How many work and go to nursing school?

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:unsure: How many people work and go to nursing school? I have a full time job at the hospital in the ER and I also start nursing school in a few weeks! After attending orientation I was filled with anxiety! Our instructors and the dean urged us to not work at a job if we did not have to. Our minimum amount of work during the week during school would be about 50 hours and if I included mt 40 hour work week I feel it would be difficult to do both. Like other nursing programs, if you fail twice during the program you are done and cannot reapply! I do not want to put myself in a position where I am failing a course because I am working and going to school and then only have one shot left to pass.

I asked to go to POOL at my job where I will only have to pick up a minimum amount of shifts during a period of time so I have more time to study at home and focus on school. However, I do not know if I should just leave my job all together (I am blessed to have a father who will take care of me financially during school so I would not have to work). If nursing school is as time consuming and as difficult as I have heard, should I just quit all together? I am stuck with this split decision because I do not want to close my "door of opportunity" in the hospital. If I do then it will not be as "easy" to get a job as a nurse once I graduate (I'm optimistic lol). What should I do?!

Thanks for any input from all of my current and former nursing students! :)

Specializes in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

I've been a lift technician for a bit over a year now and it did make the first half of my first semester a bit rough. I was able to put in enough study time (at that time I was working Friday and Saturday nights, 8 hour shifts), but I really had no time to do anything outside of that. My job eventually switched to 12 hours and I got approved to only working Saturday nights that helped me out soooooooo much. I'm very thankful to have my job, pays really well, and my director/manager are super cool and they support my nursing school route. I'm even able to study at work when there is downtime too, especially since it's night time, I need things to do to keep me awake haha.

If I were you I would go through the 1st semester without work so you can see how it is and then over the summer and possibly through the rest of the program I would try to find a hospital job. I believe getting your foot in the door (ie. getting a job in the hospital) is KEY to getting a nursing job when you graduate. So yeah, I HIGHLY recommend finding a hospital job, if not now, at least later on throughout your nursing school journey. Or, at least volunteer.

Not to mention, extra $$$ is always good cuz when you're in nursing school, it's sucks to be broke!

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Specializes in Addictions/Mental Health, Telemetry.

It all depends on how motivated and disciplined you are to become a nurse. I know when I was in my late teens, early 20's, and my parents were supporting me, I was not motivated and disciplined! I put myself through nursing school at the age of 40 when I had to work fulltime while attending nursing school fulltime!

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I worked three shifts a week (1530-0000) and every holiday, vaca day, and weekend until my senior year; my average grade for sophomore and junior years was a not-so-hot 2.75. The summer before my senior year I was married, my husband having graduated a year ahead of me (not in nursing). He was making more than the two of us earned together in the previous two years combined, so I was able to devote a lot more time to studying (and running a household and having some fun). My average shot up to a 3.3.

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I don't know what to do. I start nursing school on August 26th and I already cut my hours back at work, but I also teach dance besides my normal job. I got my schedule for dance and I will be there for a total of 12 hours Monday-Thursday. I'm also taking classes too (which is calculated into that 12 hours at the studio) so the number of hours I am taking class equals the number of hours I am teaching so I won't be getting paid anything at all. I'm afraid that I won't be able to work my other paid job to make a little bit of money at all now because I will be at dance every evening Monday-Thursday and I need my mornings to study. I'm really concerned! I hope it all works out!

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I work full time and I'm in nursing school. I'm also married & have 2 kids. It is a LOT of work, and it is hard at times, but my grades have not suffered. I am in class one day a week, clinicals on Saturdays, and my bosses have allowed me to adjust my work schedule around when I am in school, so I work some days, some evenings. It isn't easy, but it is totally doable, and if you have the self-discipline and the time management skills, your schoolwork will not suffer.

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Your grades will suffer if you work full-time. Most students work some hours during the week to be able to afford stuff. I don't recommend more than 24 hours a week. I worked nothing first semester (I did both nursing and paramedic at the same time that semester so it was like working full-time), 2nd semester 24 hours and an additional 12 hours every other week, third semester I did 36-48 hours if not more each week, and the last semester I will work only 24 hours one week and an extra shift every other week.

