Crossroads

[SweetSouthernLove, ASN, BSN]

Hello fellow nurses/nursing students,

I am currently at a crossroads and need some guidance. I have a great Patient Care Technician job part-time 7p-7a at the hospital I would KILL to become a RN at after graduation. I have been there 2 years this coming May. I will be graduating this December. My coworkers for the most part are super helpful and have been trying to do whatever they can to help me out when needed (including switching days, working my shifts, and even showing my certain nursing skills when things are slow and there is a learning opportunity). There is just one problem, clinical plus my exams and my classes are KILLING my working schedule.

Schedule is this: Monday (exams), Tuesday (Clinical + 1.5 hour post-conference 0630 to 2030 literally this is the time we have been released BOTH clinical days I have attended thus far), Wednesday (normally off but there are 2-3 days where I have clinicals from 0800-1600), Thursday is lecture/theory from 0800-1200, and then Fridays I usually have off and am always working this day since the program has started. I will also try and work Wednesday or Thursday to free my weekends up.

I am married but don't have children and my husband is very supportive, self sufficient and we are not struggling for money or paying our bills at this time. I have a savings account for just specific payments that I have saved for school. My medical/dental I have decided to postpone until after graduation due to the frequent visits and high out of pocket costs EVEN with my hospital's insurance (80/20 plan). I have asked pretty much everyone I work with and they say to just go PRN and get it over with. I feel like that is copping out but I am also increasingly absent which I NEVER have been in any job before and I also feel terrible when calling out due to the position it puts my unit to have to find someone. I have had perfect evaluations at this job and I really would hate to lose it over just being absent due to nursing school. I also realize how important school is and would not want to jeopardize my grades for a 12 hour shift as a CNA even as much as I do love my job (I am a nursing honor student that has maintained As/Bs throughout).

What should I do..I really would like to hear input.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Go to PRN staff to keep your smiling face in sight at a facility you love. But before you do it tell your nurse manager why, using the same words you posted. Say how much you absolutely love your job and your coworkers. Telling her how great her staff is reflects well on her, too, and she should be happy to hear it. Ask if there's a chance you could return to her floor when you graduate in 9 months, or if she would give you a reference to another floor in the same place if she has no vacancies at that time. Then see what she says. She might be able to decrease your schedule, or tell you that this is why the goddess made PRN staff pools and that she would be happy to use you on that basis until you graduate.

Nothing lost either way. Good luck!