Is it possible to work 40hrs while in ANP online program?

canyonforest, MSN, RN, NP · Jul 7, 2011

You know sleepless...its your turn now to have the career you want.....

I do not think any hospital schedule that is full time will have a positive impact on your studies...

and for the ANP from what I understand, it is more than 30 hours per week...of solid focused study....

It filters down into what are your priorities...I think you know the answer...

NAURN · Jul 7, 2011

I am planning on working full time, 36 hours a week and do school full time. I think it is possible. Depends on what kind of student you are. I have heard of a lot of people who are doing it full time, working full time, single moms, etc... it can be done. Is there the option of doing school part time, or bumping down to part time if need be? Also, do you have kids? If you have 3 full days where you have nothing going on, that seems like enough time to study, test, etc. My concern for you would be clinical. My program is front loaded, where all the clinical is at the end, so if I need to drop down to PRN at that time I can. But I am not sure how you would work 4 days during the week and get your clinical time in if its spread out throughout the whole program. You would have to do the math... how many hours would be required every semester and take that and see if it can work. Also, can you do clinical on the weekend? That would help also.

I definitely think it can be done!

majik91 · Jul 7, 2011

First, thank you both for replying to my question so quickly. My wife and I do not have any children yet, but she is anxiy.ous to begin a family. I have a great director and she reassures me that I will have the option to resume my current position if my program become to much with work. I am willing to give it a try, but have the feeling this is going to blow up in my face. I have worked for this hospital since I was 16 and now I am 31. Everyone knows me and I feel like I am being steered into management because of my personality. It makes me question whether I should stick with NP school or not, but I feel like NP school is not an opportunity that comes around very often. I am not interested in the money aspect, we do well enough for the life we want to live. NP school will open more doors for me to further my career. I hope that I will someday be able to offset my wifes income to enable her to work less someday to have more time with our children.

NAURN · Jul 7, 2011

I think you should go for the NP thing, regardless of the job you take. If you don't want to do management, by all means DON'T DO IT! There are also master's options in management if that is a path you would want to take, but if you want to stay in patient care then NP is the way to go. If you trust your boss to work with you, then it can't hurt to try it out, if you want the job. If it doesn't work out, you can just go back to doing what you're doing.

Don't not go to NP school because of work issues. Just by reading your posts, it sounds like something you REALLY want to do. It would be awful if you didn't.

majik91 · Jul 7, 2011

I feel very strongly about remaining close to patient care no matter how others think about my management skills. Also, I do not want to put a stumbling block between my wife and I. She is quite unhappy with the thought that I will be pulled in to many directions.

NAURN · Jul 7, 2011

That is definitely something to think about. You both are going to have to be on the same page. You are going to be working full time and going to school. Thats a huge commitment. But its only for a relatively short time compared to the rest of your life... So I think if you guys can get through it, and if she can support you through it, your family's quality of life will benefit. You will be progressing with your professional life like you want, and it will benefit the family as a whole. But you both have to be willing to do what it takes to get to that point... and it won't work if she's not on board. Maybe it will be better for you to take the job that will be less stressful and less time consuming, so school work won't be so daunting. Maybe that will help make your wife feel better about it.

I went through this same struggle as well... we have a 5 and 2 year old, plus I have to work full time and will attempt going to school full time... and we just decided that if this was something I wanted to do, he was going to have to support me. And he will. That is what's going to make all the difference in the world

Can you do school part time?

buster4 · Jul 7, 2011

I worked fulltime and went to school part time, the last year, I had to switch jobs (from m-fr) to a Fri Sat Sun 12 hr shifts, (nights) and had clinical Wed, Thurs, and Fri (most weeks). I had zero family life, I am married, no children, but it took everything I had, the last semester, during lunch (clinical days) I would get back early and lie in the car and take a 15 min nap I was so tired...... My husband sacrificed, I spent most evenings at the library, I spent A LOT of time there!!!.. but I made it through, graduated in May, passed the AANP (studied for one whole month 6-8 hours a day), and now have my license............ You will need to make sacrifices,,,,,,, I dont' know how it would be feasible to continue to work 4 days (no weekends) during clinicals, I could not do clinicals on weekends, so that was not an option for me....... but you can do it if you want to....... work wise, I dont know. most people in my class didn't work or dropped to one day a week the last semester, (I couldn't afford to)

carachel2 · Jul 7, 2011

As a former cardiac rehab RN (10 years as an RN, 3 years as an Exercise Phys.) and now an FNP I thought I would chime in.

