Is it possible to work while you in nursing school?

manna, BSN, RN · May 20, 2004

It is possible, but definately not easy.

I'll be starting a BSN program this fall, and I'm fortunate enough that I got enough grant and scholarship money to support myself and my two children... so I can leave my job.

Good luck! :)

heidigirl · May 20, 2004

I am a new student also. I went on call at the assisted living home that I work for. I have four children and my husband and I have a farm business that we share and he works full time off the farm as well. It is a very busy life. I took 12 credits last semester and felt like I was a bit short of time for homework. I did well in my classes though. The benefit to working would be getting experience in the feild before you commit to a job somewhere. I am guessing that it would help you relate to the nursing classes if you were working, say in a hospital all ready. Get as much money from financial aid -student loans (which you can return if you don't use) so that you can quit if it becomes too much.

FutureNurse2005 · May 20, 2004

I'll be working part time only. My focus has to be on my schoolwork, but at the same time, the bills need to be paid!

It can be done, but it'll be a lot of hard work and no slacking off!

Good luck!

mother/babyRN, RN · May 20, 2004

Since I had to pay for it myself, I also worked fulltime. It is NOT easy but it IS possible.Forget dating...

sabrn2006 · May 21, 2004

too many expenses. I am planning to live off my husband's income and pay for school and extras with my part time job. I am more worried about how he will handle the change in lifestyle (I have worked full time for most of our married life) and also about my children (ages 11 & 13) helping out more around the house! Yikes.

Blondeblaze2 · May 21, 2004

During my rn training I worked 10 hrs Fri, 12 Sat and Sun as an lpn scrub tech. It worked out well for me, but I was single. You think you cant do it, but with school vacations, etc., you make it. Something Ive found to be true is you never fail when you are bettering your situation.

Another thing you might try that I did as an lpn student is I worked in an athletic center pt. It totally got me away from medicine and it was sort of refreshing, not to mention, hardly work at all. Good Luck!

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · May 21, 2004

Only you can know what will work for you.

I worked part of the time I was in school, and was just a plain old student the rest of the time.

I loved the experience I had while working, and it gave me more opportunity to get comfortable taking care of patients, touching them, and I think it helped me to reinforce what I was learning in school.

On the other hand, sometimes it was an awful lot to work AND study, and I got overtired.

I also have a rather high maintenance DH, which can be time consuming, and I typically forget to take time for myself anyway, so having work and school responsibilities tended to put me in an state where I felt like I was slipping behind the power curve.

And then I had a couple of classmates who worked fulltime all through school and did great, balanced everything, weren't ever overtired, etc.

It's an individual thing, I believe.

JenNJFLCA · May 21, 2004

I worked full time this past semester, and it was HARD because I was going to school full time as well. I have 2 more years to go, and I know it will be hard again, but worth it. At least I have my summers off from school so I won't go too crazy. By the end of the semester, I was a complete mess....stressed, burned out, tired, you name it. I worked my butt off, but I did not get below a 90% in any of my classes. That is what is keeping me going for next semester! If you can swing working PT, I would highly recommend it!! :)

cna on her way · May 22, 2004

I have two kids, a husband and a full time 12 hour night shift position in the hospital. I have taken 12 credit hours per semester for the past 3 semesters and have a 3.73 gpa. It is all about drive, determination, and support. You have to do what is right for you. Some people have a good support system, like me. My husband is great about taking care of the kids, grocery shopping, and picking up slack around the house. My job allows me extra time to do home work on breaks and when its slow at 3 or 4 in the morning. I have to make it work.

nursewho · May 22, 2004

I've been working full-time while taking prereqs...until micro, i had a 4.0...i start the nursing program in the fall, and i have to work full-time for benefits. my husband suffers from depression and cannot work. i am scared to death that work will affect my ability to succeed academically. so, i know this may not be helpful to you, but sometimes it helps to know you are not alone. best of luck to you!!!

nurseshanti · May 23, 2004

Yes it is possible, but it does make it a little harder. I've been working part-time all through my degree program out of necessity (gotta eat somehow!!) and it's certainly been a challenge at times. I think it really helps if you're an organized person to begin with and you're willing to make some sacrifices in other areas, like not going out with friends to party every weekend and perhaps not always having a perfectly tidy home. I think it also depends what other things are going on in your life at the same time. Like many people have noted here, if you have a family it makes it a little more difficult to find the time. My partner is also a full-time student and works part-time so we have a very busy household but we make it work!

Good luck!