clinicals + full-time job = ?

jodyangel, RN · Feb 10, 2006

LOL Marie. I'm with you on this one. If anyone knows anyone willing to be a suga-daddy for me so they can pay my bills...PM me. LOL!!

I was told the same thing, but it's also impossible for me to eat without money to buy food.

Mags4711, RN · Feb 10, 2006

I was not married, nor do I have any children, so what I did was a lot easier than someone who has either or both.

In LPN school, I had class or clinical five days a week from 6:45am-4pm (8am on class days, 6:45am on clinical days, and I had 24 hrs of clinical a week), as soon as I got out of clinical, I drove straight to work (I was working as a clerk at a hospital) and worked until almost 1am, then home and right back up and at it again. At that time I worked Mon-Fri, and I killed myself during the week so that I could have my weekends free for studying or social diversion. Two full days off was the most important thing to me at the time.

RN and paramedic school, I decided that I would do better with time off during the week in the evenings to prepare for the next day of class or clinical. You see, the first time around I was having difficulty finishing my care plans and med sheets since I was working each evening. So for RN school I was working as an LPN, and I would work 7:30p-midnight on Thursday night, 7:30pm-8:00am Friday, Saturday and Sunday night then Monday morning after I got off work I would go to class at 8:00am and would have class until 9:00pm. Believe me, that was a really tough day. By the time I was taking my medic classes, I dropped to 36 hrs/wk, 3-12's and was working as an RN.

It *is* possible, but it is NOT easy.

I wish you luck.

ollied · Feb 10, 2006

I'm just assuming the the colleges you all go to do not have night and weekend ADN Programs, with those schedules. I work full-time and I'm taking 3 classes. I'm very fortunate to have flex scheduling at my job so I can take 2 classes during the day one on Mon. and the other on Tues. but my other class I take Friday nights and Sat. from 8-1:30. Clinicals in the weekend programs are on Sundays from 7-3. I need health insurance for my daughter and I need to eat. I don't have the luxury of not having a job. If I were 18, sure not problem, but I'm 42 and have bills to pay.

rhapsodyRN · Feb 18, 2006

It's hard. I started out working 38 hours per week. I took off an hour early on the two days I had class. By the time clinicals started I was down to 36. I presently do 36 per week, but sometimes I have to take some vacation time to cover an extra few hours. This semester we have clinicals W-Th from 4:30-10:00 every other week. Classes are M&W 4:00-6:00. I take Thursdays off completely so that I can do the paperwork for clinicals or I'd die. I'm lucky in that my school offers a part-time nursing program that goes in the evenings, but not everyone is so lucky. You'll figure it out. Good luck!

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Feb 18, 2006

i have my assocaites from ****** (not in nursing though, i am at ***** nursing now...small world huh?!)

my friend just graduated from ******* nursing program and let me tell you she had it rough. they have just changed instructors and apparently it was/is a mess up there and her clincals were alllllllll over the place. she would have classes at say 8am in the morning and after that would have clincals and wouldn't get home till midnight or later, then have to back at school by 8am the next day. hopefully they have things straightened out now.

i would go and talk to them and find out what your schedual will be like, that way you can see if it will work with your work schedual. is your job flexible? that would be a plus.

haveing said all that at least half the nursing students i know at ****** have to work (only one works full time though and is having a very hard time, one girl flunked out her senior year so it is no joke) but the part timers without kids are doing fine. i plan to work part time my last year as a nurse extern.

it wont be easy but hello, not everyone have a choice in the matter ya know? we have to eat! buy diapers! pay rent! pay tuition, buy books, etc!

moderator's note: name of school edited out

CRNAhopefulguy · Feb 18, 2006

well ill update and say i stopped working one of my jobs that was 3 days a week and now just work 2 days a week, cuz clinicals and class are too overwhelming and leaving no time to study and suffering on my grades. gl tho

moomoo · Feb 18, 2006

Good Luck To Everyone !!!

carrie13 · Feb 20, 2006

I am in a part-time evening program and have managed to work my fulltime job as well as a part-time job while attending nursing school. Granted the part-time program takes a lot longer to complete but financially I was not in a position that I could enroll in a full-time program. This is my schedule:

Mon - work 8-5, school 6:30-10

Tues - work 8-6

Wed - work 8-4, clinical 5-12

Thurs - work 8-5, part time job 6-11

Friday - work 8-6

Sat - part time job 3-11

Sun - part time job 3-11

Yes - it is a lot and I don't get a lot of sleep and rest. But I find for me personally I do a lot better when I don't have a lot of free time on my hands. I know that the time I have allocated to study I have to study because otherwise I would never get it done. It really comes down to your ability to juggle all the responsibilities of school and work.