Job & Nursing School

[Alyah]

Hi to everyone and thank you in advance for your valuable advices and ideas

I know this has been discussed previously but not enough detail on the type of program enrolled in VS job and I badly need advices... This august I will be starting a full time BSN program that is "lock-step" I believe this means we cannot take more or less credits than what is already set. It's 5 semesters long and the first two start off with 15 credits each, then 13, 16 and last one 13 again.

I worked an office job full time for a few years while taking prerequisites, now officially admitted in NS:yeah:, and I don't work anymore because company closed... but I certainly know that could not take 15 credits and work that kind of job -very stressful at times... The students at my school already in the program said not to work if you don't have to but that is unrealistic for me because of food, gas, phone, internet and such so my question to you is...

...for those in a full time program similar to mine what did you do to earn an income and how many hours did you put in a week?

I have not been working for the past year either and only have clerical experience. I am lucking around job posts but really need some guidance before I do a real job hunt. Please share all your experiences and thoughts, I am lost in too many worries... Thank you

[anonymurse]

Try to get a gig as unit secretary at the hospital where you most want to be hired, preferably in the setting you most want to hire into, second best as a float. You'll learn how information flows around the hospital. You'll learn how decisions are made. You'll learn terminology and more. You will become known. You may be able to secure your last-term preceptorship there, which in some places, if you've made a favorable impression, leads naturally into being hired as a RN. By the way, my boss prefers to hire future nurses as secretaries, monitor techs, and aides, (and also with a view to evaluating them as potential future RN hires) so let it be known far and wide that you're a nursing student.

[RNMeg]

I graduated from a BSN program like yours - our semester credits were pre-determined. I worked part-time as a tech in an optometry office (kind of like a medical assistant, we checked visual acuity, medical history, dispensed and taught contact lenses, that kind of thing). I worked 15-25 hours a week, and my schedule changed depending on my school schedule for the semester. They were really flexible for me. I worked mostly weekends, and it could get really stressful. I quit just before my final semester because I was placed on nights for my preceptorship, and I couldn't work days and precept nights - I was worried my patients would suffer if I was overtired.

[Hospice Nurse LPN, BSN, RN]

Alyah, I'm an LPN in a BSN program. I work 16 to 20 hours a week and call every evening. Call is really no big deal as I work for a small home hospice company. I might make 2 or 3 on call visits a month. My pts. are all in a nursing home (in one facility) so I'm usually there about 0630 and I'm done by 1430 or 1530. I wanted to continue working to keep my health insurance through my employer. My company is great working around my school schedule and I plan to continue with them after graduation. Good luck in your schooling!

[nebrgirl]

Think about jobs you might be able to get some study time in, even if they don't pay as great, things like security, overnight babysitting, even jobs where you have to walk alot I take note cards...read, repeat for 2 hallways, read repeat for 2 hallways, read repeat for 2 hallways...I at least know memonics!