I've seen students say they have jobs as PCTs during school, and the only way I can think of is a night PCT position. I currently have a good job in another field, but I'd really like to work ICU or Telemetry as an RN when l graduate, and have seen some postings for night ICU techs in my area that appear to require no experience & just a CNA, EKG and basic phlebotomy cert.
How doable is it to have a night job & then go to school? (Presumably sleep after school...) I'm thinking maybe it would be possible to work 2 weekend days and only have one day during the week where it would be a school day immediately following a night shift.
Has anyone done it, and were you dead tired at clinicals, or did you find yourself not having enough time for homework?
I was an extern who worked Fri Sat night...then I would go to class Monday morning and do clinicals, labs, whatever other days of the week. Now I'm an RN on that same floor working Tues Fri Sat. I have grad school classes on Thursday. So it's doable. Don't let ppl tell you that you HAVE to study hours each day..everyone will be different.
Our program does not allow students to work the night before and then attend clinicals the next day. I think they even use it as grounds for dismissal from the program.
My boyfriend does it, and only makes in on tons of coffee, energy drinks, etc. He works full time at night and goes to school full time. His classes are a lot easier then mine though, and he crammed them all into 3 days a week (where he is in class up on average 6 hours a day). He is a criminal justice major at a CC. Sometimes he is up for 48 hours straight. Also doesn't do much homework and isn't concerned about grades. Don't think it would be doable in nursing school.
I'm in nursing school full time and work on night shift (11p-7a) as a CNA 24-28 hrs a week. It was tough at first but I got used to it. I work Tuesday and Friday nights, and then every other weekend.. so the only day it really affects me at school is on Wednesday mornings.. but I only have a 3 hour class that day, so its not too bad.
The best advantage for me so far is that I can get in a pretty good amount of studying time at work. I'm halfway done the program, and I'm doing really well. :)
kgh31386, BSN, MSN, RN
815 Posts
I was an extern who worked Fri Sat night...then I would go to class Monday morning and do clinicals, labs, whatever other days of the week. Now I'm an RN on that same floor working Tues Fri Sat. I have grad school classes on Thursday. So it's doable. Don't let ppl tell you that you HAVE to study hours each day..everyone will be different.