What kind of jobs do nursing students have?

[Joe NightingMale]

While in nursing school, I mean.

I know that many work part-time in a wide variety of positions, but I also know many work in health-care related fields too. I was wondering what type of health-care roles others here had worked.

With my first (and most difficult) quarter over, I figure I should get a job so I won't have to totally depend upon student loans (I could do it, but why live in poverty if you don't have to?). I'd like to get something in health care for the experience, the only problem being that I don't have any health care experience except for this first quarter of nursing fundamentals. I could work part-time in another field but why not start putting those skills to use...

[LMRN10]

I'll be starting clinicals in January, but I am an Administrative Assistant for a Marketing Team for a large Pharma Company and I will continue that when I am in school. I work full time days and will be going at night for clinicals. Challenge...yes. Impossible...no. Has to be done as I have a husband and daughter and I carry the insurance!

[MB37]

The bad thing about health care jobs - including entry-level nursing - is that they mean taking a serious pay cut from bartending. I've never made less than $20/hr, and that's at my crappiest bartending gigs. I've made as much as $50. That's why I never got a "real job" after I got my first degree. I'm going to nursing school so I can make a similar amount of money while getting neat things like health insurance and a guaranteed job somewhere even if a major hurricane comes and floods my entire city (although I was 2 weeks into NS when that happened).

[mturner88]

Right before I started nursing school I worked at a huge marketing firm and was an insurance claims analyst. Then they were upset about me going to nursing school so they let me go and then I received unemployment for six months. Now I have a job working for a temp agency as a cash poster for one of the hospitals here in Wisconsin. I interviewed for a Nurse Extern II position back in June but I had not heard anything from them until last night. I was told if I was still interested that they would like for me to come and work on a Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit. I find that its easier to land a hospital job if you already have a CNA license (which I don't have) or if you are closer to graduating.

[lilag02]

I am a bartender. It is the only job that I can fit into my crazy schedule. Plus, I can make a lot of $$ in a short amount of time. The bad thing is sometimes I have to work until 4am. I am going to make a great night-shift nurse

I had to LOL at this! I bartend Fri and Sat nights right now, and intend to do so through NS, since I have my weekdays mostly free, and I only have two kids and a house to tend to then. I would love to be able to rely on financial aid or take a pay cut and work in a hospital, but DH "makes too much money" yet not enough, and my $300-400 a week pays for childcare and groceries. If the schedule continues to work for me, I'm considering working the night-shift and putting the extra money straight into a retirement fund to catch up on that.

Laura

[lilthorina]

I was a CNA while in LVN school....

I will be going to LVN-RN bridge this Aug 08, obviously, I will be working as an LVN at a nursing home for 16-24 hours per week....

[Transgender_n_TN]

I'll be starting clinicals in January, but I am an Administrative Assistant for a Marketing Team for a large Pharma Company and I will continue that when I am in school. I work full time days and will be going at night for clinicals. Challenge...yes. Impossible...no. Has to be done as I have a husband and daughter and I carry the insurance!

I also work as an Administrative Secretary in a local hospital, for a Director level executive. And will also try to continue working while i'm in school. I work full time days and am in the evening/weekend program as well. I also carry the insurance....! lol

[hTx87]

i will be starting nursing this fall and will be working. i will be working as a manicurist/nail tech, have been doing this for a lil over two years now.

[bulldoggurlie]

for the first year of nursing school i worked on my campus as a student receptionist. It was really good because the work wasn't hard and i was able to study on the job some. Now that I am eligible for an externship, I'm doing that to gain experience but the hours and the work aren't as forgiving for studying

[Rainyforever10]

I'm a nanny! It's a great break from the hospital sometimes and also the tricks I use for getting kids to do what I want often also work in the hospital. It's flexible and gives your brain a break. Plus it's great money and it's all under the table. :)

[NRSNFL]

I have had interesting opportunities come my way. Lets see, I am obligated to be a tech on the floor one day a week when I'm in school, and during breaks I am supposed to work full time. However, my manager is incredibly supportive and allowed me to apply for a job within the organization on the project of rolling out electronic medical records. So I train nurses and physicians on the new software prior to rollouts and then help support thereafter. It's interesting and breaks up the monotony of being cancelled during summer low census. Plus it doesn't hurt that it pays better than being a tech.

Win win. I can't wait to finish however, and get back to patient care.

[jrose2010]

I am currently a paralegal and am starting Nursing school this fall. My boss has been great and flexible with my hours. I'm even allowed to work at home some which isn't easy with three kids there!

[lilhev333, BSN, RN]

I currently work full-time at a lumber yard w/flexibility and hope to stay there during NS since they told me they would make my schedule work around my NS schedule. I have a dh who works, 3 children and bills...I'd love to not work and focus on school but you know how kids are...insurance required! lol