Need Advice .... What am I suppose to work while attending nursing school??

Staragate, ADN, ASN, RN · May 9, 2011

What worked for me is getting a job through federal work study. it's not much money, but working for the college means they are flexible with your schedule. I ended up in a department that needed me regardless of financial aid funding, so when that money ran out, I still had a job.

Other options:

Substitute for schools. You don't need a degree, because aides need subs as well as teachers. Subbing means you pick the days you are available.

Agencies are similar, whether healthcare or temp job. You let them know when you are available and they will try to match work with you.

Any job that you are helping others will look good when it's time to search for RN work.

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · May 9, 2011

Subbing as an educational aide or something along those lines may work. Substitute teaching generally requires a 4 year degree in basically anything. Check into temp agencies. Look for healthcare jobs. Basically any job willing to work with your available hours. Check with your college work study programs. Stuff like that. Look at personal aide/attendant jobs too. Some people just need a caregiver type person to look after them during the evening/overnight times and a nurse isn't needed.

wannabenurse14 · May 10, 2011

Subbing as an educational aide or something along those lines may work. Substitute teaching generally requires a 4 year degree in basically anything. Check into temp agencies. Look for healthcare jobs. Basically any job willing to work with your available hours. Check with your college work study programs. Stuff like that. Look at personal aide/attendant jobs too. Some people just need a caregiver type person to look after them during the evening/overnight times and a nurse isn't needed.

Thanks for all the advice ... But, I may have failed to share I am a college graduate with a Masters in Social Work. What I believe could work for me is working in the evenings/overnights in a hospital setting. Thanks again.... :-0

Bob_N_VA · May 10, 2011

Considering what the current employment situation is, I would say any job you can get that is stable, pays something past minimum and works for the school schedule is fine. Back in my college days, I was a weekend security guard and drove a cab. Today, the school happens on two nights and weekends so I have kept my real day job, at least for the time being.

If you want to get a leg up on nursing experience, finding work as a nursing aide or assistant is good experience. Pay sucks for the work you do, but it is 100% pt contact which looks great on a resume once you graduate. I'm not sure about your school, but after so many hours in my program, you have enough time to get the certification.

I do find it interesting though that you have a MSW and are going back for nursing. My stepdaughter was wanting to go for nursing but could not get her gpa up to get into the colleges program (anatomy and chemistry can be lots of fun), so she decided to go for social work instead based on the advice of one peer, much to the chagrin of her mother and me. We both tried to tell her that she was looking at a masters degree on her own nickel and that even after that, jobs may be very tight and the pay not all that great. She would rather have the "university experience" and hang with her college friends than to change schools and go to a CC or hospital based program. :uhoh3:

wannabenurse14 · May 11, 2011

Considering what the current employment situation is, I would say any job you can get that is stable, pays something past minimum and works for the school schedule is fine. Back in my college days, I was a weekend security guard and drove a cab. Today, the school happens on two nights and weekends so I have kept my real day job, at least for the time being.
If you want to get a leg up on nursing experience, finding work as a nursing aide or assistant is good experience. Pay sucks for the work you do, but it is 100% pt contact which looks great on a resume once you graduate. I'm not sure about your school, but after so many hours in my program, you have enough time to get the certification.
I do find it interesting though that you have a MSW and are going back for nursing. My stepdaughter was wanting to go for nursing but could not get her gpa up to get into the colleges program (anatomy and chemistry can be lots of fun), so she decided to go for social work instead based on the advice of one peer, much to the chagrin of her mother and me. We both tried to tell her that she was looking at a masters degree on her own nickel and that even after that, jobs may be very tight and the pay not all that great. She would rather have the "university experience" and hang with her college friends than to change schools and go to a CC or hospital based program.

Appreciate your comments ... I have been working in the field of social work for more than 20 years. Nothing wrong with the social work/mental health field, except there are places which pay little or no money!! I, personally, make decent pay and have even made more money when working as a Psychiatric Social Worker in the hospital setting. My heart and soul is wrapped around becoming a nurse, since 2002. There are some many experiences I have to share with regards to why it's my time to move into this field..... Its a DIVINE appointment ... Peace! :)

2ndyearstudent, CNA · May 11, 2011

I don't have the luxury of not working during nursing school, but any advice of what type of work I should be looking into???? I mean it seems I have to be available during the day time hours in order to attend school and labs. So, this means I must consider an evening and/or overnight job. Thanks!

Look into CNA work. You can usually schedule your shifts around your class and clinical times. I had no problem doing this and I worked as a LTC CNA, a Home Health Aide, and a CNA on a Med/Surg floor duing nursing school. I worked days and evenings, with an overnight once in a while.

wannabenurse14 · May 11, 2011

Look into CNA work. You can usually schedule your shifts around your class and clinical times. I had no problem doing this and I worked as a LTC CNA, a Home Health Aide, and a CNA on a Med/Surg floor duing nursing school. I worked days and evenings, with an overnight once in a while.

Since nursing school is usually 8a - 5p weekdays, how am I suppose to attend nursing school/clinicals and work days????? Most importantly I need to work at least 40 hours a week and I cannot afford to take a pay cut when I enter my nursing program. HELP!!!

Bob_N_VA · May 11, 2011

Since nursing school is usually 8a - 5p weekdays, how am I suppose to attend nursing school/clinicals and work days????? Most importantly I need to work at least 40 hours a week and I cannot afford to take a pay cut when I enter my nursing program. HELP!!!

I'm not sure where you are, but have you looked into the possibility of an evening/weekend program? That is what I am doing now and I can honestly say if it wasn't for this program, I probably wouldn't have made the decision to go back to school. What really sucks is that my class is the last the school is offering for the E/W period. We still have an LPN bridge program and a E/W LPN program, but you would have to start out in the LPN class, go 18 mos, graduate, work a year then come back in to the bridge, assuming they still have it. The beauty of these programs is you can keep your decent day job at the expense of being really tired with some long days, working every other weekend and a longer stint in school. But for me its worth it.

bhanson · May 11, 2011

If you haven't been accepted to a program yet, why not work overtime for a year so you can afford to focus on nursing school when that time comes along?