CNA while in a BSN program

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I will be starting a CNA program in August that will last nine weeks. Shortly after I hope to find a job and be working. I recently found out that I was accepted into a BSN program that starts in January 2015 (yay!). My question is how do you guys manage to do both. I'm terrified that I'm going to be late for either work or school and screw everything up! Not working isn't an option so I've got to figure something out. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

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Specializes in Intensive Care and Perianesthesia Care.

I may not be the most qualified person to help you out here, but I know a ton of people in my BSN class that work as aids and go to school full time. Working in a hospital would be beneficial to you in many ways. Their scheduling is usually pretty flexible, to the point where you can manage school and work without being late to either. The only problem that my classmates seem to run into is that some clinical days might unexpectedly change and interfere with their work schedules. But if you were able to manage to get your foot in the door somewhere, you would have a definite advantage when it comes to finding a job after you graduate! Have you thought about rooming with someone who is also wanting to work while in school?

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I'm actually a mom of three so I have plenty of room mates. I really appreciate your comments, it helped ?. I know lots of people do it, I think I'm just terrified of the change

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Specializes in mental health / psychiatic nursing.

I'm not in nursing school yet, but work as a caregiver while taking my pre-reqs. I have a big wall calendar that both my husband and I use to keep track of our work schedules and my school. Anything big/important goes on there. It helps that he knows when my exams are coming up, and I know not to bug him when I come home after swing shift if he's got a 5am start time on the calendar for the next day.

I also use a planner to keep track of all my assignments and commitments, and will pencil in possible conflicts (do I want to take extra hours? Friend's birthday - are we doing something?) so I know what is coming up in the next few weeks at the very least. It really helps me prioritize my time and avoid scheduling conflicts.

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