Full-time job as a nursing student?

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I'm a recent high school grad living independently from my family and am very concerned about whether or not I'll be able to hold a steady job to help pay for rent, tuition, books, etc once i finish my lower-division courses and enter upper-division with clinical hours placing a high demand on my time. I've held a steady job for almost two years now, and can't imagine being in a position where I'm actually unable to work. I know that clinical hours vary from program to program, but I'm wondering if any ADN or BSN grads can tell me whether or not they think it'd be possible to work 30-40 hours a week on top of class and clinical hours? Thank you so much.

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If you are excellent with time management and your body will physically and mentally hold out then you will be able to do it. You will have to make sure your employer is VERY flexible though. There are times you will need to take off because your school or clinical schedule will change. Once you get through your first semester of clinical you can get a nursing asst job at the hospital, they will work with your schedule. I am only working part time (and I'm PN student) and it's about to kill me. My body just wont let me work full time and go to school full time. If your determined to work full time then go for it. It wont be easy but a lot of student nurses do it. Best of luck to you!

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Specializes in Med/Surg < 1yr.

I'm in my second semester of full-time NS and I started out working a double shift on Sat and Sun and a 7-3 shift on Tuesdays. I had to cut the 7-3 shift and only do the doubles. I just did well on my first Fundamentals test but failed my second one with F. Its because I have absolutely no time to study on the weekends. I work from 7am-11:30 pm Sat and Sun. By Mon I have to sleep in to recoup and being that I have a husband and kids and a sister with a 1 yr old across the street, everyone is pulling me in 50 different ways for attention. I am going to have to give up another day and I don't know which one it will be. It's hard working on the weekends because that's when everyone is off work and so much is happening and I can't enjoy anything. Like Princess said, time management is everything and being able to say no is a neccessity!

If you don't have kids or a significant other than it may be possible for you but organize your time and stick to it.

Best of luck!

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

I am not graduate yet, but I can relate to some degree. I am in an ADN program that is NOT conducive to full-time work. I work a full-time and a part-time job this summer but will drop to part-time in a week (both my employers are flexible with students, where one allows me to work from home) because 100% of those who have failed first and second semesters this past spring were full-time working students. In fact I had a Professor look at me like I had two heads when I told her how much I am working this summer. I quickly informed her it as only for the summer!!!

If you have a school who will work with you by offering clinicals on the weekends or lectures at night, then you should be OK. My school is strictly days with no weekends. Otherwise, it is HIGHLY advisable to get a job where your employers will work around your school schedule! This means you should be able to do homework while at work when it is slow, take off to study, go to lab, class, take a skills test, work from home, work weekends only, etc.! Otherwise you need another job!

Before I started nursing school I had to quit a very good full-time job because I had an inflexible supervisor. I watched one of my co-workers who was accepted to nursing school at the time fail several pre-requisites and co-requisites prior to her acceptance. Although my program allowed her to retake classes without penalty, she flunked out of nursing school within her first semester. Sadly, so far she has not returned! Thus, I did not want to be another victim of my former employers so I found another job with less pay but with more flexibility. GL.

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Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

That's all you can do....Once an employer decides that they can't be flexible with you, then you have to leave and follow your dream...I'm lucky in that we are a "self-schedule" hospital, and 1 woman i work with makes our schedule...I let her know that during the school year I need R and F off due to clinical research and clinical itself, and no problem....but if that changes, I'll find something else.....

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

I worked 32-40 hours a week working nights and weekends during nursing school. I too had to worry about rent and car payment and certainly couldn't afford to miss work for a week, much less 2 years.

When there's a will there's a way. To date it's the most difficult thing I've every accomplished, but I did it.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, ER, Peds ER-CPEN.

I am fortunate enough that we can squeak by on hub's pay, and the kids being old enough to get themselves off the bus on afternoons I'm in school or clinical helps too, I have great admiration for those that hold down a full time or even part time job on top of the school load we have, especially this next semester,

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I agree with Tweedy! I have a Husband and 5 kids. The schools say not to word full-time, but the kid's torn sneakers say the opposite. I work at a casino at night and balance being a mom and wife and all of the stuff that comes with being a mommy an during the day. I turn on the study time when the kids are sleeping, by myself during the day, or when I have a night off. It is not easy. Some of us are not fortunate enough to stay at home. I find that people who work full-time and commit to nursing school are some of the best time managers.Sleep? I try to get about 5 hours. Bad? Yes, but it will pay off in the long run. The other important factor is to take care of yourself! You are the driver of your own destiny. It's so close, you could feel it!!! Go for it!! :anpom: Let's use the word "challenging" not hard.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Surgical ICU.

Tweety thank you so much for that post!!

Simplicityscape, you can do it!! I just started my nursing classes in my bsn program and have to work full time. There is just no way around it, I have a mortgage, car, and need health insurance. I agree with the right time management you will be fine. I am lucky enough that my medical receptionist job allows me to get a lot of homework and studying done. Last semester I worked two full time jobs and had 21 hours in school. I managed fine, still a B average.

You can do it!!! PM me if you need any pointers. :)

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While obviously tons of people are able to work and pass, and a few are able to work and make As, it does make it much tougher. Also remember that if you're young, your friends are likely to be trying to get together on weekends - are you going to be OK with the equivalent of an 80 hour, 7-day a week job? That's pretty much what working FT during NS amounts to. Have you applied for financial aid? Unfortunately, even if you consider yourself financially independent the government won't until you're 25, so your parents will have to fill out their portion of the FAFSA. If they won't/cant help pay for school, will they at least cosign for a loan? Just make sure you check out all of your options, in case you go into school planning on working FT, make a 62 on the first test, and realize that you might be someone who needs a lot of time to study. Also, put away as much as you can right now before you start - any way to cut the hours you work in the program will be really helpful later.

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Are you living by yourself? If you are, is there anyway you could move in with a friend/relative. I own my own house and have found roommates to help me out financially. Yes, I much rather would have my house to myself, but I just keep telling myself it is just temporary. If you are in a one bedroom apt maybe you could move into a 2 bedroom, get a roomie and cut some costs.

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