honestly!

mikejsmithrn · Jun 30, 2008

Oh - I forgot to say the following because I was too busy talking about my experience...I saw a lot of nursing students (married, single, with children and without) WITH JOBS...they came and they went. Mostly, they said that they had to choose between work and school. The schedules were often conflicting. Now, I know it can be done, because I also saw those with jobs PASS NURSING SCHOOL. It was just risky and I saw a lot of tears with those people. The people with jobs seemed to have the hardest time staying in school. This was just what I saw. In my experience and seeing the other students...work and passing nursing school is the exception. I hope you are either the exception or you don't work. Enjoy these years...What are you willing to do to make it work? What aren't you?

If I made it through nursing school with my challenges (and there was no lack of them)...ANYONE can.

Whistler · Jul 1, 2008

it is prety much a must for me to work 35 hours a week while in nursing school. i have a pretty easy job which will allow for a decent amount of study time. do y'all think it is possible for me to try to do both. i talked to my councelor and she deemed the idea irresopsible and foolish. but this is not a choice for me im just married and my wife works full time while in school also and were barely making it. i guess im just searching for some
encouragement or something.

Hey, not to add anything new that hasn't been already said. I went through nurse school married with 3 children and a full time job (that included one and a half hour conmute) and passed school and NCLEX. It can be done but believe me it will take a lot of comitment and discipline. You really need to prepare mentally for long hour classes after your 8 hour job (unless you are lucky and can get some sort of a deal with your employer) and study time (more important than classes probaly). You really need to talk to your wife since this would involve both of you having close to zero common life.

I would kid you not. If you could do it without working would be better, but is not impossible. Discipline yourself, make a schedule and follow it religiously and forget about TV and other stuff for a while.

Good Luck

Dr.Nurse2b · Jul 9, 2008

it is prety much a must for me to work 35 hours a week while in nursing school. i have a pretty easy job which will allow for a decent amount of study time. do y'all think it is possible for me to try to do both. i talked to my councelor and she deemed the idea irresopsible and foolish. but this is not a choice for me im just married and my wife works full time while in school also and were barely making it. i guess im just searching for some
encouragement or something.

i would encourage you to do whatever is necessary to get through nursing school...meaning if you need to sell a kidney do so.

i hope my story will help you...

i did not go to college right out of high school...i worked a fulltime and part time job and at the time i needed both jobs to survive. although i was performing well i often dropped classes mid-semester because of my schedule...i thought better to drop one class then to fail three or four. i graduated with a 3.9 but i found it very difficult to concentrate on school and work and was very stressed throughout the whole endeavor. my wife suffered terribly from all the anguish i put her through as a result of stress.

so when it came to making the decision for nursing school my wife and recalled my undergrad days and she asked me... "how bad do you want this?" and my answer was "bad enough to give up everything we have".

currently i work 1 day per week at the hospital. my wife now works full time. i borrow as much as i can each semester and bank it as this is what makes ends meet. we are short about $200 every month. there are no luxuries in our life and i spend all my time in study.

now i am certain there are people jumping up and down saying "i can't do that!"... i am telling you that you can...i am a non-trad, older student now...and up until nursing school i was the sole provider in my household...my wife did not have to work and we had all the material spoils one could ask for...truly a blessed life.

when i began nursing school my wife and i agreed my only purpose in life would be to succeed at nursing school...one shot. so we cut all the frills, cut the movie channels, got a used car (no payment), stocked up on pasta, rice and frozen pizza and away i went. this is a family who once had a mercedes and lexus in the driveway...my wife now drives a hyundai and i drive an old vw 1970 vw bug to the college...not kidding.

we have gone as far as to plan on if we can't afford our mortgage...we would rent the house and move in with our parents if necessary.

so my point in saying all this is you will achieve whatever you believe...

the question is...

how bad do you want this?

Blove86 · Jul 9, 2008

WOW!!!!!!!!!! With stories like these, you guys sure inspired me. I feel blessed to be single, with no children, and not having to work. I ADMIRABLY take my hat off to the men that are doing this journey with families to support!!!

WorkinTheStreets · Jul 12, 2008

Bro....Keep the faith. I'm out here with a 40 hour job and two per diem gigs. Got to take care of the family first. Got to pay the mortgage and feed my 1996 Jeep. Holding a 3.63 GPA. Frills are short, the kids get what they need, the wife is happy (mostly) and I get a beer every now and then. If you love what you do, it's not work. If you hate what you do, it's called job.

paganoid · Jul 21, 2008

The director of my program told me I had to choose between Nursing School and work. I politely asked her if she thought my credit union would let me postpone my car payments for two years. She threw me out of her office. I don't recommend this approach.

I've finished the third year of NS while working 40-hour weeks as a medical records tech. It wasn't that hard, but I was blessed to be able to "call in sick" on exam days. I don't have any kids at home, but I did have to "decouple" from my partner for 9 months.

What's the catch? I took a B in Fall and Winter theory classes before I finally got an A in the Spring quarter. My GPA is now 3.965, oh well TS. Other students who didn't work but had kids at home saw similar results.

The single students who didn't work had time to party after studying. The rest of us just went off to work. It really wasn't as big a deal as most people said it would be.

WorkinTheStreets · Jul 21, 2008

As this is my 2nd go at education (I already have a BS in Engineering) I have found that counselors do 2 things, they represent the school and take the safe way out. They will always want you to have the max course load, because it brings money into the school. Second, they will advise you to keep total focus on grades so the school looks good...post graduation job placement records. Ultimately you have to decide what is best for you. I partied during my first go at college when I was a 20 something...big mistake. those friends are all gone. after diploma time, i had to pay the loans...not them. Big mistake....I should have worked a regular job and helped pay my way. I think if I spent some of my money on school while I was there, I would have valued it more. Even with my schedule now, I value every day I'm in class because I'm paying for it. Either that or it's because I'm awake and sober this time....At the end of the day, you have to answer to you.

KansasFNP · Aug 7, 2008

Its tough to go to school when you have to support a family. Just remember how worth it it will be after you're done!

MassED, BSN, RN · Aug 7, 2008

it is prety much a must for me to work 35 hours a week while in nursing school. i have a pretty easy job which will allow for a decent amount of study time. do y'all think it is possible for me to try to do both. i talked to my councelor and she deemed the idea irresopsible and foolish. but this is not a choice for me im just married and my wife works full time while in school also and were barely making it. i guess im just searching for some
encouragement or something.

if that job can accomodate NS hours, I'd go for it. You already posted you'd be able to study, and you don't have kids, I'm assuming. Worst case scenario you cut back on your hours or adjust your hours if they're interfering, especially with clinical time, which takes a lot of preparation. Then you'll have to do evening shifts for clinicals, so flexibility with a job would be crucial. You can do it, if those stars align. I worked with one person, I think, who worked FT while in school. Others worked part-time mostly. Is the counselor you asked concerning the job a nurse, or a faculty counselor/instructor?