Taking out a loan or work to pay for nursing school

NICUMurse87, BSN, RN · Nov 21, 2017

I worked 2 PRN tech jobs during school one or two 12 hour shifts per week. It helps that my wife is a nurse, so she understands the struggle. I was able to hang out with friends and stuff maybe a time or two per month, so your social life will suffer if you're normally socially active, but your friends should be able to live with it for 15 months.

Destin293 · Nov 29, 2017

It all depends on the program. I completed a 12 month ABSN program and some of us worked (we started with 20 students, finished with 13). There was 1 girl who was trying to work full time and complete the program, she failed out. The rest of us who did work, worked jobs that were extremely flexible...meaning, we could call day by day and let them know we had some free time and ask if they needed help (2 people worked at a hospital, not sure what they did, another worked for an apartment rental company, I worked for a grocery store). I started by working 24 hours a week the fall semester, then I ended up cutting it down to 8 for the first half of spring semester, then I just quit for the 2nd half of the spring semester and summer because I was also commuting 4 hours a day to school (2 hours there, 2 hours back).

I ended up taking out loans to help with living expenses...but it was bare bones loans. I looked at how much I would need to cover my bills and that was it, and I went back to work the day after I finished school.

Yes, nursing programs in general do give you time to work, but ABSN programs are fast and you have less time (especially if it's a 12 month vs 15 month). Your focus really should be finishing the program. If you know you're someone who needs extra study time, who really needs their focus to be on just 1 thing, then don't work. Only you know the type of student you are.