Are side jobs manageable?

[Brianna25610]

I'm about to go to college and was wondering if anybody has any side jobs, is it managable or do you burn out. I was thinking about possibly working night shifts as a nurse and working during the day part time. Any suggestions?

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

I worked as a CNA in a hospital while I was going to RN school. It was totally manageable, and I loved it as I was learning from my nurse co-workers. Of course I had great ​help from family and friends, especially my sister and our neighbors, since my husband and I were raising 4 kids and he was going to school too. It's important to have a support system.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

I worked evening and night shifts all through nursing school. Very doable.

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

I think Brianna is asking about side jobs while working as a nurse.

I would strongly advise that if you are working nights, you do not work at your side job when you work that upcoming night.

I could see bartending/waitressing on off-weekends or even off-nights not working, as long the shifts aren't too long. I know a nurse who used to work at the Disney store part time (but she was per diem with her RN job) and others who are fitness instructions. Still more do independent consulting for companies like Mary Kay, LulaRoe, Lipsense, etc.

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. When will you sleep, OP?

I have a FT job and a PRN gig. When I worked nights at my FT job, I tried to pick up night shifts at my contingent job. Sometimes that didn't work out and I had to wok day shifts, but I never worked both jobs in the same day and would give myself a minimum of 24 hours between a night and a day shift.

Now I work days at my FT and PRN job. It is very doable, though it can be rough. It is a lot easier for me to work more hours physically. While working nights FT, I only worked the bare minimun at my PRN job. Now I have the energy to pick up more, if I want.

[caliotter3]

I held a full time nursing job at night, one or two part time nursing jobs at any given time, went to school full time with a one and one half hour commute, and was raising a teenage daughter alone. It worked while it worked. When it didn't work, everything went out the window, and I mean everything. You can't afford to get sick, or for the car to break down, or for the child to decide to act like a delinquent, or for your full time job to select you for downsizing. Or for that matter, one of your relatives to die, or any other calamity of life. Like I said, when it works, it works, when it doesn't, it doesn't. Time for Plan B or Plan C.