Your grades only suffer if you do not study right. I work 55 hours a week on a slow week and my grades have not suffered as a result.

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Specializes in LTC, Med-surg.

I tried working at my part-time job in fast food during my pre-requisite days

and found that with anatomy&physiology that I was unable to juggle that

plus other courses.

Then, when I imagine taking the nursing courses...I just stopped deciding to work

then and focus on nursing.

When you take medical-surgical nursing, which covers over 70% of

the licensing exam then you will realize how hard it is to do both (work and school).

I personally don't juggle both well so I prefer part-time status and even then

thats like only 10-20 hours that I am willing to work.

Just for spending money...I'm in my last year of nursing school so thats my plan.

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Specializes in Emergency Room.
It all depends on you. Personally if I were in your situation, I would at least cut my hours back. If being a nurse is your ultimate goal and money is not a factor for you, why add the extra strain? For FUN??? That 'pool' thing sounds sweet if you can get it. I'm going to be doing work study for the first semester, which is only 10 hrs per week (living on my reund), but after that i'm going to apply to be a nurse extern. That's a position in the network associated with my school that is an actual job, not finanicial aid related. You should see if your program has something like that because you'd have really good networking opportunity there and they work with you around your fluctuating school schedule. Hope that helps![/quote']

You're right! But the POOL position is mainly to keep my opportunity to be a nurse there once I graduate I like the connections and networking opportunities I have since I'm there. Thank you for the advice!

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Specializes in Emergency Room.
I've been a lift technician for a bit over a year now and it did make the first half of my first semester a bit rough. I was able to put in enough study time (at that time I was working Friday and Saturday nights, 8 hour shifts), but I really had no time to do anything outside of that. My job eventually switched to 12 hours and I got approved to only working Saturday nights that helped me out soooooooo much. I'm very thankful to have my job, pays really well, and my director/manager are super cool and they support my nursing school route. I'm even able to study at work when there is downtime too, especially since it's night time, I need things to do to keep me awake haha.

If I were you I would go through the 1st semester without work so you can see how it is and then over the summer and possibly through the rest of the program I would try to find a hospital job. I believe getting your foot in the door (ie. getting a job in the hospital) is KEY to getting a nursing job when you graduate. So yeah, I HIGHLY recommend finding a hospital job, if not now, at least later on throughout your nursing school journey. Or, at least volunteer.

Not to mention, extra $$$ is always good cuz when you're in nursing school, it's sucks to be broke!

I do have a hospital job already and I can work a position there where I can pick up shifts like 2 ones a month and still keep my door of opportunity open :)

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Specializes in Emergency Room.
I tried working at my part-time job in fast food during my pre-requisite days

and found that with anatomy&physiology that I was unable to juggle that

plus other courses.

Then, when I imagine taking the nursing courses...I just stopped deciding to work

then and focus on nursing.

When you take medical-surgical nursing, which covers over 70% of

the licensing exam then you will realize how hard it is to do both (work and school).

I personally don't juggle both well so I prefer part-time status and even then

thats like only 10-20 hours that I am willing to work.

Just for spending money...I'm in my last year of nursing school so thats my plan.

That's a good idea I don't want to work a lot during nursing school especially through the difficult courses that take even more time to focus on.

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Just reading this old thread. I am hoping to be accepted and application is in for the Fall. Last Fall work asked if I wanted to go from 24 to 32 hours. With a wedding and being married at the end of the year I jumped on it.

I wondering if I can keep up working 32 hour's so this thread gives some home. Gives me some anxiety if I can't with bills.

Trying to judge how the schedule work's. I applied to two programs. One of them is a bit chaotic with it's schedule, caters more to people workinf in the day time.

The other program seems straightforward.

From what I have researched classes rotate every year if clinical Monday or Friday.

So be clinical Monday or Friday. Clinical Thursday. Class Tuesday and Wednesday.

I have to figure out what I can do. I work rotating weekends so I would be working one weekend a week. I know Friday can work. Have to figure how to fit in another 16 hour's a week. Be so much easier if I could work night's.

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