I see all of these programs say you can't work more than a few hours a week yet I see so many married adults and parents going back for nursing and it made me think, how do they do it?

As a single individual who graduated a few years ago with a BA and got a place with a roommate, I am now looking to go back into a nursing program and I'm getting a little worried as to how I am going to do so.

Obviously as a single person with no spouse to help and renting with a roommate, having a low paying job and student loans on top of it, I have no idea how I am going to do nursing school because quitting my job just isn't an option.

Could I take out living expense loans? Is that a wise option and is that what many people do?

Any insight would be fantastic!

I took out living expense loans for my first semester. in fear of not being able to work. I was able to pay them off within a few months because I was able to work full time through my program. It did give me peace of mind since I didn't know what to expect. I don't have children so I was able to focus on work and school.

I worked full-time at a nursing home as an LVN while pursuing my RN license. I worked two 16-hour double shifts every Saturday and Sunday. This schedule allowed me to have Monday through Friday off, so I'd attend school during the week.

While working as a CNA, I worked 3x 12 hour night shifts a week every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and sometimes an extra 12 or so for overtime while taking full-time classes and supporting three other human beings, a dog, and two cats. Graduated with a 3.8. You do what you got to do to follow your dreams and survive...and yes, I did eventually take out subsidized loans but never any unsubsidized ones...did the same thing with the RN to BSN, and kept my GPA. You'd be surprised at what you're capable of pushing yourself to accomplish.

I moved in with my parents, worked 12 hour weekend shifts at a nearby hospital as a CNA, sometimes picked up the odd 3-11 shift during the week, and used the money to pay for all of my schooling, books, insurance, etc. I did go to community college, so the costs were affordable enough without loans.

I worked as a home health aide through school. The hours were flexible so it worked for me. I did borrow extra (even though my husband works) while I had my clinicals last semester so I could focus. It is doable.

I worked as a CNA 24 hours a week and took out a personal loan to help with living expenses. When I started pre-nursing classes I lived alone in an apartment; I got married before starting the core program and had a baby a year later. The difficulty with working while in nursing school is coordinating work with clinicals. You'll have to find a job that's willing to work with your set school schedule.

Are you looking for different answers from the same questions you posted back in June?

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/working-full-time-932016.html

About to graduate, worked 40-50hr/week as a dialysis technician during school. Let me tell you now it SUCKS and is physically/mentally exhausting but it can be done!

The key is having an understanding manager at work, because nursing schools love to spring random days on you that you have to come in. My school also had online classes, evening classes, and evening/weekend clinicals which helped tremendously.

I worked as a medic 48hrs/week through my ADN program.

PJ, RN, EMT-P

Feh, nursing schools always tell students not to work while attending their program. Of course, it's no skin off their nose how many loans you have to take out in order to survive three to four years without a FT job.

As you say, not all of us have parents or a significant other to support us financially through school. And taking out massive living expense and tuition loans to live off in the meantime is a terrible idea, IMHO. But I'll admit I have a bias against debt of any kind and have committed myself to living as debt-free as possible.

Like others, I do suggest finding a job with flexible shift work. When I went to school for my LPN, I worked as a nurse aide three 12s a week..... every weekend plus one weekday. Very doable. I'm taking prereqs at community college part time now while working full time 3rd shift as a LPN. Once FT nursing program kicks in, I will likely drop down to PT, but that is only because I saved up a large sum over the past few years. I would definitely NOT be able to live off PT wages without my savings.

Another thing to consider is that working while in school as a CNA is the single best way to increase your chances of landing an RN job upon graduation.

I went PT, nights/weekends for double the usual amount of time. Worked FT, ran EMS part time, wife, mother to 4 including a nursling

I worked full time M-F 6-3. I went to class at night and did clinicals on the weekend.