How many work and go to nursing school?

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:unsure: How many people work and go to nursing school? I have a full time job at the hospital in the ER and I also start nursing school in a few weeks! After attending orientation I was filled with anxiety! Our instructors and the dean urged us to not work at a job if we did not have to. Our minimum amount of work during the week during school would be about 50 hours and if I included mt 40 hour work week I feel it would be difficult to do both. Like other nursing programs, if you fail twice during the program you are done and cannot reapply! I do not want to put myself in a position where I am failing a course because I am working and going to school and then only have one shot left to pass.

I asked to go to POOL at my job where I will only have to pick up a minimum amount of shifts during a period of time so I have more time to study at home and focus on school. However, I do not know if I should just leave my job all together (I am blessed to have a father who will take care of me financially during school so I would not have to work). If nursing school is as time consuming and as difficult as I have heard, should I just quit all together? I am stuck with this split decision because I do not want to close my "door of opportunity" in the hospital. If I do then it will not be as "easy" to get a job as a nurse once I graduate (I'm optimistic lol). What should I do?!

Thanks for any input from all of my current and former nursing students! :)

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I worked during school. Although nursing school advisors and directors strongly advise against it, they're also not the ones responsible for paying my mortgage and other bills while in school.

I worked 32 hours per week as an LVN while attending an LPN-to-RN completion program. My grades did not suffer, either.

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I work 40+ hours in the OR and go to school. It just takes a lot of time management.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

I currently work full time, but I was lucky enough to be accepted into a special program (for nursing students) at the hospital I work at to work part time while going to school full time and still maintaining my full time benefits and salary. I will switch back to a full time schedule when I'm not in school. I'll be working night shift on Th/F/Sa during my first semester.

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I work part time while in my program. Success depends on a lot of different factors. For instance, do you have school 5 days a week or only 2-3. I have seen people succeed having school Monday-Thursday and working Fri-Sat-Sun. I have seen people succeed at leaving class and going to work until 11pm. However, I have also seen a lot of people fail trying to do both. Do what you think is best for yourself. I think going PRN is a great idea, if you start feeling overwhelmed then consider quitting your job. Having a position in the hospital is GREAT, but does not mean anything if you cannot get through the program. I am sure the hospital will understand if you must cut hours or quit for school, and you will have references from working there previously.

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I worked full time (married, house, kids) while going to school full time during my LPN schooling.

I also worked full time (as an LPN) still married/kids/house while going full time during my RN program.

If I had the choice I would have either reduced my work hours or stopped all together, but that wasn't an option for me.

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I work at my school as a work study. It's really nice being able to go to class, take a 30 min break, then walk on over to work. I only work 10 hours a week. I'm not married and I don't have kids so my grades haven't suffered.

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

Thank you all for your input! Your advice has helped a lot! :)

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Specializes in Emergency Room.
I work 24-36 hours a week and I'm about to start my senior year in a BSN program. If money weren't an issue, I would probably work a shift or two a month, just for experience sake and to keep my foot in the door. However, with a family of four, and income to replace from past employment prior to nursing school, I have to do it whether I want to or not! I am either at work, school or clinicals at least 6 days a week. I'm happy when I have one day off a week.

Your ability to work during nursing school largely has to do with your motivation. Do you need the money to survive? Are you dedicated to becoming a nurse? Do you have a family to feed & provide for? It often seems to be the students with families who works more hours and have excellent grades, but they have huge motivating factors. I wouldn't have had the motivation I have now back when I was 20! And I definitely didn't, I quit a bachelors engineering program at 19 to get married, but then again money wasn't an issue at that point :)

I definitely have the motivation as far as wanting to be married and support a future family and being able to establish myself. And I would only work once or twice a month just to keep my foot in the door and gain more experience and keep my seniority. I am blessed because I don't have to work during nursing school but I like working at the hospital. I will try my best to stay as POOL at the hospital thank you for you advice! :)

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Specializes in Emergency Room.
Your grades will suffer if you work full-time. Most students work some hours during the week to be able to afford stuff. I don't recommend more than 24 hours a week. I worked nothing first semester (I did both nursing and paramedic at the same time that semester so it was like working full-time) 2nd semester 24 hours and an additional 12 hours every other week, third semester I did 36-48 hours if not more each week, and the last semester I will work only 24 hours one week and an extra shift every other week.[/quote']

You're right. I feel my grades will suffer if I work my full time hours. I don't want to put myself in a position where I am failing a course due to work especially if its a job I don't have to have or money I don't need. Thank you! Your advice helped!!

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Specializes in Emergency Room.
I think going to the pool is perfect. I've been told its extremely hard to do well in nursing school and work. I have a hard time doing my pee reqs and working so I can't imagine ns and working although I will have to at least work part time most likely. Even if it's just for gas money. I would work as much overtime as possible during breaks and such and just work as little as you can throughout school.

That's exactly what I was thinking :) glad we are on the same page! Thank you!

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Specializes in Emergency Room.
I work 40+ hours in the OR and go to school. It just takes a lot of time management.

Wow that's intense! It sounds like a lot of people say it is doable but I suppose it also has to do with the person and what works for them.

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Specializes in Emergency Room.
I worked full-time my first month of nursing school, and it was very challenging. I went down to about 24-32 hrs/week and it was so much more manageable. BUT, I know people who worked full-time AND raised families AND got the top GPAs. I don't know how they did it!

I would definitely not quit your job. I don't know how it is in your area, but around me, the new grads who got jobs were the ones who worked at hospitals during nursing school. I wouldn't want you to not be able to succeed, but I would hate you to waste an "in" for when you graduate.

You're totally right and I have no idea how they did it either! Of course they had to because they had to take care of their families. I just don't want to add on any unnecessary stress since I will already have a lot of that during school. I definitely don't want to quit at all I don't mind picking up a few shifts here and there so I can stay at the hospital. Thanks so much for your input! :)

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