2 full-time jobs?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

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!

I am at a private school unfortunately. My fear is just not being able to get into another nursing school as I don't have the greatest pre-req grades.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Okay so I didn't get to read all of this (or the comments) because I'm at work, but why not live with your parents for a year or two and pay back as much as you can? Do you have a spouse or a significant other? I plan on being an ACNP and to pay back all that debt, my man and I are just going to live off of one paycheck for the year while I pay it back. I know youd have to spend some sort of money while living with your parent but gosh it has to be soooo much cheaper. The faster you get those loans down the less stressed youll be.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hello! I can'y answer your question about how sustainable it is to have 2 full time jobs as a nurse as I am not one myself yet, but I've worked a full time and part time simultaneously before and it was a lot. I think I'd recommend finding a job that allows you to work overtime as much as you want. Once you get comfortable with that FT job and see what your schedule allows, maybe find another PT job. You can also start selling plasma for a little extra money.

I know some of your loans are parent plus and I don't believe those will be eligible for IBR, but your federal ones should, which should help.

I also recommend reading Dave Ramsey's total money makeover (i'll even send you my copy :) ), watching his youtube videos and listening to his podcast. He's a personal finance "advisor". He has been a saving grace financially for me.

Once you have a job, throw EVERYTHING at your debt. I know it seems overwhelming right now, but you can do it! One little step at a time.

Whatever you do, DON'T QUIT school. You don't want to have thousands of dollars of debt and no degree.

Good luck!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Okay so I didn't get to read all of this (or the comments) because I'm at work, but why not live with your parents for a year or two and pay back as much as you can? Do you have a spouse or a significant other? I plan on being an ACNP and to pay back all that debt, my man and I are just going to live off of one paycheck for the year while I pay it back. I know youd have to spend some sort of money while living with your parent but gosh it has to be soooo much cheaper. The faster you get those loans down the less stressed youll be.

That was exactly my plan! As of now I don't have a spouse or anything, so I was planning on moving back in with my parents for a couple years and throwing as much as I possibly could towards my loans. I just could imagine I could throw so much more at them if I was able to work two full-time jobs.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

If you are going to stick with your present schooling plans, the only way I see you being able to pay back all of these loans is to work one full-time job and pick up some other hours whether it be OT at your same facility, per diem, agency, home health, etc. Working two FT jobs is not a good idea, especially as a new nurse. I wish you the best.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

If you want to work over 40 hours per week, get one full time job and on per diem job. Per diem jobs pay more but you do not get benefits. You won't need them because you will already have a full time job.

Or... if you can stay on your parents health insurance, only work per diem, for several different companies or one company if they have the hours.

Or... get out of this school and go to a reasonably priced school.

And apply for the nurse corps scholarship.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Hello! I can'y answer your question about how sustainable it is to have 2 full time jobs as a nurse as I am not one myself yet, but I've worked a full time and part time simultaneously before and it was a lot. I think I'd recommend finding a job that allows you to work overtime as much as you want. Once you get comfortable with that FT job and see what your schedule allows, maybe find another PT job. You can also start selling plasma for a little extra money.

I know some of your loans are parent plus and I don't believe those will be eligible for IBR, but your federal ones should, which should help.

I also recommend reading Dave Ramsey's total money makeover (i'll even send you my copy :) ), watching his youtube videos and listening to his podcast. He's a personal finance "advisor". He has been a saving grace financially for me.

Once you have a job, throw EVERYTHING at your debt. I know it seems overwhelming right now, but you can do it! One little step at a time.

Whatever you do, DON'T QUIT school. You don't want to have thousands of dollars of debt and no degree.

Good luck!!

I absolutely love this, thank you! You seem so sweet. I believe my mom has Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover at home sitting on a shelf so I will definitely grab it when I head their way for Thanksgiving. I will definitely throw all I possibly can at my loans and live at home granted I'm not married by then. As someone else recommended, I believe I'll work 1-2 years FT at a hospital, possibly a FT and PT job, then try to become a travel nurse! That would not only be some pretty decent pay, but also an experience of a lifetime I bet getting to see so much. Thanks!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Can you take a year off from your school, try to get in somewhere else and return if you cannot? $200,000 is a crippling amount of debt. I would do whatever I could to avoid that. It means no house, no car, no social life, no retirement savings for a very long time.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Can you take a year off from your school, try to get in somewhere else and return if you cannot? $200,000 is a crippling amount of debt. I would do whatever I could to avoid that. It means no house, no car, no social life, no retirement savings for a very long time.

I would if I could. I only would get a 6-month grace period before I'd have to start paying my loans which I'm not financially capable of.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.

The advice here is good,I have seen some nurses do it but by working one full time and the other as OT or perdiem at another place,working almost the equivalent of full time in hours.Then you can work the holidays those give you OT at your regular job,take vaca and work at the othe job but that is regular rate.

Look at Beat the Bush on u tube and see how to cut back and save,some nurses start paying the interest part of the loan so I have been told.

Changing schools does waste alot of money,they all want you to pay at their school and turn down most of your credits.The main thing is to Finish your degree,get your license.

The advice on education has been mostly lousy in many schools,they steer you in the wrong direction.I am thankful I had one great advisor finally after hitting my head into the wall.

See Lisa Nichols and how she went from public assistance to successful financially stable life.

i wish you the best of luck.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Your numbers have to be wrong. I had to take 8 prerequisite courses for my BSN program and they cost about $800 for each 3 credit course. This was only 6 years ago.

You are making a huge mistake continuing this path. You need to put it out of your mind that you won't get into another program. You need to stop reasoning that there is no other way, or that you can't stop now because you can't afford $1k a month payment. A lot of new grads cannot find jobs for a while, and end up working in nursing homes to get experience. You will never make enough money to pay $2k a month in loans, while also paying basic bills. If you continue this path, you are not learning from your mistakes or changing. There are so many stories of people who are stuck in 20 years of payments for high student loans, and it affects every aspect of their lives until their 40s. It is insane. Don't be one of those people.

Look into the national guard to help pay for school now. Get a job in a hospital as an LNA or something, so that you get some kind of tuition reimbursement. I think even Starbucks and McDonalds offers help.

The way Western Governors works is you pay by semester, and can take as many classes as you can complete during that semester. My supervisor finished her BSN in 8 months for $7k.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'll try again, but you seem dead set of mortgaging your future to continue on this ill-advised path.

Loan repayment per month for $200,000 at 4% interest:

10 years: $2,024.90

20 years: $1,211.96

30 years: $954.83

I can't imagine working 80 hours a week for years. And those loans don't go away, even if you are injured on the job and can't work.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment