You work and go to nursing school?

[umslalum]

first of all, kudos to those who manage to work and have a family and still do well in nursing school:yeah:! this is just one of my concerns. i am single with no kids, but a girl still has bills to pay. is it truly feasible to work and attend a college of nuring? i am interested in both accelerated and bsn upper division at bjc college. if anyone attends there and works, how do you manage? should i be concerned about this? i really want to do well.

l8r!

tam

[SillyStudent, ASN, RN]

First, Congrats on your decision to become a Nurse!!

I went to the local community college, and I worked for 50% of the program. I have a husband and two boys, and they were 3 and 13 years old when I started my program. MANY of my friends worked all the way through school, both AAS programs, and BSN programs. You just have to be organized, and perhaps willing to give up a few nights out to study. Getting a Nursing degree while working full-time can be tough, but it is not impossible.

I have no personal experience with the accelerated BSN program, however I have heard from friends that it is quite intense, and that it is more difficult to work while attending one. Perhaps some of the other folks here have attended that program and can give you a better idea.

I have also heard some (extremely questionable) statements that the accelerated BSN program isn't as 'good' as the full-length BSN program, but I would not let that influence you. I personally work with two accelerated BSN's who are awesome nurses! We all take the same boards, and whether diploma, AAS, BSN or Accelerated BSN, it seems that St Louis Nursing schools crank out terrific nurses very consistently.

I can't wait to read that you have graduated! Good luck!

[mama_d, BSN, RN]

It's a bonus that you're single with no kids. I love my kidlets to death, but honestly, if I'd have had my act together when I was younger and gotten all of my schooling out of the way, then had kids, we wouldn't be in the financial straits we are now.

I happen to be a very organized, anal-retentive nurse, but I use up all of those impulses at work. As far as my personal life goes, I'm a total scatterbrain. My POV is that if I managed to go to school for 14 hours, while pregnant, with a hubby and three kids at home, and their school and activities to keep track of and attend, and still maintain over a 3.25 GPA, while working four twelves a week, anyone can do it.

I know MANY others who do the same kind of thing, many of whom are in accelerated or traditional BSN programs, and manage to do quite well. I'm sure that if you put your mind to it, you'll be able to do it with flying colors.

But don't you wish we could just tell people like Ameren and Sprint, "Hey, I'm in school, can't I get those bills deferred?" and have it work?