Does anybody work full time while going to nursing school

fireangel · Apr 24, 2005

In response to your comment about wanting to buy a house, car and going to school with kids, you are absolutely right....it is possible. Last spring, my husband and I were both full-time nursing students, he worked two jobs and I worked one, we have one in kindergarten and one in junior high and we each got new vehicles and bought our first home. Granted, we didn't start from scratch like you did, we had been scrimping and saving for the longest time to get where we are now, but it was totally worth it.

For the original poster, I have been back in school since the summer of 2002. I have worked every weekend and most school breaks since then as an LPN. As I said before, we have two children and most of that time, my husband was in school also. Now I am three weeks away from graduating, have a job lined up and my husband is out of school, making a good living. When you start out, it seems like the end will never get there. It is hard, you feel exhausted most of the time and overwhelmed, and sometimes you just want to give up. But it is totally worth it.

You can do it!!:balloons:

Well in response to that last post about TraumaRN, beaing awake for 46 hours, and a med error, I am here to tell you usually when you have been up that long, you mind isn't even tired anymore, and all you can do is think. My longest up was 72, and I think I was more productive in those 72 hours that I have ever been, but it takes a while to recover and get back on schedule.
As fo the OP, well i am not in nursing school, yet my if I get into my program of choice I'll be working 40 hours a week as a CNA (7-3 shift), and then going to school a 5 minute walk away (If I get the job at the LTC that I applied for) from 5-10, and sometimes 4-10 four days a week. I will have Friday, Saturaday, and Sunday free to work and study. I have one child, 2 and a half months (will be about 6 months when school comes around). I think it is doable, hard but doable. And I think it is even more doable for women, seeing as in my opinion, we are the physically stronger (yes physically, and I have over 24 hours of gut wrenching contractions, with no pain meds under my belt of labor to prove it), and emotioanl stornger, sex believe it or not, of our species.
But anyway on top of working and going to school, I plan on buying a new house this summer, becoming a travel agent to hopefully bring in more income, and buying a new car. Oh did I mention that I am starting al of this from scratch. By that I mean I have no cash on hand or money in the bank. It may not seem doable to some, but I'm determined. So you can do it to. Just keep your eyes on the prize as they say, because this is just the means to an end.

dream8 · Apr 24, 2005

Thanks Everybody for your support and advice, I feel better now. I know I can do it. Although it will be hard, I can do it.

earthlovers123 · Apr 24, 2005

Thanks Everybody for your support and advice, I feel better now. I know I can do it. Although it will be hard, I can do it.

YOU CAN DO IT !

I AM DOING IT

WHERE THERE IS A WISH THERE IS A WAY !

FirewalkerRN · Apr 27, 2005

Well, I was working 3-11 five nights a week. This doesn't sound so bad except that my clinicals were from 6-3. I basically got up at 5. Went to school....changed into work uniform.......worked til 11. Got home and worked on nursing processes and studied a little until about 1am. I had a lot of support from my wife in taking care of my son. I will be honest, working/schooling for 19-20 hours a day was a whip!!! When I graduated I started working 12s and felt like I was playing hooky or something. It was probably the hardest thing I have ever done in my life and I wish you the very best.

Blessings

Scott

copied from PM

nursepotter05, RN · Apr 28, 2005

I have worked full time 30-36 hours a week. 3 12 hour shifts the entire time I was in nursing school. It was tough, but I did it. I would have had a 4.0 culmative G.P.A., but I made a B in OB. It can be done and done well if you put your mind to it!

sunnyjohn · Apr 28, 2005

You can do it! :balloons:

Yup, it will be hard, but you can do it!

LaShell · Apr 28, 2005

If you have a really supportive husband, mom, sister, or special someone in your life to help you can do it. So often we women bear the brunt of cleaning, cooking, appointments, etc. that we are spread too thin.

I'm in the same boat but have only been working 20 hours a week. I have two boys, one 13 and one 8 who is disabled. I found it's too much and am cutting back in the fall to working every other weekend. I have class on four days a week. I just find I can't remember things I learn in the school when I'm spread too thin and my nerves get shot.

Good luck to you!!!

Kabin · Apr 28, 2005

Yep, each person is different and one needs to evaluate their own unique time consuming activities. My significant other doesn't cook or do much cleaning around the house nor outside so those are my burden. I also mostly do the shopping. Add one 3 year old and nursing school to that and my spare time is at a premium. :)

KimberlyT · Apr 28, 2005

Hey Everybody,
Just wondering does anybody work full time while attending school. I will be entering nursing 2 in the fall and unfortunately Im going to need to work. I have a job working 3 days a week 12 hours. The other days I just concentrate on school. I also have twins that are 4 just to add that in the equation. Can I handle this? Is this possible? Help...... Any advice from anybody in the same boat.

Like some of the other respondents, one of my instructors also told us "not to work too much" -- that made me laugh. I wanted her to go and talk to my mortgage company for me! I worked full time as a legal assistant throughout nursing school and graduated with a 3.94. I was lucky that my kids are 13 and 16 and their Dad was always very supportive of my education. He had them for 4-5 days a week during the heaviest times, so I didn't have to worry about that. I think it's tougher if the kids are little, but if you have adequate help from people you trust, it can work. During nursing school I used up almost all of my vacation days for exam study and clinicals. I didn't have time to study much otherwise, but on those 2 days I would take off to study for a test, I did nothing else for about 12 hours a day. I almost always scored highest in my class on exams, but those 2 days of studying were never fun -- I dreaded them. You have to plan your time out well in advance. Look at your syllabus at the beginning of the term and tell your boss what days you need off so they can plan ahead. I also had supportive coworkers at my law firm to cover for me when I was out, and while my boss wasn't smiling on afternoons I left early for clinicals, he wasn't a jerk either. I was lucky to be able to manage work and school, but I also worked REALLY hard and had basically no life during nursing school. I hated it. But now I am an RN in a great hospital on a great unit and I have no regrets for that relatively short time of sacrifice. I'm in a much better situation now! You will be too. Just think like a nurse - plan ahead, anticipate potential complications and work hard.

jl_nurse · Apr 28, 2005

Yes, you can do it. Just don't lose your determination. My 2 year old son fractured his femur and was put in a spica cast two days before nursing school started. Two weeks after that my husband accepted a job in California, we live in Tennessee. So, I started school with a child in a spica cast, a husband leaving for an indefinite period of time, and I worked every weekend from 6 am- 10:30 pm every saturday and sunday. The worst part of this was all of our tests were on monday mornings. I graduated two years after that and have been told I was a "star" student. Don't ever lose sight of your dreams. You can do it!!! BTW. my son was in that cast for 8 weeks and my husband was gone for a year. I still can't believe it!