How to Manage an Online Nursing Degree for Moms

Find Somewhere to Study

When you’ve got kids, studying on your couch is going to be fairly difficult. Distractions are always rife at home and when there are children at home, you’re going to be easily distracted all the time. The best way to combat this is to find somewhere separate to study that you can go to and get work done. If you have the space in your home, consider turning it into a small home office where you can shut the door and focus on your studies without being bombarded with the household at the same time. Some people find it easier to study outside of the home in a local coffee shop or library, or even on the college campus – if you’re studying online but attending a nursing school that is local to you, you will probably have campus access, so take advantage of the facilities when you need quiet study time.

Ask for Help

Being a mom can be hard enough at times, let alone when you’re trying to get a nursing degree and juggling everything else in between. Now is certainly not a time in your life where you should try and do everything alone. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from friends or family when you need it; chances are that there are more people in your life than you realize who will be willing to lend you a helping hand. You’re going to need practical help, emotional support, and sometimes just having somebody to talk to can make you feel a lot better when you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Keep your social circle close.

Find Ways to Destress

Don’t feel like you should spend every spare hour you get studying, especially if you are exhausted from the workload. In fact, taking some time to yourself, or spending time playing and having fun with your kids, is just as important as working hard when you are in this situation. Try to schedule some time to relax and have fun at least once every week. Ideally, get a babysitter or leave the kids with a family member or friend, so you can relax on your own and restore some of your energy. Engage in regular stress-busting activities like yoga, mindfulness meditation, and deep breathing exercises to help you feel more in control and avoid stress taking over.

Know When to Slow Down

There is nothing wrong with wanting to slow things down if you reach a point where you feel like everything is getting too much. Becoming a nurse means that there is a lot to learn, and information that you need to be able to take in and understand so that you can provide your future patients with the best level of care. If you’ve chosen an accelerated program and are struggling to keep up with the workload, it’s worth speaking to your tutors to see what can be done to help you. Deadline extensions, study breaks, and the option to change to a less intensive program option are all there for a reason, so utilize them if you feel that you need to for your own health and happiness. It’s always better to work at a pace that suits you best, even if that means waiting a little longer until you qualify.

More and more moms are turning to online learning to gain nursing degrees and more. If you’ve decided to become a nurse or advance your current nursing career and are juggling learning around being a parent, putting strategies in place to manage your time and workload now will make it easier.