What should I do education wise? (single mum)

[pregnochicklol]

waves
I did an 'access to higher education' level 2 course last year and loved it, I did the GCSE equivilents in English, Maths, Science, psychology and sociology.
Now I could do the level 3 course (in one year) in a further 3 subjects to get onto a degree course of my choice.
Like psychiatric nursing which I'd quite like to do, along side a day a week volunteering to help me get into it.

However I really enjoyed learning so much, that I'm tempted to take A-levels so I can study the sciences especially in more depth.
But I'll have 2 children soon and I will be studying while on benefits etc, so I feel a duty to actually do the access course in order to finish education and get working more quickly, so I can become a more respectable working member of society :-p

Shall I just do the access course and go straight for the degree?
I'm scared there's more to enjoy from learning that I haven't discovered yet, but I don't want us to be poor forever.

Unsure what to do, what's best for my kids.
I THINK psychiatric nursing is for me, so shall I just do it?

If theres an easier way then go for it. The level three access course sounds good, when the kids come youll want to spend more time with them. In the level threes you do in depth projects which will give you a little of that extra thirst that you need.

Dont listen to the snobs that tell you that theyre taxes are paying for you. Our children are the next generation as long as they are brought up respectable then thats what matters.

Its good to know that you want to better yourself so that you can be a good role model for youre children.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Nursing degrees are quite competitive to get onto - have you checked with the uni offering nursing whether they would prefer Access or science A Levels? A levels might keep your career options more open. Also, sounds like it would just be one extra year in education if you do A Levels which isn't much in the overall scheme of things.

Nursing fits well with training and kids, also whilst competitive there is still a shortage.

Why do you want to be a psych nurse? Psych nursing is very different to 'ordinary' nursing so make sure you understand your motivation. Have you also though about things like physio, OT? Greater academic element, especially if you like studying.

Thanks guys.
I'm really interested in healthcare generally, always been one to question bodily functions etc..
But the reason I decided on psychiatric was because I've just dealt with so many people in my life that suffer mental illness, people really close to me, that it's just something I think I'd easily take in my stride.
I had an old friend just the other month saying she was going to kill herself etc and I was happy to step in and talk with her and felt comfortable doing so while everyone else was at their wit's end.
And I thought; sod it I may aswell do this for a living, lol.
I feel like I've got a great understanding of it all and could be entirely non judgemental towards patients.
I grew up visiting psychiatric wards because of a certain family member having episodes.
It's funny I remember being 4 years old wearing my nurses play uniform going to visit.
The only worry I had (morally) was whether I could administer psychiatric drugs to patients against their will which is the only part I could struggle slightly with, and then the fact that my safety could be somewhat at risk..
Apart from that, I think it's for me.
Being able to make ANY positive difference to people suffering mentally would really make me happy. I read nurses get to do art therapy with them and such things too on these wards.

General nursing I think would involve more deaths and tragedy of otherwise perfectly healthy minded people, maybe sticking with helping the so called unhelpable would somehow be easier? As if you did help them to recover it really WOULD be an acheivement... if you know what I mean??

So that's my thoughts on going into it.
Feedback?

It is a while since I worked clinically in mental health, but psych nursing is not a bundle of laughs. The chances are you would have to work predominantly with people who have long-term illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar and you would be administering a lot of drugs to people who don't want it. You will see people who have been abused, are abusers, in and out of care and prison. Sectioning is also quite upsetting.

There is a difference between people with mental health issues and psych nursing. Also many of the future jobs will be in older people, i.e. dementia so people who wander, shout, hit etc.

Contact your local mental health trust and ask if you can do some voluntary work. I don't want to sound (too much) like I'm trying to put you off, but it's not about people recovering, it's behaviour management.

My ex SIL was an OT, got a first, set her heart on psych OT. Three years down, very disillusioned as nearly all dementing and deteriorating and things like gardening therapy are just theories, not the reality of the day to day.

Yeah, thanks I'll take all into account :-/
Mentally ill people I do know I have loved and got on with, but there's going to be many more who are violent and volatile..
Something to think about :-(

i am currently doing an access course to nursing & midwifery, although i have decided that i'm not going into nursing as it's not really ideal as i am a single mum with 2 young ds & in the 2nd year at uni you have to work all kind of shifts including nights. uni's only offer a small amount of places to nursing students, i belive 12 are offered for psy nursing at the uni near me which is such a small amount & next year they are cutting nursing places down by 70,000 so will be even harder to get in. i think the thing to do it go for general as more places are offered & then switch over or do the dipolma & do a specialist area after that.
BUT if your not 100% sure you want to do nursing go for the science & see if you like it otherwise you may regret.