school. 

I started this page out of necessity. The last few years have been a grind and I feel like I’m way too close now to quit. I have no aspirations of getting rich as a nurse or PA. All I want to do it help heal the sick babies. (I don’t like adults. They’re the worst.) People always tell me I’m crazy when they hear that I want to work in pediatric emergency medicine. The first thing they always say is, “The parents are worse than than the kids.” I was an Early Education Teacher straight out of college. And I worked at a school that was in the wealthiest county in the state. So not only did every parent think their little angel was greatest thing walking but there was also an air of entitlement attached to that sentiment. 

Parent: My child is gifted and talented and you need to focus more attention on nurturing his creativity. 
Me: Ma’am, your son tries to eat the stuffing out of his pull-up every day during nap time. I think I know how to handle him. 

Yeah, I know how to deal with the makers of the tiny humans. 

Any money raised here will go to books and supplies. And if by some unknown miracle I surpass my goal, every extra dime will go to tuition. 

Even if you can’t give, prayers and well wishes are greatly appreciated. The next year of my life will undoubtedly be a cyclone of school and work and clinicals and tears. But I’m willing to fight through it because I know pediatric medicine is what I was created for.