2 full-time jobs?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi! I am wondering how likely and doable it is to work two full-time jobs as an RN?

I am currently in nursing school and will be graduating with over $200,000 in student loan debt (before interest) because of some stupid financial decisions I made. I chose to go out of state for a different major and took the wrong route on changing it. Rather than transferring back to an in-state school or even community college, I stayed out of state and somehow wound up in a private nursing school. Long story short, I am doomed when I have to begin paying my loans. :cry:

I am terrified of not being able to make my ~$2000/month loan payments working as a nurse, and I know I would not be able to live a sustainable lifestyle this way. I will be moving back in with my parents and throwing almost my entire paychecks towards loans, and I am afraid that after bills I will not have enough to make these payments. I would do absolutely anything to be able to have these loans paid off within ten years but it'll be nowhere near possible with one job in nursing.

My situation being as stressful and complicated as it is, I am having a difficult time wanting to keep going and graduate, but I know I won't be able to afford to pay off my current loans without a degree. Due to all of this, I was wondering how possible and doable it is to work two full-time jobs as an RN? I plan to work in the DFW metroplex, and my preference for my first job would be in a pediatric ER but I am open to anything, just because of my situation.

EDIT: I am still unfortunately 3 years out from graduating but am stuck in the situation I am in. I am a first generation so nobody in my family understood what I was getting myself into, so please don't judge too hard!

Have you looked into military service? You'd likely be making enough to pay your student loans already accumulated, maybe get some experience as a medic, and have help with schooling after your service (more if you decide to continue with reserves).

I echo the others that 200k is just way too much. You mentioned marriage... would you be OK with putting off kids until loans are paid off? (Wold your partner be OK with that?) You will not be able, nor want to, work 2 jobs with babies and small children. You would never see them. I say this not to makeep you feel worse but to realize the gravity of the situation. It will impact your life much more than working two jobs or OT. If you can avoid it by military service... even if that sounds drastic....I would.

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Have you looked into military service? You'd likely be making enough to pay your student loans already accumulated, maybe get some experience as a medic, and have help with schooling after your service (more if you decide to continue with reserves).

I echo the others that 200k is just way too much. You mentioned marriage... would you be OK with putting off kids until loans are paid off? (Wold your partner be OK with that?) You will not be able, nor want to, work 2 jobs with babies and small children. You would never see them. I say this not to makeep you feel worse but to realize the gravity of the situation. It will impact your life much more than working two jobs or OT. If you can avoid it by military service... even if that sounds drastic....I would.

My childhood dream was to be an army medic - but, I got diagnosed with epilepsy so that was blown out of the picture unfortunately. You all make good points about the degree that my life will be impacted.

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you can do one of those programs with a state that will repay your loans in exchange for working for them for a certain amount of time. you can also look into being a nurse for the military they will help payback loans to if you enlist with them.

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Specializes in mental health / psychiatic nursing.

One thing to consider (as you've already nixed moving home and going for a cheaper ADN degree) is that if you stay at your current out-of-state school look into what it would take to qualify for resident status for tuition (it may mean deferring admission for a year and working full-time, which honestly would help you pay down some of the debt you already have and/or save up for what is to come), as qualifying for in-state tuition could save you a significant sum of money over the course of the degree. I'd also look around at other schools in your current out-of-state location for cheaper options - a public community college ADN program is likely to be MUCH, MUCH cheaper than a private-school BSN even if you have to take a few additional pre-reqs to make it work.

Also talk to financial aid office about options for residency exchange (some schools will give you in-state tuition as an out of state student if you are from a "preferred" out-of-state state - usually this is regional to neighboring states), also any and all scholarships you may qualify for, grants, loan repayment programs, work-study options, etc. If your school has a dedicated financial adviser for students talk to that person ASAP about planning for your financial future.

I would plan on working as much as you can during school to minimize the amounts you need to take out in loans.

After graduation working two full-time RN jobs is theoretically possible but I would not recommend it, due to the very real risk of physical and psychological burn out. Plan on working night shift for the differential, and pick up as much overtime as you can safely work. A Per diem side gig is also possible.

