Nursing School Blues

It hit me like a load of bricks. Yesterday I received a phone call from a school chum telling me that some of our classes are starting this coming Monday. Translation: our three week break has just been shortened to a two week break with less than five days notice.

Of course my reaction was, "Whaaaaaa?!" & "How can they do this to us?"

Apparently they can and they are. It was explained to me by the instructor of one class (probably THE most important class you can take in nursing school since the NCLEX is comprised of more questions from this one area than any other) there is too much information to cover in a short amount of time... starting early is the only option.

I have to admit I am NOT happy about it and certainly wish the faculty could have figured this out before all of us had made vacation/family plans that are now being disrupted. I am one of the lucky ones actually. Several students have been forced into trying to get refunds on plane and Disney World tickets. So, I'm swallowing my pride and accepting it.

My wife was none too pleased to hear the news. When I broke the news to her she was still at work... and using expletives to describe her dismay. She doesn't normally use the F word so free-willing like that! Our plans to visit her ailing father are now much more complicated (meaning if we still go we will have to drive both cars up so I can come back early... which sucks as gas is at $3 per gallon).

It would be appropriate to say I am in the acceptance stage having moved through denial and anger in one day. Actually if there is a humor stage I'm there too. Where else can I start a semester early and not have to pay tuition for another two weeks?! Hell, some of my books that I purchased online haven't arrived yet! This is going to be messy.

I expected to make sacrifices as I chose to return to school... nursing school at that! But this one beats all. My future employers need to have a section on their job applications, "Please describe (in 2000 words or less) how you have sacrificed in order to become an RN."