Need some advice concerning nursing school....

grillo7 · Mar 25, 2010

1. I worked full-time no problem. It's only later in nursing school itself that this can become an issue.

2. I was able to bunch them up on 2-3 days per week, which worked with my schedule fine.

3.Only weekdays. Usually Monday and Wednesday I think...

4.Labs are usually pretty long, but there were lots of options at my college...I took mine in the afternoon after class.

5.Nope...

LivingWithTheBreeze · Mar 25, 2010

Hello,
I'm new to this forum and seeking some worldly advice.I am a college graduate with a bachelor degree in finance who is seeking to pursue a nursing degree/career.I'm currently in the process of starting to do my science prerequisite courses in the summer.I have several questions to ask pertaining to the nursing school and working while in school . My questions are...
1.Did anyone work while taking their science prerequisites for nursing?? (anatomy 1+2,chem,etc)
2.How did you lay out your schedule of your classes while working??
3.Did you take evening classes ?? Weekend classes??
4.What about the schedule of the lab classes??
5.Did anyone take labs on the weekend/evening???

1. I worked about a 35 hour work week while taking pre-reqs. As a previous poster said, it's really during nursing school itself that you may have to worry about cutting hours.. But it really is a personal choice.

2. I was lucky enough to work nights (I work in a restaurant) so I was able to lay my classes out during the day and go to work afterwords.

3. Took A&PII during the night while I was in my second semester of nursing school (ADN).. Not recommended! My sanity went down the toilet that semester.

4/5. Lab classes can be long and exhausting after a hard days work. I never did a lab class on the weekend, but it may be your best choice. :)

Good luck to you in your nursing school endeavors!! :dancgrp:

SerenePeach · Mar 25, 2010

Hello!

I also graduated with a Bachelor's degree and I'm in the process of taking prerequisites this semester.

I work full time (40 hours/wk), and I take three classes - Microbiology, A & P 1 and Intro to Psychology. I take evening classes (M-W from 6-9/10pm), and my A & P class is a Saturday class from 8:30am-11:30, and the corresponding lab is from 12-3pm.

Before I went back to school, I talked to my boss about slightly adjusting my schedule on M-W so I would work 7-4 instead of my usual 8-5, which would allow me to beat rush hour traffic and get to school on time.

It's do-able, but you just have to find time to study and make everything work.

mmgirlsmom · Mar 25, 2010

It can be done for the pre-reqs. I don't start the nursing portion until the Fall. I am in a BSN program through a private univeristy that has a weekend and evening program that is geared towards "non traditional" students. All of my classes are in the evenings and weekends, it will be the same when I start nursing classes in Fall. I also work full time and my employer knows that I am school so if it becomes necessary I am sure they would be flexible in my hours. It isn't always easy, but being older and because I am used to being on a schedule and having structure it has worked quite well for me. If you are willing to sacrifice and put in the time willing to study and do the homework it can be done. Good Luck!!

CoffeemateCNA · Mar 25, 2010

Working while taking pre-reqs can be difficult, but by no means impossible. I was fortunate that all of my classes were offered in the mornings. This allowed me to work evening shift. I didn't have very much time during the week for homework, reading, etc., so I spent all of my weekends playing catch-up.

Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2010

For my first year of pre reqs I worked full time. I took 2-3 classes per semester, even during summer. After that I went down to part time, and when I realized we could afford it, I quit and finished up my pre reqs full time without working.

I took mostly evening classes, and had to take one Saturday course because only a few sections were offerred and none of the others fit my schedule (it was Nutrition). For my sciences with labs, they offerred late afternoon/evening classes. I also took one or two non-science courses online.

canigraduate · Mar 25, 2010

1.Did anyone work while taking their science prerequisites for nursing?? (anatomy 1+2,chem,etc)

Yep, full time. 8-5 to start with (in my old career), then I changed jobs to become a CNA with more flexible hours.

2.How did you lay out your schedule of your classes while working??

At first I took a night class to be a CNA, then I changed careers and was able to take night/morning classes arranged around my schedule.

3.Did you take evening classes ?? Weekend classes??

Yes. No.

4.What about the schedule of the lab classes??

Same thing, I scheduled them outside of work hours. Some were nights, some were mornings.

5.Did anyone take labs on the weekend/evening???

Nope/yes

It really depends on how flexible you are willing to be. I took a HUGE pay cut and am living with a significantly different lifestyle in order to accommodate classes and get healthcare experience. It's funny to me, though, how much happier I am.

MiahMSN, MSN, RN · Mar 25, 2010

Hi there,

I'm finishing up Microbiology and a CNA program (not required by my school) and will start an accelerated direct-entry MEPN program in August. To answer your questions:

1.Did anyone work while taking their science prerequisites for nursing?? Yes. Unless you're fresh out of school, young with no real responsibilities or established career, then I think most work while doing prereqs - which isn't so bad as you can find evening/weekend/online classes. And it isn't terribly hard, unless you take 3 sciences in one semester - that is the only reason I would understand someone not working during prereqs.

2.How did you lay out your schedule of your classes while working? Again, I took evening, weekend or online classes. I have a pretty demanding job in marketing 9-5, so my outside time was dedicated to school, studying, etc.

3.Did you take evening classes ?? Weekend classes?? Yes - only option for those that work fulltime, traditional hours.

4.What about the schedule of the lab classes?? Lab is typically included in the class. So say Tuesday 630-930pm is anatomy lecture and Thurdsay 630-930pm is anatomy lab.

5.Did anyone take labs on the weekend/evening??? Again, this is all dependent upon how the classes set up. Most classes combine lecture and lab in a format that I mentioned above. Rarely do you have just a lecture and then a totally different class for lab, that are not connected.

Good luck. Look into online classes as well. Labs are simulated and done at home. But first, make sure that the schools you intend on applying to will accept them.

KClifton · Mar 25, 2010

Hello!
I also graduated with a Bachelor's degree and I'm in the process of taking prerequisites this semester.
I work full time (40 hours/wk), and I take three classes - Microbiology, A & P 1 and Intro to Psychology. I take evening classes (M-W from 6-9/10pm), and my A & P class is a Saturday class from 8:30am-11:30, and the corresponding lab is from 12-3pm.
Before I went back to school, I talked to my boss about slightly adjusting my schedule on M-W so I would work 7-4 instead of my usual 8-5, which would allow me to beat rush hour traffic and get to school on time.
It's do-able, but you just have to find time to study and make everything work.

How do you like taking Micro and A&P 1 at the same time? I only have three classes (Microbiology, A&P I and A &P II) left before I can apply to nursing, and I was thinking about doing Micro with one of the others. Would you recommend it?

TXRN2012 · Mar 25, 2010

1.Yes, keep your job because there is not guarantee you will be immediately accepted into nursing. I work 44 hours a week and take one class each opportunity (fall, summer I, summer II, Spring)

2.My work is currently slow so I use my l unch breaks and slooooooow times to study.

3.I do all online! It is definitely the way to go.

4.Lab is a couple (4) times on saturdays

5.Weekends

Lizzy88 · Mar 25, 2010

To serenepeach:

Can you take Microbiology together with A&P I or II? I was thinking about taking Micro with A&P II but I am not sure if you can take them together or you have to wait until you finish A&P II to take Micro. I have to take 4 pre-requesites before applying to nursing school and I also have a BBA. But I have been reading a lot of posts in this site (not finding jobs after they graduate, hating nursing, etc.) and is making me think twice before going into nursing school. Anybody have this same problem? :confused: