Can I work full time and attend nursing school?

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Hello everyone! I am a 25 year old student and after this semester I can apply for the nursing program at Broward college. I am completely independent and this requires me to work anywhere from 45-50 hours per week to pay my bills. Everyone keeps telling me that I can have a weekend job, but there is no way that I can complete the nursing program with a full time job. As for attending nursing school part time? I am told that at BC they only allow 5-6 students per semester to enter the program part-time, everyone else must be full time. I would like input from people in a similar nursing program at any school and what you guys think about my situation. Thanks in advance!

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Yes. It is possible to work full-time and attend nursing school full-time. I did it! Now did I want to work full-time while in nursing school? No, I did not have a choice. If you can afford not to work or work part-time, I would recommend doing that because you would be able to devote more time to studying.

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Also, from what I hear (I have not entered nursing school yet either), one of the things that makes work difficult is not just time for studying, but the fluid scheduling of your clinicals, and of classes and school activities themselves. Most bosses will not tolerate an employee changing their work hours every two weeks, changing availability on the fly, etc. Hopefully you'll be able to balance both!

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Yes! I also worked FT while going through nursing school FT. I worked Monday-Friday, from 7A-4P and went to school/clinicals on nights and weekends. I'm not sure if most nursing programs are similar, but we were given our class and clinical schedules at the very beginning of the semester; that way, we were able to schedule time off from work in advanced. So it's totally possible, but keep in mind that it's going to be rough. I almost burned out towards the end, but had a lot of support from family, friends, and classmates. Some of my classmates even had kids, were single parents, AND had FT jobs while doing the nursing program too!

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Specializes in CNA/PST.

Very difficult to do, I moved in with family so I could concentrate on school. Tried it and at a later age in life was too difficult.

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Specializes in Current: ER Past: Cardiac Tele.

I did it! I went to school FT anywhere from 4-5 days a week! I would push as many hours at work for Sat/Sun and then make w/e difference during the week. I tried to save at least a day or two after school where I would do all my HW and try and get as much studying done in between those days. It was hard, I almost had zero social life, but the storm has passed and now I'm an RN! :)

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