Finally start planning now on how you will live as frugally as possible once you graduate - you'll want to throw as much as possible at your debt each month or else you'll just be paying off the interest and not even hitting the premium and it will take you decades to pay off if ever. Taking on this much debt will have a significant impact on your life for years to come, so really start planning for how you will live with that.

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Specializes in Pedi.

Working 2 full-time jobs would be logistically challenging because of things like weekend, holiday and (possibly) rotation requirements. In my area of the country, all the large teaching hospitals hire nurses for into day/night rotation positions. Neither job is going to be willing to accommodate the other if they are both full-time. You COULD work one full-time job and then pick up a per diem job and sign up to work shifts at the per diem job on your day(s) off from your primary job. Other options- walk dogs, drive for Uber or Lyft, baby-sit, all things you can do on your days off to earn extra money.

I am going to echo everyone else who told you not to go 200,000 into debt for a nursing degree. The only thing worth going that far into debt for is a house. I don't really think you're thinking the whole situation through.

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Two full time jobs would not work out. You would need time to sleep, eat, and commute. Meeting weekend and holiday requirements for both facilities would not be possible.

PLEASE consult a financial advisor. The initial consult is free and they work wonders.

I wish you the best of luck.

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Quick Question: Your nursing school is accredited, right?

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Specializes in Oncology.
I have Parent PLUS loans that will be refinanced under my name once I complete school and have Subsidized Stafford Loans. Are these eligible for income-based repayment plans? I figured the Parent PLUS wouldn't be, and they're the one's that will have >$100,000 accumulated.

I don't know about the Parent PLUS loans, but the Stafford Loans will qualify. You should also look into the Nurse Corps Loan Repayment program. You have to work at a facility that meets certain criteria for 2 or 3 years, but can end up getting up to 85% of your loans forgiven. (Parent loans won't qualify for that program, but it would take care of your personal loans.)

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Specializes in hospice, LTC, public health, occupational health.

This thread made me think of this comment on another topic:

Bottom line: Accreditation matters! For-profits answer to their shareholders, not their students. If there's no waiting list or competitive admission standards- there's a reason and it ain't a good reason.
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You said your job only covers half of your rent. I currently work in foreclosures and while renting isn't owning, it doesn't take a mathematician or someone in the field to realize that's not going to work. How are you able to swing that? Will you be able to swing it for another 3 years if you are still unable to find a roommate?

And have you looked at the option to defer your student loans for a year or two? My deadbeat ex did it for YEARS (no way at all implying you or anyone who does this is a deadbeat, he just had money and refused to pay, put me into debt then stole my money). So I mean, if he did it, you may want to call whoever you got the loans through and see if it's an option to help qualm your worries if you do hopefully decide to jump ship and find cheaper waters.

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Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry.

It most definitely would NOT cost you more money to go to a community college and eat the time you spent at another costly school. Majority of community colleges could get you a degree for under $10K from start to finish. Very few will be more then that. Basically you are planning to give away $110K to an absurdly expensive school in order to not have to redo 1-2 years of school. That's just plain dumb.

Start over at a cheaper school. Adding $10K to your current $90K of loans means you be paying off $100K in the end. Half the payments each month. You won't make $100K in one year and demoed I gotta in where you work, might not even make that back in 2 years. May as well suck it up and take the extra year to start over before you put yourself in impossible debt. $2K a month may in fact be more than your new grad monthly pay. And that's with a more than 10 year loan after you factor interest in. You will basically make nothing for 15ish years. Don't continue your poor financial planning just to finish faster because you feel stuck. You will feel even worse at the end when all that education was for nothing while you live with your parents eating top ramen everyday because it's all you can Oxford.

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Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry.

You could come to Arizona and even the out of state cost for a community college nursing program is like $20K v $10k. Your rationale for continuing to dig yourself into financial ruin for the rest of your life is ridiculous. If you're already paying out of state tuition anyway and refuse to believe you could save money by moving home (yes you can because your figures are not correct) then at least pay out of state tuition in a cheaper state.

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