Nursing program, to go or not to go?

Editorial Team / Admin · Sep 11, 2017

Thread moved to General Student forum for best response.

Good luck with your decision(s).

shibaowner, MSN, RN, NP · Sep 11, 2017

Congratulations on getting into nursing school!

You can work part time and go to school part time or full time. Or you could work full time and go to school part time. In addition, did you get any financial aid? There are full ride scholarships that also pay a living allowance from HRSA, Nurse Corps, and State of California.

Yes, going to school is hard and requires many sacrifices, including financial. You have to think long term - is nursing going to put you in a career you enjoy and in a better financial situation? Short term pain, long term gain.

Good luck.

lucymcgillicuddy78 · Sep 11, 2017

Hi there, thank you.

I will have to visit the schools financial aid again. Last time I was told that I did not qualify. Unfortunately the Nursing program is full time for two years. I could work part time but I fear that I won't have even time to study.

You are right- short term pain, long term gain.

Thank you

Sour Lemon · Sep 11, 2017

Getting accepted into a nursing program was my goal and now that i have been, i'm not so excited. I thought I was prepared but I feel that I'm not. For one, I work full time and leaving my job would be a huge hardship on my family. Second, I have two kids (8 & 6) and I also care for my mom. And third, I live in Los Angeles CA where the cost of living is so expensive. My husband and I both depend on our income to survive. If I quit, we will definitely be struggling financially.
I'm really having a hard time deciding whether or not to go to nursing school.
Has anyone else been in my situation and if so, how did you make it through school?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you

What kind of school have you been accepted to? If it's sky-high in cost, you might want to rethink. If it's reasonable, it might be a good investment.

What are you doing for work now and how does it compare to what you'd make as a nurse? (something to ask yourself, I don't necessarily need to know)

When I went to school in my early 30s, I gave up my car in favor of the bus, moved to a small, cheap place on a bad side of town, and got rid of my nice phone in favor of a "pay as you go" model that cost about $20 every three months.

Keep in mind that LA is a tough market for new grads, too. When I lived in Texas, I worked with a lot of new grads from California who moved because they were unable to find jobs. BSN is strongly preferred here, and ADNs are shut out from some of the larger systems. With an ADN and a few years of experience, I've had no trouble finding work, though.

lucymcgillicuddy78 · Sep 11, 2017

What kind of school have you been accepted to? If it's sky-high in cost, you might want to rethink. If it's reasonable, it might be a good investment.
What are you doing for work now and how does it compare to what you'd make as a nurse? (something to ask yourself, I don't necessarily need to know)
When I went to school in my early 30s, I gave up my car in favor of the bus, moved to a small, cheap place on a bad side of town, and got rid of my nice phone in favor of a "pay as you go" model that cost about $20 every three months.
Keep in mind that LA is a tough market for new grads, too. When I lived in Texas, I worked with a lot of new grads from California who moved because they were unable to find jobs. BSN is strongly preferred here, and ADNs are shut out from some of the larger systems. With an ADN and a few years of experience, I've had no trouble finding work, though.

Hi there, thank you for your reply.

I got into an ADN program which costs about $7000 for the two years.

I work for the City of Los Angeles so the benefits and pay is pretty good. We have also though about moving into a cheaper apartment but my mom also lives with us and all of her doctors are 5 minutes away from where we live now. So that would be tough on us as well.

I have heard that California is tough on hiring new grads. I'm not sure that I want to continue on to a BSN though. I hope that with an ADN i will be able to find a good job.

Sour Lemon · Sep 11, 2017

Hi there, thank you for your reply.
I got into an ADN program which costs about $7000 for the two years.
I work for the City of Los Angeles so the benefits and pay is pretty good. We have also though about moving into a cheaper apartment but my mom also lives with us and all of her doctors are 5 minutes away from where we live now. So that would be tough on us as well.
I have heard that California is tough on hiring new grads. I'm not sure that I want to continue on to a BSN though. I hope that with an ADN i will be able to find a good job.

