I just found out I've been accepted by a 2-year diploma RN program nearby. The lady at the school told me they advise students not to work over 20 hours a week. She said lots of students try to keep their full-time jobs, but in the end they are so tired and sleepy during the class and clinical and they have to drop the class.
I've been working full-time with the current company in the Finance department for over 3 years. I will receive my CPA license very soon if I keep working (I have passed all the tests and have experiences, in the process of applying for the board).
I really want to be an RN. And I want to keep my job during the school too. The company agrees to cut my hours to 25 per week so I can leave early to go to school. At this moment the only non-nursing class I need to take are English Comp I and II.
The school schedule is:
Class - Mon, Tue, 5pm to 9pm
Clinical - Wed, Thurs, 4:30pm to 11:30pm
And I have to work Mon through Fri, 9am to 2pm.
It's a very good school, and tough. Lots of clinicals. Anybody already in the nursing school, do you think that schedule is workable? Or is it just better for me to quit the job and go to school full-time?
Um, something sounds wrong here. Sounds tooooo easy. Come a few minutes before clinical starts to pick your patient?? When do you do careplans? :uhoh21:
There still is a lot of information to learn in any RN program. Most people who enter RN programs already did their pre reqs too and don't have gen ed classes to take. Doesn't make sense. You may want to delve into that a bit deeper.
For my first year of nursing school, I didn't work. I tried working 2 12-hour shifts per week in my third semester and it proved to be too much and I had to give up the job; however, a fellow nursing student has worked full-time (3-12's, all night shifts) for the entire program and gets grades only a few percentage points lower than mine. It really just depends on the person and his/her needs. The key is to be flexible (and prepared) in case you have to cut back on work or quit altogether. Best of luck to you!
I hope it's doable because I'll be working 24hrs a week and going to school at night. I also have a toddler. It is going to be a killer, since I'm an A student, but I know I can manage. I can't afford to not work for two years. One year, maybe, so I'm hoping to make it through the first year and quit for the second.
Um, something sounds wrong here. Sounds tooooo easy. Come a few minutes before clinical starts to pick your patient?? When do you do careplans? :uhoh21:
There still is a lot of information to learn in any RN program. Most people who enter RN programs already did their pre reqs too and don't have gen ed classes to take. Doesn't make sense. You may want to delve into that a bit deeper.
thrashej, I have a program similar to this one. We had to have our careplans done by the Friday after clinicals, and we had clinicals on Wednesday. Last semester we had clinicals two days a week every other week, and the careplans and paperwork were to be turned in on the second day. We got our assignments when we came in for the first day of clinicals. This program has worked now for three cycles at my school and we're all getting pretty good grades. :) And most of us work anywhere from 25-40 hours per week.
If the program being described is anything like the one I'm in, it takes a bit longer to get your degree because it's part-time. We go for 8 semesters including summers, whereas the full-time people go for 4 semesters and have summers off.
thrashej, I have a program similar to this one. We had to have our careplans done by the Friday after clinicals, and we had clinicals on Wednesday. Last semester we had clinicals two days a week every other week, and the careplans and paperwork were to be turned in on the second day. We got our assignments when we came in for the first day of clinicals. This program has worked now for three cycles at my school and we're all getting pretty good grades. :) And most of us work anywhere from 25-40 hours per week.
If the program being described is anything like the one I'm in, it takes a bit longer to get your degree because it's part-time. We go for 8 semesters including summers, whereas the full-time people go for 4 semesters and have summers off.
Hmmm. I am in a part time program too. We go year round, no summer off, but still finish within 2 years. We pick our patient the night before and have to have the whole careplan done by the first day of clinical (next day). Then we pick another patient the next day. The logic is how can you take competent care of your patient if you have not looked up the drugs/done the careplan ahead of time? Just seems weird that they would let you pick your pt minutes before beginning care for them. How do you know what to do? The earliest we can pick a patient is the night before, too, or they may be dc'd.
all i know is that the people in my nursing class who worked seemed to get lower grades than the ones who didn't. they always complained that they didn't have time to read which you have to do a lot of. i didn't work and i think it helped my keep my grades up which helps when you have to keep at least a C average. the ones who kept their grades up didn't have to stress out so much on the final, with some people they had to ace it just to stay in the program. it just gives you more leeway if you study more and keep your grades way up. but i think it also depends on if you have kids or not, if not you can use that extra time to study. if you don't have to work i wouldn't, or just go to part time. hope you figure it out, and best of luck.
Curious1alwys, BSN, RN
1,310 Posts
Um, something sounds wrong here. Sounds tooooo easy. Come a few minutes before clinical starts to pick your patient?? When do you do careplans? :uhoh21:
There still is a lot of information to learn in any RN program. Most people who enter RN programs already did their pre reqs too and don't have gen ed classes to take. Doesn't make sense. You may want to delve into that a bit deeper.