working your way through NP school

[np_wannabe]

Good Morning all!

I was wondering....is it possible to work your way through NP school? and if you did it, how many hours per week/shifts per week were you able to work while maintaining your sanity??

I was just wondering if this was possible (I need that tuition reimbursement) or if I need to look into some other source of funding.

TIA.

[twalker]

I am in a NP program. It is actually my last semester, we are required to put in a lot of clinical hours. The instructors almost told us not to work and they also told us if we do work, they should never find out. They really "frown" on students that work their last semester. However, a lot of us have children along with bills. I work crazy hours on weekends, study like crazy at night, and pray often. It is basically doing what has to be done to survive.

Good Luck!!!

[Dixiecup]

you must be quite gifted, most students would struggle. most graduate programs expect 3-4 hours of study time per week for each credit taken. with three classes at 2-3 credits each you would expect 18-36 hours of study time outside of class time each week. combined with a full time job + some you have: work = 48 class, time = 6-8 , study time= 18-36 resulting in at least 72 hours committed and as much as 92 hours every week. unless you live at work or school you need to add another 10 hours of transportation time every week. when do you see your family?

i take 6 credit hours a semester and work full time and i am in no way gifted! the 3-4 hours of study per credit is slightly exagerated.

my school advised me to take a leave of absence during two semesters that are "extremely heavey". who would pay my mortgage and buy my food!!

i am concerned what i will do for clinicals. i work ltc and have two weeks vacation per year which cannot be accumulated. i guess i'll starve and have my house repossesed.

[tiredfeetED]

Don't you think the PA students have to work also? They have over 2000 hours of clinical required. I am not suggesting your program isn't tough, but don't you wonder about those who work Full-Time. I have numerous PA friends, they wonder why we have it so easy. Since both do the same thing after graduation (well almost) one of us has something wrong. Either we are too easy or they are too hard. This is from a FNP with over 20 years of practice, who at one time thought NPs were very superior to PAs (I no longer believe this)

As a RN who is currently in a PA program I can tell you that it is close to impossible to work fulltime while in school. I do work perdiem as do the other RNs in my class during thanksgiving/xmas breaks. With such a demand on nursing it is easy to pick up a shift here and there. Majority of the rest of the class cannot work like this and rely on financial aid/loans. PA programs require alot of class/clinical time ~40hours week. Rotations such as surgery are busy days and inpatient rotations requires taking call nights at alot of programs.

As I start my clinical year I have finally taking out loans since working will be very slim and the school likes there tuition. I had the option of doing a FNP online and working but wanted the route I am doing now and there are no regrets. Personally i believe it would have been tougher to do a online program and give alot of credit to those that go this route!

Good luck!!

[twalker]

I have to agree that it is hard to work full time and go to school however it is not impossible. I am not by all means one of the smartest people in the world but I do have responsibilities. The number one is family. In the FNP program that I am in, we go to school every week and do 240 clinical hours. The last semester requires 480 clinical hours. Those hours do not include class time, clinical time, study time, and the multiple papers and projects that are required. Despite all of that I have to put in 36 hours of work a week to maintain my insurance and to keep the utilities on. It just depends on what you have to do. If you don't have to do it, then you want it and if you have on other options other than to do it, then you really have no other choice.

God Bless

[Beef]

I worked full time while completing my FNP program part time. I was a slave to my scholarship (80% scholarship), which, now that I am finished, I am glad I did. However, when clinicals began, I had to work weekends only and take lots of reserved PTO. I have a very supportive husband who was a huge help at home. I have to add- all of us got sick towards the end of the program, so take care of yourself. You have to know what you can manage physically and mentally and you have to work efficiently.