Is It Possible To Work During Nursing School?

Students repeatedly ask variations of the following questions: "Is it possible to work while enrolled in the nursing program at my school full-time?" "Should I work while attending nursing school?" This article will attempt to address five different points of consideration separately with the goal of helping readers make this important decision. Nurses Announcements Archive Article

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I knew I wouldn't be able to work in nursing school. Several years ago I tried working full time and going to school, and I just couldn't do it. Granted that was several years ago, and I've changed a lot in that time, but now I also have a toddler and soon a newborn. I'd rather not risk my education in trying to juggle too much right now.

Financially, it's scary for us. We're one income, low income at that, and there's a possibility my husband may be out of a job by September. We're scared out of our minds, but we also have a really strong family support system as well as that he has some contracting work he can do in the fall and get a lot of hours. He has a hopeful job prospect. Otherwise it's scary, but we know we have to get through this as we will be far better off after school. Provided I get graduate and get a job. I don't expect to be bringing in tons of money, but we'll be far better off than we were before, and I'll be doing something I've wanted to do for many years.

So we're accepting that we need to take a few steps back to be able to move forward. Though we do have a small safety net.

I agree that it's not something that everyone can do, but we fortunately have both of our families support in me quitting my job to do this.

I currently work as a patient sitter or care attendant. We care for psychiatric patients or older confused patients that are a harm to them self. I work as a casual so I work when I can, which is helpful during school. You don't need a certificate to do this job. We have some responsibilities that NAs have but not all of them. We mainly sit in a patients room for 4 or 8 hours with them and make sure they are safe. Nice part is we can bring textbooks with us and study :)

Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.
I currently work as a patient sitter or care attendant. We care for psychiatric patients or older confused patients that are a harm to them self. I work as a casual so I work when I can, which is helpful during school. You don't need a certificate to do this job. We have some responsibilities that NAs have but not all of them. We mainly sit in a patients room for 4 or 8 hours with them and make sure they are safe. Nice part is we can bring textbooks with us and study :)

I had a job like this during my prereqs! It was awesome getting paid to study!! 😀

Not if you are in an Accelerated

BSN program.

:)

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.

Specializes in CVICU, CCRN.

Been trying to get a job for an entire year, but of course the endless cycle of "You can't get hired unless you have experience, and the you can't get experience unless you're hired" circle does full loops around me. Been trying for a year with no luck, and coming from an incredibly populated suburban-y area, with no close network of families to help, my luck has been pretty dry.

In any case, I have gone circle, and realized that it's not the end of the world. I'm not a mother trying to support children, nor am I in my 40s starting a 2nd career. I'm 21, BSN, soon to be graduate, and I know I'll catch my break some day. In the meantime, I say, I should just enjoy the little freedom I have until then. :)

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Been trying for a year with no luck, and coming from an incredibly populated suburban-y area, with no close network of families to help, my luck has been pretty dry.
Are you only applying at hospitals? If so, your chances for finding work would increase if you applied at group homes, adult day care centers, jails, prisons, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, home health companies, hospices, and private duty agencies.
Specializes in Critical Care.

I worked about 30 hours a week. Expect to get poorer grades and to miss any "social" aspects of NS like study groups, but it's doable.

Specializes in CTICU.

I work 42 a week and have a 93 average right now in fundamentals, 3.54 GPA and exit hesi in 2 weeks

I was a single mom working full time as a legal secretary while attending nursing school. I would work all day, then take the city bus to campus and have class until 9 pm 3-4 nights a week, with clinicals on the weekend. It was very hard and I didn't have a life AT ALL, but I did well and had a 3.94 GPA. I did have the support of my ex-husband, who kept the kids while I was so busy. I also took out loans -- which I regret, because some of it was used for living expenses and I should not have done that. If you need to borrow for tuition & books, I think that's reasonable, but still should be avoided if you can. If you can work in a healthcare environment while in school, that would also be preferable because you do learn things by being in that environment -- I was really a fish out of water since I had no healthcare experience going in!

I'm hoping to get into an ADN program this fall. If I do, I have a couple grand saved but not enough to see me and my son through the 2 years. I'm planning to work part time and take out loans to supplement the rest. He is a toddler and I only get to be his mom once. I would rather have some student loan debt to pay back in a few years after school then miss this time with my son. So I'll be going to school part time and work part time.

I am currently debating whether or not I should work while attending school...thanks everyone for sharing your insights!

Specializes in Forensic Psychiatry.

There are some who do, but it honestly depends on you as a person and how you can make it work. Nursing school is not easy and I think you will find it difficult to work more than part time. In our program, we were not allowed to work at all during the school year and kicked out of the program if they found out that we did. I had to, my loans didn't cover my living expenses, and ended up working 16 hours a week on weekends. I was terrified that they would find out, but luckily the school never did. It was manageable, but I didn't get the grades I REALLY wanted and I had no life.