That really is tough, but $7000 is not much and I'd personally hate to pass it up. It might even be worth it to get yourself into a little bit of debt to make it through ...if it would mean a significant rise in income. Is there any chance of working very part time at your job, or would you have to leave entirely? I worked six hours a week through school and found that challenging ....and that's with no kids. I also had classmates who worked full-time and had families.

lucymcgillicuddy78 · Sep 11, 2017

That really is tough, but $7000 is not much and I'd personally hate to pass it up. It might even be worth it to get yourself into a little bit of debt to make it through ...if it would mean a significant rise in income. Is there any chance of working very part time at your job, or would you have to leave entirely? I worked six hours a week through school and found that challenging ....and that's with no kids. I also had classmates who worked full-time and had families.

I would hate to pass it up especially after all the hard work I put into my pre req's to get here.

Part time at my job is considered 20 hrs a week. I was thinking of trying that out and see how I feel about it.

bgxyrnf, MSN, RN · Sep 12, 2017

Getting accepted into a nursing program was my goal and now that i have been, i'm not so excited. I thought I was prepared but I feel that I'm not. For one, I work full time and leaving my job would be a huge hardship on my family. Second, I have two kids (8 & 6) and I also care for my mom. And third, I live in Los Angeles CA where the cost of living is so expensive. My husband and I both depend on our income to survive. If I quit, we will definitely be struggling financially.
I'm really having a hard time deciding whether or not to go to nursing school.
Has anyone else been in my situation and if so, how did you make it through school?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you

When you say "struggling financially," what do you mean exactly? Not saving for retirement? Eating Top Ramen and flour pancakes for every meal? Giving up cable and cell phones? Living off credit cards? Unable to pay for medical care if needed or child care or elder care? Make a realistic budget and decide if you can do it.

How secure is your husband's job? How secure is your marriage?

Who will care for your mother and your kids?

And to the most important point: Why become a nurse? Money? Job security? Personal satisfaction?

What kinds of risks do you need to take in order to make this happen? Are you a risk taker? Are the risks worth it?

Sour Lemon · Sep 12, 2017

I would hate to pass it up especially after all the hard work I put into my pre req's to get here.
Part time at my job is considered 20 hrs a week. I was thinking of trying that out and see how I feel about it.

If you can keep your foot the door at work, I say go for it. Worst case scenario, you'll have to cut back on work more (quit) or you'll drop out of the program. You'll quickly discover what you can handle and you won't be out a lot, financially, no matter what happens.

robotbarb123 · Sep 13, 2017

Congrats on getting in!! I know financial struggles are hard but it's a small price to pay (lol) to be in a position in a few years that will make you feel complete. I have 25k+ from a previous degree, and taking financial aid this time and living partially off of it tack on another 20k for my ADN- I have no regrets. I was working in an office job that provided 0 satisfaction So getting out of that is worth it. I will say I quit my job and work about 28 or so hours waiting tables I am fortunate to strike the balance of low ish work and reasonable pay. I have friends in the program that have maintained their full time jobs but everybody works differently. If you find a study group and a good coffee maker you can do anything!! Best of luck- I really hope you're able to stay the program ðŸ˜€

lucymcgillicuddy78 · Sep 13, 2017

Congrats on getting in!! I know financial struggles are hard but it's a small price to pay (lol) to be in a position in a few years that will make you feel complete. I have 25k+ from a previous degree, and taking financial aid this time and living partially off of it tack on another 20k for my ADN- I have no regrets. I was working in an office job that provided 0 satisfaction So getting out of that is worth it. I will say I quit my job and work about 28 or so hours waiting tables I am fortunate to strike the balance of low ish work and reasonable pay. I have friends in the program that have maintained their full time jobs but everybody works differently. If you find a study group and a good coffee maker you can do anything!! Best of luck- I really hope you're able to stay the program í ½í¸€

Thank you so much. :)

I do see that it is a small price to pay for a career that will pay off in the future. I am currently working in an office job and I think I may be able to stay here and work part time. I may have to look into some loans and see what financial aid can help me with.

Yes a good study good is definitely a must, as well as coffee lol

I hope I am able to stay with the program too.