I'm thinking about quitting my job, need advice

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2008

I could not possibly have worked at all and finished nursing school.

However, you need medical.

dorselm · Nov 13, 2008

You could get up in the morning one 1 hour early and study.

Study on your lunch breaks.

Study when you get home from work.

Get a voice recorder, tape the lectures and study on the way to and from work.

Get to school an hour early and study then.

I went to school full-time. The further along I got in school, the more I had to cut my hours. However, I know a few people in my class who tape lectures and study off of them and are still able to work at least part-time.

Hope it works out for you:nurse:

lilla_fjaril · Nov 13, 2008

Are you 100% committed to finishing the program and becoming an RN? If so, quit your job. I don't know if it's a medical job or not, but sooner or later in your program you will be required to do an externship/preceptorship and you will have to work the hours of your nurse preceptor. Which means unless you get lucky and get a weekend preceptor or you have a lot of paid time off, you will have to quit your job and lose tuition reimbursement anyway.

How expensive is your school? If you can get loans, be aware that the lost tuition reimbursement will just get repaid to you as loan repayment by the first hospital you work for. Yeah, it's scary to owe money but I am finishing up an accelerated program costing 25,000. I quit my job and sacrificed half of this year's tuition reimbursement (2500.00) but the bill hasn't caught up to me yet. When it does I'l just make arrangements to hand over my sign-on bonus.

You have to look at the benefits of not working. When I was working I never got all my reading done, skipped class occasionally to sleep, and still got good grades but worried about retaining the material. Now I only work 2 days a month at the hospital (enough to pay for a couple of bills) but I am involved in tutoring, mentoring, professional nurse organizations, shadowing experiences, volunteering to give flu shots, etc. Not only do I have time to absorb the class material, I am also becoming a better future nurse and I am 95% confident I will pass my NCLEX. (Tutoring new students in material learned early in the program is a great way to help people and review for the NCLEX.)

Yeah, I've had to use my credit card a few times and that makes me feel kind of sick, but I know I'll be able to pay it off once I finish. As far as insurance goes, I am healthy, just a few months away from reinsurance, and know that EMTALA laws require that an ER treat me if something drastic happens. I'm okay with that. Can you get the kids' dad to cover them? or if you quit your job you'll probably qualify for state aid for them.

I was going to classes M-F about 40 hours a week and then studying most nights and working 24 hours on Sat-Sun. I hated everybody, had no time to talk to friends/family, couldn't exercise which made me feel even more like crap. Now I feel so free. If you can't quit totally then get a part-time hospital job (tech/secretary/registration/billing/etc.) which will still provide you insurance at a higher rate and hopefully be supportive of your future.

Good luck!

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Nov 13, 2008

You could get up in the morning one 1 hour early and study.
Study on your lunch breaks.
Study when you get home from work.
Get a voice recorder, tape the lectures and study on the way to and from work.
Get to school an hour early and study then.
I went to school full-time. The further along I got in school, the more I had to cut my hours. However, I know a few people in my class who tape lectures and study off of them and are still able to work at least part-time.
Hope it works out for you:nurse:

thanks... I love your ideas ! Plan on using the tape recorder since I do commute to work and school. :nuke:

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Nov 13, 2008

Thanks for all the advice. I would love to feel "free" from the stress of working full-time and going to school. I'll continue to weigh my options and hopefully it'll get better for me. Currently I have a B average, but is a low B, and I'm so scared of the grade falling, as courses get more complex. I'm definetly ( spelling) leaning towards working part-time... I want to become a nurse so, so bad.

Reese17 · Nov 17, 2008

My suggestion would be to cut your hours. I went from working 37.5hrs/week to barely working 18hrs/week. And I still dont have time to read all the material I should. I'm passing my classes but I am very stressed out. But I say this...if it comes down to passing this program or having to work, I choose the program. I have invested too much time, too much money, sacrificed way too much to not graduate from this program. Good Luck to you and whatever you choose to do.

uscstu4lfe · Nov 17, 2008

you do what you have to do. so if you have to work full time and go to school full time and be depressed to survive. then that's what you have to do. it's only temporary. some people are committed 100% to school, but they aren't in a fortunate position of just quitting and going to school. only those that HAVE to work truly knows what it's like, it's very easy for someone to say who doesn't have to work - or barely work- "just quit if you're committed".

quiet_one · Nov 18, 2008

I know it is probably not realistic to completely quit your job, but can you get by with working fewer hours? I am sure there are a few cutbacks you will be able to make if you examine your budget....also apply for every scholarship you can! Just think of that as fewer hours you have to work, more for study.

To be honest though there is only one person in my class that works 35 hours a week....she is holding on by a thread (but holding on none the less) It is possible but very difficult.

I don't think it would be a better idea to quit your current job (unless you are unhappy) changing a job is stressful in addition to longer days, it may be counterproductive. Good luck making it work (I am always told nursing school is worth the sacrafices, but I will have to get back to you on that next summer :)

vkgirl9193 · Nov 18, 2008

This is the thread I was looking for! I was wondering how many hours people have been able to work while in school. While my 20 hour/week job is perfect for going to school, it's being phased out and I need to find another job. I need to keep a 20 hour/week position so that I can keep the medical benefits for the family. Even though DH could get them from work, they wouldn't be as good as what I get and we'd have to pay, whereas I get it for no OOP costs other than $5 co-pays. I won't leave my company, I have 10 years here and I'll be able to keep my longevity for vacation time when I go into a nursing position. So, quitting is not an option.

Since I need to get a second job anyway, I've been thinking of going into an on-call position (no more than 16 hours per week), having DH talk the bosses into covering our insurance premiums, and finding an at-home medical transcription job to make the bulk of the money we need.

What's been hard is that I don't apply until February for Fall '09. I have a B in physio, so I'm right on the edge between getting accepted/rejected. So it's hard to decide if I should put all these plans in place now or wait until acceptance is confirmed. Blech!

NRSNFL · Nov 18, 2008

thanks... I love your ideas ! Plan on using the tape recorder since I do commute to work and school. :nuke:

Hey, I've done it...just wrapped up my last semester and will be taking my nclex in the next few months. But I will say, I am a learner that can do targeted studying. I read the material before the lecture....then just focus on the bits that I'm not quick on...and then do the same before the test. I go to all test reviews and then for the final studied what I was getting wrong on the exams. I am a B student, which I think is great for working full time and going to nursing school full time with a child and husband and household to keep running. Benefits are important, if you can't take care of yourself, you won't BE in nursing school......a class can always be retaken, but your health is greatly important so don't let go of that and also, some schools want you to have health insurance in order to be in their program, so check that out. Stay focused, you'll get through it, even through the hardest, sleepless times you'll get through it. I did, I have faith you will as well.

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Nov 18, 2008

Hey, I've done it...just wrapped up my last semester and will be taking my nclex in the next few months. But I will say, I am a learner that can do targeted studying. I read the material before the lecture....then just focus on the bits that I'm not quick on...and then do the same before the test. I go to all test reviews and then for the final studied what I was getting wrong on the exams. I am a B student, which I think is great for working full time and going to nursing school full time with a child and husband and household to keep running. Benefits are important, if you can't take care of yourself, you won't BE in nursing school......a class can always be retaken, but your health is greatly important so don't let go of that and also, some schools want you to have health insurance in order to be in their program, so check that out. Stay focused, you'll get through it, even through the hardest, sleepless times you'll get through it. I did, I have faith you will as well.

Thanks alot... This is so encouraging. I asked God to bless me to get through this and I know he will. I pray he just lead me in all the right directions. :wink2::zzzzz