1. Your director has NO idea how NP school is going to be. Trust me. Everyone I worked with thought it would be very similar to a BSN program and it is not. The depth at which you are required to think and learn and the sheer volume of paperwork (some of which is entirely necessary and some is just fluffy BS, but alas that is a post for another day!) is overwhelming, especially at first. All of the nurses and the manager I worked with thought that my MTW (off Thurs) F schedule would be just "perfect" for school. NOT. It might work with the first semester when you are just pondering Advanced Theory or starting to dive into Advanced Patho, but once you start classes with clinical content you will need to set aside a day to watch the lectures, at least one to two days a week (one day at least for each class) to do the work and then 1-2 days per week for clinical courses.

2. You will want a job where you can clock in and clock out. The majority of people on here (at least what I have observed) who HAVE worked 32+ hours per week had shift jobs in the ER where they went in to get the work done and then left. No managerial duties, hospital budget meetings, staffing concerns, etc.

3. Your heart will no longer be "in it." I LOVED my cardiac rehab job and loved my patients and fellow staff. But the more I learned and the more I felt I was able to do, the more I was jus desperately bored in cardiac rehab. UGH. Make a call to the Dr about Martha's high blood pressure??? NO. I just wanted to write the Rx and schedule her for a follow-up and some labs that were seriously overdue .

4.Listen to your wife. She is begging you desperately not to schedule her out of your life. If this is something you HAVE to do $$$$ then yes, people here have done it and lived to tell. If you do not HAVE to do it, then don't.

5. You could end up seriously short-changing your NP studies. You are going to graduate in 2 years and you will be calling the shots. Period. There will likely be no 3 month "preceptorship" like when you were a nurse where THANK GOD you get to be with another RN who will keep you from killing people hopefully. You need to know this stuff and know it well. PLUS, you need to know stuff you don't even think you need to know! This is a season in life you won't get back. These are not just tests to take and grades to make. Learn what you need to learn instead of cramming.

6. Online classes = HARDER!! At least in my experience and I was at a brick and mortar school. They offered some online options and wow. The timed tests, limited instructor interaction all added up to what seemed like to me a much more intense experience.

carachel2 · Jul 7, 2011

I wanted to add that a part-time option might be a great way to go. I went part-time (1-2 classes per semester) and yes it took me 4 years BUT I rarely was hurting for quality family time. Stepping out with one toe in the water so to speak might give you a chance to gauge both your work AND the school load.

majik91 · Jul 7, 2011

Wow, thanks so much Carachel2. I really appreciate you taking the time to be so detailed in your reply. Your insight is so meaningful since what you described is exactly my situation. My wife and I are currently in a comfortable position financial to survive my NP program. So, there is no strong financial incentive for me to become manager. I have a meeting tomorrow with my director and HR, so I will be able to see the terms on paper. I need a guarantee that I will have the option to return to my current position when I see the need. Otherwise, I will not accept this role.

carachel2 · Jul 7, 2011

Wow, thanks so much Carachel2. I really appreciate you taking the time to be so detailed in your reply. Your insight is so meaningful since what you described is exactly my situation. My wife and I are currently in a comfortable position financial to survive my NP program. So, there is no strong financial incentive for me to become manager. I have a meeting tomorrow with my director and HR, so I will be able to see the terms on paper. I need a guarantee that I will have the option to return to my current position when I see the need. Otherwise, I will not accept this role.

I've just NEVER known *any* hospital administrator to be completely forthcoming when describing a managerial position. Take what they say and then double it and you will have a more accurate idea of the workload expected. You will be managing employees, billing (more than likely) and hospital managerial stuff you will just have no interest in doing once you are in school. Sounds like someone strongly wants you to be their "whipping boy" and take a position just to have someone there. One day a week is a very pitiful amount to devote to studies that need your attention in a very serious way.

They may "say" they are going to guarantee you can return to your position if things became crazy, but honestly...what are they going to do ? Fire the staff RN who steps up to manage your cardiac rehab classes ? Is that fair to other staff? IF you agree to a managerial position, taking only one grad school class would be heavily advised.