Part time/evening and weekend clinicals?

U.S.A. Connecticut

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I am a CT resident, currently working full time in an unrelated field for an employer that offers an outstanding employee scholar benefit.

I'm interested in working toward a career change after having a baby a year ago (at NBGH); my nurses there were incredible and took wonderful care of us, and I would like a career where I feel like I make a real difference in the lives of others. I'm an engineer and am finishing up my 2nd master's degree but just don't feel like my work has much relevance or meaning besides drawing a paycheck. I have always loved and been good at science and math but chose engineering over nursing in college because at the time I had issues with bodily fluids; let's just say that motherhood has changed that! :D

I am the bigger breadwinner and therefore quitting work is not possible. I also have to work at least part time to keep my employee scholar benefit (basically my employer will foot the bill for tuition and books even though nursing is not related to my current job). I am thinking of eventually dropping to a 32 hour/week schedule but quitting and going to school full time is not going to be an option. I have some flex time opportunity but that could change at any time if I get a new manager, and I get up to 3 hours/week of educational PTO. Basically in order to go to nursing school I will need to find an option where most or all of the clinicals are evening and weekend hours.

I would be taking prereqs in 2012/2013 and looking to start an associate's in 2014 or 2015 (we plan on a second baby in 2013). My gen eds would all transfer in from my bachelor's degree.

I read on the CT DPH website that the only evening/part time options for an ADN in Connecticut are Goodwin, Capital CC, and Gateway CC. We live in Hartford county so Goodwin or Capital seem like my best options. Goodwin's website says they offer evening and weekend clinicals but I've read on here that it can be tough for students to actually get the weekend clinicals AND that the quality of the program has been questionable in the past. Capital would be ideal from a location standpoint but their website is sporifice on details for evening classes and scheduling of clinicals.

Does anyone have any information on which schools are best for part time study and evening/weekend clinicals?

CJ223

36 Posts

Northwestern CT Community College in Winsted offers a strictly night/weekend program (classes & clinicals). I believe it's Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings... and it goes through the summer as well.

ks430

4 Posts

Winsted is actually closer to us than Gateway would be. It looks like it's a new program.

Does the community college nursing program care which of the CCs you take prereqs at? Tunxis CC is only a few miles from our home and offers all of the hard science classes in the evenings. It looks like sociology and the two psych classes can even be done online.

My husband and I are thinking that it will either be the CC program or the UConn MbEIN, although if I go for the UConn program then it will have to wait a few more years to start due to financial considerations. There is so much overlap in the prereqs, but the UConn program doesn't have a time limit on most of them the way the CC program does so that would be my fallback if I was waitlisted for the CCs for a while. It is a little tough to realize that actual nursing school would be at least 3-4 years away and possibly longer!

SC APRN, DNP, APRN, NP

1 Article; 852 Posts

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

You can take your prereqs at any CC.

CJ223

36 Posts

It doesn't matter which of the CC's you take your pre-req's at... and yes many of the "soft sciences" are available online. I have done everything online except for the classes that require a lab. I am at NWCC in Winsted, and am an "evening only" student. So far I really enjoy the education that I'm getting at NWCC (and I have taken classes at UConn, Tunxis, Asnuntuck, etc). As far as scheduling, Human Bio is offered during the day in the fall, but evenings in the spring. Lifespan Development is offered online in the summer, Chem is offered both day and evening each semester, and A&PI/II are both evenings as well... everything else is offered online!

jdoll

78 Posts

:30I am a nursing student at NWCC, first class. On the 30th of this month we will be moving into our second year. They are now offering clinical on thursday and friday or friday and saturday.. It is a work in progress, It is a wonderful program. Small classes and evening hours, lecture is on tuesday, depending on the time of year depends on the hours. 4 or 5 til 9:30 for lecture and clinical (lab or off campus time is usually 2-10:30 or 2-9:30). I cannot tell you things will not change in the future but this is what it is for us.

All the best to you! You can take pre and co reqs at any Community college.

Hope this helps

ks430

4 Posts

Thanks for the info on NWCC. I will plan to go to an information session there closer to when I'd be starting prereqs. Personally I'd prefer the class schedule at NWCC over the part time schedule at Gateway, simply because it would be far easier for me to continue working part time at my current job (which will be paying for school) and still be home a few nights per week. Of course just a few years ago there were no options for evening/weekend nursing classes at the CCs so who knows what might be offered in several more years when I actually reach that point? ;-)

Right now the plan is to start prereqs and the soft sciences next fall - probably the soft sciences first, because with those there's no 5 year limit on counting towards admission, like there is with chemistry, A&P I and II, etc.

I wish I'd thought of doing this before we started a family, but that can't be helped now!

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