Nursing educator Christina Rafano recants her earlier belief that students can always juggle school, work, and family. She walks through a prioritization exercise to help you identify what actually matters most, then cut or pause everything else, including nursing coursework itself.
This is not the video I was planning on making today, but I have something to say and I need to put it out there. So I made a mistake. And I've been talking a lot over the last few months as nursing schools have transitioned online and all this change has happened in the world. I've said a bunch of times that there is always a way. There's always a way. Now, many students have asked me how to work at home with kids, how to handle nursing schools being online, how to juggle work, nursing school and a family when your spouse just got laid off. And my advice up until this point has consistently been that there's always a way. And I still 1000% believe that. But I've noticed a trend over the past few months. Sadness, depression, anxiety, anger have all taken root in many hearts. I've seen divorce. I've seen extreme burnout. I've seen severe anxiety. I've seen mamas doing their best to homeschool their kiddos while also going to school full time and working full time. The world has changed very, very quickly. So, yes, I believe that there truly is always a way to manage things. But the part that I haven't been clear about is that it needs to align with your priorities. Listen, friend, I want you to become an amazing nurse. I mean that. This is what I do. I teach nursing students every day how to pass nursing school. But I never, and I mean never want you to graduate nursing school at the expense of your marriage, at the expense of your family, family at the expense of your life. Nursing school can wait. It will still be here next year and the year after that and the year after that. But your marriage, your family, your life, they may need you more right now. And that's okay, friend. I know you can absolutely do anything that you set your mind to. I believe in you 100%. But. But it needs to align with your priorities. So I want you to spend just a few minutes, just a few minutes thinking about your overall priorities. What's the most important for you right now? Is it nursing school? Is it finding a job? Is it focusing on your husband and your marriage? Is it spending time going deeper with God? Is it encouraging your friends? Is it spending time with your kids? Let's do some thinking right now, together. Figure out what your main priorities are right now. Now, getting your priorities listed out is only the first step. The next step then is figuring out what to give up so you're. When your priorities are out of whack. If you're trying to homeschool your Kids full time, work full time, and go to nursing school full time. Friend, that's a lot of full time. You may only. You only have so many hours in a day, right? So you might need to consider eliminating something off your list, something that's not one of your top priorities. Is there someone in your life who can help with your kids? Maybe a family member or a friend, perhaps? How about eating off paper plates for the foreseeable future so that you don't need to do any dishes? On that note, did you know that it's totally okay, completely okay to not do laundry for a week? As long as you're okay with that, I'm totally cool. And if needed, did you know that nursing school can wait, too? I know that that's a hot topic. I know, I know. It's super controversial. No one would ever tell you to drop out of nursing school. Apparently, I am the only one. Except for me. In my opinion, it is completely fine. If you need to take a step back from nursing school in this season, it doesn't mean that you are a fail. It doesn't mean that you can't do it. It just means that you have other priorities right now. Do not shame yourself into thinking that you're failing. If you can't do it all that does not serve you. So if you feel like your life is falling apart and something has just got to give, just realize that that something might be nursing school, and that is totally okay. It doesn't mean that there's something wrong with you or that you are not smart enough or that you can't handle it. It just means that now is not the time and you have other priorities right now. That's all it means. So, friend, I want to give you some confidence and some encouragement today. You are walking through a tough season right now, and I don't ever want you to sacrifice what's most important to you for the sake of something that's a lower priority. That's not right. I fully believe that there is always a way. But you need to make sure that you're going the right way first. You'll definitely get somewhere, but it might not be where you wanted to end up. So get your priorities straight first and then figure out a way to make those happen. Stay strong, friend. Now, Proverbs 3 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. Yes, he will. Take care, my friend.
