Need Guidance- CNS student already working in a CNS role

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I am currently working on my CNS while in a CNS role at a hospital and the role is 40+ hours a week and it is a challenge! I will be starting clinicals which is going to add more hours on top of my studies and I am worried that I am sacrificing some of my education to fulfill my job requirements. While I am learning at my job, I am contemplating on going back to the bedside til I finish but it is such a hard decision. I am getting burned out and I am wondering if any of you did the same thing? What did you do to get through it? Was the sacrifice worth it? Did administration let you cut down at all in order to get clinical time done? I really need some guidance and have no CNS mentor...

Thanks

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I worked 3 12's in an ER while doing my first CNS. I used PTO for clinical time and did them on the weekends. For the second CNS I was already an APN and working 50 plus hrs and again used PTO. Nope my employer gave me no slack....

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I worked 3 -12 hour shifts with lots of overtime, and was pregnant/delivered my second child. I was busy at the time, but then when it was all done I didn't know what to do with all my free time. I didn't get any support from work and just kept plugging away. You'll get through this and be proud when you are finished.

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Thank you for sharing!!

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Specializes in ICU, M/S,Nurse Supervisor, CNS.

I'm in the same predicament. I've talked to my director and my tentative plan is to use some PTO time, but mostly some creative scheduling (i.e. Doing 4-6 hrs clinical, then.getting in my 8 hrs of work after since I'm doing clinical in the same building). I thought about going back to the bedside also but these positions are hard to come by in this area so I'd be better off staying where I'm at.

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