Best jobs while in Nursing School?

luckylucyrn · Jul 19, 2008

In my area once you have adult health clinical under your belt you can be a nurse intern, which pays well here. Usually $14-$16 per hour. With shift diffs I was making $18! As a new grad at the same hospital my base pay was $20. So it was really good for me during my last year in school.

joetex12 · Jul 19, 2008

thank you all for your replies:-)

southlandshari · Jul 19, 2008

Get a CNA job as a sitter doing private duty. You make better money than the hospital and with all that down time you can study.
Get paid to sit and study 90% of the time!

I respectfully disagree. I would suggest that there are far better and more instructive "best jobs while in nursing school" than the "get paid to sit and study" version of home health care you describe.

In a hospital environment, the employee has the benefit of seeing multiple patients with multiple health issues, working with several different nurses

Jo Dirt · Jul 19, 2008

I respectfully disagree. I would suggest that there are far better and more instructive "best jobs while in nursing school" than the "get paid to sit and study" version of home health care you describe.
In a hospital environment, the employee has the benefit of seeing multiple patients with multiple health issues, working with several different nurses

If extra study time is what a person is looking for, they aren't going to get it where they have to be on their feet running around the whole time.

I worked private duty as an LPN while I studied to become an RN and the 7pm-7am shift was such a blessing and fit perfectly with my life as a student. My patient was an easy keeper, I only had to help her to the toilet a few times through the night and give her medicine twice a shift and the rest of the time I sat on the couch and studied.

No, I didn't see a smorgasboard of multiple patients with multiple health issues, but seeing as a CNA's job is mostly dealing with the basic necessities they won't deal a while lot with the aspects of those patient's clinical nursing problems, anyway.

I've been there and I've done it.

Jules A, MSN · Jul 19, 2008

If extra study time is what a person is looking for, they aren't going to get it where they have to be on their feet running around the whole time.

I agree and for people looking to pay their bills while in school CNA wages aren't going to cut it. Its been years now but I used to make a minimum of $180 cash per shift as a bartender. Personally I figured I would get experience in clinicals and after I graduated in the meantime I needed to pay bills. :)

Jo Dirt · Jul 19, 2008

I agree and for people looking to pay their bills while in school CNA wages aren't going to cut it. Its been years now but I used to make a minimum of $180 cash per shift as a bartender. Personally I figured I would get experience in clinicals and after I graduated in the meantime I needed to pay bills. :)

You know what?

I think you're right about CNA's making crummy pay.

BUT...

Not everyone is cut out to be a bartender. I went through that silly week-long bartending school and couldn't find a bartending job. I wasn't ever the type of person they were looking for.

As an LPN I sat most of the time and made $200 a night. You can't beat that. A CNA will not make that much, but for the same length of a shift they will make over $100 per night. This can be a godsend for a poor student.

joetex12 · Jul 21, 2008

Thanks for your replies. I hope we can all benefit from this thread; especially those entering nursing school. I guess what I think would suit me best would be a job where I make decent $, but also have a lot of time to study. A hospital environment would be great but isn't mandatory. Any suggestions?

pezzy68 · Jul 21, 2008

I worked as Nursing assistant during school.The hospital was very flexible with my hours, it helped ALOT.I was more comfortable with the pt and family members, the flow of the hospital and pt care in general..It also helps you appreciate you assistants, and know what their job entails.I feel ALL nurses should work as a nursing assistant during school, even if just for a few months...

Euskadi1946 · Jul 21, 2008

I worked as a monitor tech in my last year of nursing school which helped imensely in my critical care rotation. I worked on a step down tele unit with only eight patients. My supervisor told me that as long as watched the monitors often I could study at the desk.

joetex12 · Jul 21, 2008

What is required of this position (nurse assistant)? Do you have to be certified or anything?

joetex12 · Jul 22, 2008

bump*

jakolbfleisch · Apr 19, 2010

In most areas there are MH/MR positions that require the company to staff the homes 24 hrs a day while the clients sleep. In my area these jobs usually run from $8-$14/hr and you can usually get a far amount of study time in during your shift and its "usually" pretty quiet. :yeah: