How do you work and go to nursing school?

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I am not talking about pre-requs, I worked during those. How do people work and go to nursing school?? I am not working and I am overwhelmed, how do you do it? And working moms in nursing school...or worse yet, single working moms in nursing school, hats off to you!

Specializes in Urgent Care.

I work Friday nights and 10 hour shifts on weekends, so I can focus on classes during the week.

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

You workers are my inspiration. If I ever think about wanting to you "know what" about having no life I will think about all of you that have to work. I am starting to feel bad and maybe a little spoiled. I waited to go back to school until we could afford for me not to work while in the actual program. I do not know what I would do if we could not afford it...granted we live in a tiny apartment with noisy neighbors and live modestly (my electric bill has not gone over $13 in the last two years since I started school and I only buy clothes when they are on sale on sale on sale) do not have a morgage...yet!

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Specializes in trauma,ortho, neuro.

i totally agree it's all about time management because i work 24 hrs a week and go to school m-r, single parent of a 5 year old but it's all about using time wisely. no more hanging out, no more talking on the phone for3 hours with friends use it wisely

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This topic is something that I will hopefully be going through next year when I apply for nursing school. I understand that time management is key. I would like to see some examples of your daily schedule of work, clinicals, and study time when you all were in nursing school, just to get an idea how you all structured your day.

My schedule is this:

Mondays:

9 - drop my son off at preschool

11:30 - pick up my son/drop my son and daughter at the babysitters

12-6 Fundamental's class / Evening Clinicals

Tuesdays:

8-4 Morning Clinicals / Fundamentals

Wednesdays:

9 - drop my son off at preschool

11:30 - pick up my son/drop my kids at the babysitters

12-4 Fundamental's class

Thursdays:

8-12 Checkoffs / Class Presentations

12:30-5:30 Work

Fridays:

Other than my son's preschool, its my one day off!!!

Sat:

7-1 Work

Sun:

7-1 Work

Its a long week, just typing it makes me tired!! I am thankful I have all my evenings off, though. That way I can spend time w/ my family, do some homework, maybe even watch a movie!!

~t

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Specializes in start in NICU 7/14/08.

I have just started nursing school and I work full-time. So far it's working out well - it's busy, but it's working.

I pretty much agree with every other poster here - it's all about time management. I really don't have downtime (yah, I take a 15 min or half hour break here and there - like now :) ) I bust my butt during the semester knowing that I will have winter and summer break to recouperate.

I always plan ahead - I prioritize based on what tests / labs / clinicals I have coming up and when I am ahead on my schoolwork - which happens, I swear - I continue to work ahead with reading or self-study materials.

It's about committment to yourself and also communicating with everyone else in your life and setting limits with regard to extraneous activities - and sticking to those limits.

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I don't know how I'm going to do it!! It helps that I am a seasoned student (MS in math) and have studying/organization/priority down pat at this point in my life. I still work 20hrs/week at my old engineering career, and I have a 2 year old at home. DH and I made a deal that I will quit work after this semester. I can only go on like this for so long. I am exhausted and so stressed out. 2 weeks down, 13 more to go. ;)

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I will be trying this myself very soon... I work full-time (midnites, 12hr shifts) at a hospital, have two little boys, and am going to be starting the ADN program next month... I'm nervous about it, but I have to work FT. At least I only have to work 3 nites/week.. and at work I have quiet times when I can do homework/study (the bosses are fine with that... hell, they are getting an RN when I'm done, haha) and most important - my SO is soooo supportive and helpful with our boys... if I need study time, he'll take them to the mall or whatever to play. I also have a sitter during the day so I can sleep after working a nite shift, and God bless her, she helps me with my laundry and other lite housework. I guess it's all about your support system and prioritizing your time... when I was doing my pre-reqs, I worked full-time, and got straight As... but I had to prioritize, always.

Good luck :-) (to all of us!!!)

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It's hard, and it sucks to have to work during nursing school! I never have any time and work cuts into my study time pretty badly. I don't know how I manage it, infact some weeks I don't even know how I have managed to survive it.

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I think I've been juggling twenty things at a time for so long that I just don't realize how hard it is. I'm the single mom of two young kids and just starting my senior year of a BSN program. I've been doing it alone for four years and my closest family member is two hours away. When I was just taking my prereques it wasn't that bad because I couldn't schedule my classes around my kids' school schedule and squeeze them all into three days so I could work four eight hour days. Since I've been in nursing school and your schedule of classes is given to you it's been a little more difficult. The beginning of each term is a bit chaotic, trying to figure out new day care schedules and having to change my work schedule. I only work 3-4 four hour shifts a week, most of them in the evenings after I get out of class. I don't mind it so much because I enjoy my job (I work at a fitness center) but I do feel bad for my kids having to spend their entire day in school and then their evenings at day care, mother's guilt :( Although it all seems crazy, everything has always fallen into place at just the right time and I'm almost done. If you're one of those people like me that has a few more balls in the air to juggle than most, just hang in there and you'll be done before you know it!

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Here is my chaotic weekly schedule (I'm a senior in a BSN program)

Monday: Wake up at 5:00a.m., get kids ready and drop them off at daycare at 6:30, get to clinical site by 7:00. Pick kids up from daycare at 4:00p.m., piano lessons at 5:30, dinner some time in the evening and I usually study an hour or two after kids go to bed.

Tuesday: Wake up at 5:00a.m. to study, get to clinical site by 8:00, pick kids up from daycare at 4:00, make dinner real quick before soccer practice at 6:30. Might study if something is assigned.

Wednesday: Wake up at 5:00a.m. to study, get to clinical site by 8:00, pick kids up from daycare at 4:00, get to work by 4:30. Usually off work by 8:30, put kids to bed when I get home (have a daycare onsite at my work) and might study but probably just crash.

Thursday: Class at 8:00-4:30, pick kids up from daycare by 5:00 and make a quick dinner before soccer at 6:30, usually study after kids in bed.

Friday: Class at 8:00-3:30, pick kids up from daycare and get to work by 4:00. I don't study on Friday nights unless there is a test coming up!

Saturday: Soccer game some time during the day and I work a half day. Again, no studying unless a test coming up.

Sunday: My day of rest, until the evening when I usually study for a couple of hours!

Don't ask me how I've made it this far but the end is in sight, 8 1/2 months until graduation!!!

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I was in the military for 10 years, where 20-25 hour days were common, so I just don't sleep much. As it was so eloquently put "The only easy day was yesterday....."

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futureRN07: I totally respect you for doing it alone... I cannot imagine. You're definitely an inspiration :)

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