How Long are you in school all day when becoming a nurse?

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Hi,

I have two small children and I have heard that sometimes when you are becoming a nurse, you are in school from 8am to 7pm. Is this true?

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Medsurg.

depends on the school. We have 2 lecture days and 2 clinical days a week. Lecture days are only from 10-1 but clinical days can be very long days. 7am-7pm it depends on the school, the hospital where clinicals are etc.,etc.,

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It depends on the school, but you should plan, generally, on nursing school being at least the equivalent of a full-time job, and lots of "variety" in the scheduling. The published curriculum/class schedule does not include the time you will spend studying outside of class, of course, and also doesn't include clinical prep time, lab hours, and lots of other "little" obligations that you may be able to complete on your own schedule but will still take up quite a bit of time.

The published schedule also does not include what may be significant travel time for clinical days, depending on where you, the school, and the clinical sites are located -- the last clinical rotation I taught, we had 12-hour clinical days but the clinical site was roughly an hour's drive each way for most of the students and me (it was a specialty rotation and the college is in a rural area, so that was the closest site that offered the specialty) -- that's a 14 hour day. When I was teaching in a large, urban university BSN program, the students and I had a min. 45 minute drive each way for one clinical (because of the fierce demand for clinical sites in the area), and it was also common to have 2nd shift (3-11 PM) clinicals, again because of the high demand in the area for student clinical opportunities.

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Specializes in Psych.

My school hours are from 8:30-3:30. Sometimes we run longer. However, for clinicals, I have had to be there at 6:00 AM and stay until 7:00 PM. Add travel time to the hospital and I'm generally gone 14 hours. My 3 children stay with their grandparents on clinical days. I come home, smooch them, bathe them and put them to bed.

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In my RN program I'm in class four hours a day four days a week (8-1150); and then clinicals are the fifth day and it's 7 hours (6-1230). Of course, all of my co-reqs are done, so all I have to take are the actual nursing classes--otherwise, I would be at school much longer.

The best thing for you to do is to go to each school you are looking at pull the RN curriculum, and then go to the school's class search to see exactly when the classes are offered and if it's doable for you. Many people on here have jobs, and some of us full time jobs, so I highly doubt there are two many 13-hour/day 5 days/week programs like you describe---unless it's an acclerated program.

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Lectures Monday and Tuesday 8:00 - 3:30. Clinical prep Wednesday afternoons. Clinicals Thursday & Friday 6:20 a.m. - about 3:00 p.m.

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8 - 3

8 - 4

8 - 2 (Clinical)

8 - 2 (Clinical)

That's my schedule now Senior first sem. 1 hour lunch breaks =)

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Typically my schedule is Mondays from 630am to about 430pm ish depending on the rotation. This is my last semester and the next two weeks I have clinicals on Monday and Tuesday. Lectures for semesters 1-3 were T/W/Thu with varying hours. Most started at 7 and we were out by 5 on some days, other days we were out earlier. This semester I have class only on thursdays from 8-4pm.

that being said, Im usually at school for all kinds of things like test reviews, additional classes like review classes, study groups, working in the library on projects that need research, tests on days we don't have lectures etc. Not to mention the ever changing schedules. Our clinical rotations were always last minute because of a shortage of instructors and a new cirriculum that makes the block behind us on the same rotations as us. It has been very hectic.

I have bigger kids but they are starting to show the signs of stress. Its been tough juggling schedules etc. Have a back up plan for your back up plan. That is about all the advice I can offer. One of the posters also had a good idea in contacting the schools in your area for an idea of what your schedule might be like but don't be surprised if they say they can't answer that.

Lynn/BW

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It depends on the school's program. Our clinicals were either from 6:30-3pm or 3pm-11pm 2X a week, They will work with you if you have children. Our class schedule changed every semester, from 8am to 10:30am, break for two hours, skills lab 1-3, then another class 3:30-5pm. our latest class has been from 5-7pm.

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Each group is different but I am in school:

Monday:

class 10-12

class 1:30 - 2:30

tests 3:30 - 5:00

lab - til whenever I am done usualy an 1-2 hours

Tuesday:

class 9-11

work 11:30 -5:00

Wednesday:

class 8-10

work 10:30 -5:00

Thursday:

Clinical 5:45 - 1:30

Friday:

work 7:30 - 5:00

So I am home almost all week by 5:15 and have all weekends to study also. I have a hubby and a 5 year old. It is totally doable.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

merged the 2 threads for continuity

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