Duke ABSN - work + school?

[chickenlake]

This is for anyone who is or has been in Duke's ABSN program. Bottom line - is it possible and/or feasable to do well in this ABSN program and work part time?

I have been working in biomedical research for ~6 years (3 at Duke) and recently decided to go into nursing. Hubby won't be done with his BS degrees until sometime in 2009. I don't want to wait that long to go back to school . . . On the other hand, I don't want to lose our house and live off of Ramen noodles for the 16 months of the ABSN program because neither of us has an income. I spoke with one current Duke ABSN student who said some of her classmates have part time jobs. I can probably stay on the payroll with my lab and just come in afternoons and weekends.

In others' experience - is it feasable to hold a part time job while going through Duke's ABSN program? Alternatively, is there anyone out there for whom it has worked OK to put living and tuition expenses on grants and/or loans? Does either of these scenarios cause a huge decline in standard of living while in school? We are not extravagant spenders, but like I said, I want to eat healthy and keep our house. We are not planning on having children.

Any advice or anecdotes would be greatly appreciated!

[NurseKitty NC]

I have a few friends that have gone through the program. Some worked, some didn't, some had small children at home, some had very active social lives ... Basically, those who wanted to succeed badly enough found the means to balance school with other responsibilities. It's all about managing your time efficiently, keeping in mind that school has to come first. It can be done .. :)

[chickenlake]

Thank you - this was helpful!

[NC1234]

Duke ABSN

Just wanted to share this info ...

Currently both Duke & UNC hospitals (together covers several hospitals in Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill) offer DUKE ABSN students tuition assistance or loan reimbursement. You have to call the hospital for details (not really available online) but basically

Duke- after graduating from the Duke ABSN for every year you work for duke you get $11,000 extra on your 1 yr. mark. Up to 3 years. Duke also has an RN-TAP program & Employee tuition assistance program. RN-TAP is after working for Duke for 1 yr. if you work 30hrs/ week they will pay for 90% of tuition for classes. After working for 2 yrs at Duke you can take advantage of the Employee Tuition Assistance Program.

UNC- before you reach the 1/2 way mark of your Duke or UNC ABSN program you must sign a contract with UNC and for every Month you say you will work for them after the Duke or UNC ABSN you get $1,000 a month (I'm not sure if it is up to 2 or 3 yrs) The money is issued in a few months at a time. UNC also has some kind of Employee Tuition Assistance program. Someone from UNC feel free to add!

Pros/Cons. BOTH HOSPITALS HAVE TO TAKE OUT TAXES AT SOME POINT! UNC you get the money up front= borrow less =less interest but breaking contract is very bad from my understanding (like 10%+ interest?) Duke take out loans up front = interest, but if you decide at graduation you don't want to work at Duke or want to move after 2 months no loss. I'm not sure if either program forces you to show you have loans ( I don't think they do)

More Information

and to Apply for the RNTAP:

Web: http://www.dukenursing.org

DUHS Intranet: http://nursing.dukehospital.org

Phone: [phone] or 919-684-9151Duke University Health System (DUHS) and the Duke

University School of Nursing (DUSON) support the continued education and learning of DUHS registered nurses. A highly educated nursing workforce further strengthens the quality of care, clinical outcomes, and translation of nursing research into clinical practice

within DUHS. The Registered Nurse Tuition Assistance Program (RNTAP) provides funding either alone or in concert with the Duke Employee Tuition Assistance Program. For eligible registered nurses, RNTAP contributes 90 percent of tuition for study towards a master's degree or post-master's degree certificate at the Duke University

School of Nursing.

Program Features:

*RNTAP application must be approved by the manager and DUHS Nursing Administration prior to the first day of classes.

*RNTAP award (minus required tax withholding) is posted to the student's DUSON bill.

*Successful completion of the course with a grade of "C" or better (or "Pass") is required to retain the RNTAP payment. If a student fails to successfully complete the course, the RNTAP dollar amount will be deducted from the amount provided for the following semester, or the student will be required to pay back the RNTAP funds for the course in which the student

was unsuccessful.

*After an award of $2,500 from the RNTAP, staff must work in a benefits-eligible status as a DUHS registered nurse for a period of three consecutive years. An eligible DUHS registered nurse whose employment status drops below a benefits-eligible status, or who

terminates for any reason prior to the work repayment period must repay 50% of the amount of RNTAP funds received over $2,500.

How it Works:

While the source of funding varies based on years of service and semester, the RNTAP helps cover up to 90% of the cost of

DUSON tuition for DUHS registered nurses pursuing a graduate degree. Registered nurses with one to two years of continuous

service are only eligible for the RNTAP. Registered nurses with two or more years of continuous service are eligible for the

RNTAP and the Duke University Employee Tuition Assistance Program.

http://www.hr.duke.edu/benefits/educ...stance.htmlFor

[azrose82]

I went through the program and would recommend keeping the job ONLY if it is super flexible. The first and 2nd semesters are ridiculously tight... I remember regularly spending 10 hours studying on saturdays alone. There are a few classes that really will eat up all of your free time. My husband and I did the program together and took out loans for living/school. Totally worth it to not feel obligated to "make ends meet" with a small amt of supplemental income. On a side note, our loans are almost paid off. It's amazing how cheaply you can live on a decent income when you're used to living off loans!