Working and going to school, how much work is doable?

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Cardiac Tele.

Hello everyone! I have posted many times on this webisite for advice on nursing as a career and you all have been veryyy helpful. I second guessed this career a couple of times but now i am truly certain i want to become a nurse! Im 20 yrs old now.. and ive been working at Lahey Clinic on 5west -a very busy cardiac telemetry floor as a nursing assistant on the evening shift. 36 beds, i take care of 18 pts a night. It has almost been a yr now since working on the floor, and it helped me truly realize that this is what i want to do..... yes it is stressful at times, and in fact almost all the time, but for some reason i absolutely enjoy it.. and at the end of the the long day.. i go home at night feeling accomplished, and that is TRULY a wonderful feeling.

Im at lawrence memorial /regis college now... im on my first clinical rotation.. nu101 which im very excited about! Being a nursing assistant has truly helped me through this clinical rotation.... Id have to say i was working 24 hours at lahey but i did cut down to 20..... im still nervous as to wonder .. how much work is too much? Im seeking advice from you nurses as to what you went through and how much hours u worked during nursing school.. is it do-able??

Thank you all..

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I worked full time while attending school full time. It wasn't a question of if it was "doable"--- it was a necessity.

If you have the resources to work part time or not at all while in school, then go that route. Very few people have that luxury, though.

Good luck.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

People work what they have to in order to make ends meet. For many of us that was 40 hours a week.

When there's a will, there's a way, so just do what you have to do. 20 hours is plenty and if you can afford to cut back more, then cut back more.

Good luck!!!

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I have had to work FT in school. It is doable. Although to be fair I did use a substantial amount of my annual leave for parts of 2 quarters because my clinicals were out of the local area.

I had to work FT to make sure that I had benefits for my family and to pay the rent etc.

Best of luck in school!

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Specializes in Cardiac, ER.

Durring my first semester of nursing school, my husband decided he wanted a divorce! So I raised to small children, worked full time and went to school!! It sucked,.but if you really want it, you can do it!!

Good luck!!!!

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I didn't read everyone's post but you have to do what you have to do. 2 days were 6-8 hours of clinicals, the other 3 days we had class from 8a-1p and then I went to work from 2(or 3p) to 10 pm. I had 2 kids and the last semester trying to finish up plus precepting I was pregnant with #3 so it's doable..it will fly by and be over before you know it! Good luck!

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Well I don't know how much help I could give you, but I'll tell you about myself and you decide. I am now 30 and started nursing school in 2004 (doing pre-reqs) and began clinical in late 2005. I graduated in May 2007. When I started school I was working full time and taking care of my daughter, who is now 5 along with a household. I changed jobs to work at a hospital as a nursing assistant 1 year before graduation. I still worked full time and went to school. I also found out in June of that year 2006 that I was pregnant.

I gave birth in March before end of semester. I worked full time all the way up until I had my son and still pulled off graduating. I believe it to be very likely to work and attend nursing school. You will just not have much of a life outside of work and school. Good luck!!

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

I want to add that it will depend your program and/or your employer.

Some programs allow for night and evening classes/clinicals, which works well for working students. If your program is not like this (mine is not), then it may definitely depend on your employer.

For example, I know a few RNs who failed one semester working full-time during nursing school but returned later to complete his/her degree. I also know several Student Nurses last semester who did not pass because he/she was working full-time. Most, not all, have returned. Nursing students who seem to be pulling it off WITHOUT failing are those with flexible employers.

Flexible employers do not mind you missing work because of school (lecture, labs, tests, skill exams, study sessions... etc). They also do not mind you studying on the job when work is slow or allowing you to work evenings and weekends to make up time. If I am not describing your current employer, you might want to look for another job!

Prior to my current employment, I had an inflexible employer who offered me a part-time position when I started taking classes to get accepted into nursing school. However, my supervisor insisted that I not miss the monthly meetings on the days my classes conflicted. I put my two weeks in and never looked back.

I am glad I did; a former co-worker of mine was starting nursing school at the time and lived my worse nightmare. She flunked out after her first exam of her first semester. Plus, sadly, she has not returned. I am in my second semester and I am considered to be a good Student Nurse. GL to you.

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It is completely normal to work and go to school full time. It makes me angry when people tell me do not work while attending nursing school. It is not my fault that I am not supported by a family etc etc. Basically meaning that I do not have anyone to pay my bills or hand me money when I need it, I have to work for what I want and what I have to pay for. Honestly, someone who works through school will wind up being a much more well rounded human being than one of those typical kids whose parents can offer them the world. Now everyone wishes that they could not work while they go to school and have parents to shower them with money when they needed it, but the fact is most of us don't have that luxury. I am 20 myself, and I work and go to school full time for nursing. In the end you will see how much of a better person you will be. The only reason why I am replying to this is because I support people who work and go to school at the same time. I am not intending to knock those lucky kids who have parents that can give them everything, I am just merely saying I am pro work and school. And it doesn't help that one day I was discussing my grades with a nurse at the hospital I work with and she had said to bring my 3.5 gpa up to 3.9 if I wanted to succeed. I explained that I work while I go to school and it is hard to get all the study time in, although 3.5 is damn good. And she said, and I quote " Oh I never had to work while I was in school, my parents gave me whatever I want and I had all the study time in the world to keep my GPA at 3.99, I was always first in my classes."

Hahaha some of us just don't have that luxury. Can you believe her. Ugh. People! Don't ever be one of those nasty nurses. I will never be and I know that.

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Presently, I work 30 hrs a week. However, I work from home for the company I work for. I have no set days or times I have to work. My only requirement is getting in 30 hrs between Monday and Sunday. I have no problems with working 30hrs a week and going to school full time. ONLY because I work from home when i want.

I sadly sit and watch others in my class, who work outside the home, working crazy hours. I wonder how they can keep their eyes open between full time school, and the amount of hours they work, let alone study time. And for some the amount they work is catching up with them. They are frequently absent from class (we are only alloted a very minimal amount of time we can miss before we are dismissed from school) and/or their grades are falling under the pass rate grade. For two semesters now, I've watched them get poor grades on the unit test to only have to scramble and seriously cram for the final to pull off the minimum grade to pass.

Thats not to say there aren't those in my class who work full time and have great grades. The majority of the full time workers are doing well, myself included.

Personally, I would not work if I didn't have too. (need to work a minimum of 30 hrs strictly for medical insurance reasons). If you are able to cut back your hours to as little as possible and still have a roof over your head, food in your belly, and gas in your vechile, I think it would be more beneficial for you to do so.

I also hate when people insists you cannot possibly work and go to school, for we all know, that isn't the case. There are many many many that went before us that were working a lot of hours and still passed with good grades and their license in the end.

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Specializes in Cardiac Tele.

THANKS everyone for all of your wonderful advice. I do work part time 20 hours.. im not exactly sure if u consider me going to school full time because i dont have classes on mondays and tuesdays but wed. thurs. friday i do..... im done with all of my general education classes, all i have is clinicals and tests pretty much. I admire you all for working that much, taking care of your childrren and going to school, i dont know how you did it..... it amazes me,, you all are angels!

PS. i may need some help with pharmacology hw a litter later on tnight if any of you would like to help me that would be wonderful!

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Specializes in ICU, School Nurse, Med/Surg, Psych.

I did what I had to do to support a husband who was out of work and my two children and pay the tuiton. So yes, 40-60 hours a week of work plus 12-15 credit hours of school as well as "quality time" with the family is doable. My motto at that time was 'sleep is not necessary until after age 40.' I kept a gpa >3 through my MSN degree and now I don't work overtime...EVER!

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