LPN school and working fulltime

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · May 11, 2016

Your thread has been moved to our LPN Student forum.

tcbnurse1 · May 11, 2016

it's not impossible but it will be difficult. I started my program back in September with the exact same school hours and it was very hard for me to work and keep up with the assignments. I work on the weekends but only about 6 hours a day. The work is not hard per se. It's just the amount of work and learning so much in a short period of time and then quickly moving on to the next topic. It'll have your head spinning. But with that being said, I know quite a few people who have worked while completing their LPN program so it can be done. From personal experience, my class started with 17 people, we are down to 7 people. Of those 7 people, only 1 person works full-time and she is constantly behind and complaining about it. The rest of work 1-2 days per week (and we do home health or other jobs where we can pick up or refuse shifts). Two of them don't work at all. Most of the people who left couldn't balance school and work. But where there's a will there's a way and if you must work, you'll do what you have to do. Good luck.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · May 11, 2016

I did not work during the LPN program due to living off my savings and the proceeds from unemployment checks.

However, I did work during the LPN-to-RN bridge program. I worked two 16-hour double shifts every Saturday and Sunday while attending school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Working full-time while attending school is doable if your time management skills and prioritization are fine-tuned.

lindseylpn · May 12, 2016

I worked full time during my LPN program 32-40 hours a week. I worked Weds and Fri 4p-12a, Sat and Sun 8 to 12 hour shifts. It's doable but, I'm not going to say it was easy. The day after I worked was my hardest day, I usually got about 4 hours of sleep that night. I passed with a 91-B average but, I was late to class a few times from lack of sleep. Several other classmates had full time jobs as well, the ones that did best were the ones that had jobs where they could sit down and study on their downtime.

lindseylpn · May 12, 2016

Some schools will not let a person do their clinical if they've worked in the previous 8 hours. You may want to look into that. At my local community college if they find out you've worked up to 8 hours prior to clinical they will fail you.

CNAAJ · May 14, 2016

It is very challenging but it can be done I did the exact same thing for about 7 months of my 12 month program for the same reason. Then I transferred to day shift 7am-7pm for the remainder because i was beginning get more tired and it was better for my little family. Surprisingly my grades were better when I worked night shift because I had more time to study. However I graduated Cum Laude of my class this past April, so if you put your mind to it you can do it.People think it a good idea to chug energy drinks I kept water close to me for long days and only used caffeine when it was necessary. Make sure you eat breakfast every morning regardless if you are hungry it jump starts your day.

tasia17 · Jun 26, 2016

Hi,

My school will allow me to work. A gentlemen took the class last year while working full time overnights and graduated at the top of the class.

lovingme01 · Jun 29, 2016

Hello, I'm in a LPN program and currently working part-time at a gas station. For school I have to be in class from 8:00am-4:00pm. Currently I work 6-10pm on week days and have open hours on weekends sometimes my manager will have me working till 12 at night on week days. I do have a son and I'm a single parent with bills. Do you all think I can continue to make good grades and work or cut my hours at work.