Nursing School while still working?

[djdietz]

Hello,

I am asking about this on the general discussion board in order to get the feedback from those of you that have been out working in the field a while, in contrast to the people still in Nursing School.

I have long thought about being a nurse, but have set it aside as life was busy with kids (now grown - 1 in Nursing School) work was plentiful and fulfilling, etc.... Now, my industry is very slow, financial it would be a bit more doable, etc... Everyone that I have asked either within the industry, or others that have made midlife changes has said they think I would make a great nurse, and to go for it. We have a highly regarded Associates Degree Nursing program right in out small town with somewhat flexible class times, and the Financial Aid looks like it would be the best while my kids are still in school too. The stars might be aligning

What my biggest worry at this point is I would need to keep working part time at least to make it work financially. I am not sure how much time I would need to allot to work vs. schooling, and if I could fit it all in. My job is pretty flexible as far as 'when' I work, so that would be a huge help with scheduling.

I would need to do all the pre-requisites, as I have had no relevant courses under my belt. The courses here are somewhat gear toward 'adult students' in a way that it is usually 9-11 credits per semester. The way most semester (I figure it would take me 3-4 to do pre-reqs, and 4 for the nursing classes/clinicals) are laid out they are 9-12 classroom/lab hours for pre-reqs and about 4-6 classroom hours and 11-12 clinical hours for the nursing classes, until the last semester with bumps up to 15-16 clinical hours.

So, what I am wondering is this; with that type of load, how much, on average, would you all say it took to do your studies outside of the classroom/clinicals? I have 'heard' that 2-3 hours per credit hour is 'average'. I honestly don't know how clinicals work and if/how much outside studies are associated with that part. Is 20-30 hours of extra studies an accurate 'estimate'?

I feel I would need to work at least 20 hours per week to make things work. If it could be more, all the better. I an no stranger to working 60+ hours per week in my current job when needed, so lots of hours dont really bother me. I would say I am most likely a little better than average learner - better at concepts than memorizing facts.

Thanks for any advice you can provide,

djd

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

First of all, my hat is off to you for pursuing a career in nursing. It is not an easy journey.

To address your questions, I think that you can go to nursing school while working part time. I don't know what kind of hours you work at your current job, but flexibility in your work schedule will be a godsend.

When you are doing your pre-reqs, I must honestly state that most of this learning is rote memorization. Microbiology is at once conceptualizing the essence of growth and proliferation, while also requiring you to know factual information that is the 'meat and potatoes' of the science itself.

Anatomy and Physiology is also the same type of learning. You can conceptualize the physiology part, but you MUST know the anatomy aspect by memorization.

Once you get into nursing school, the conceptualization part of your brain will be doing a happy dance! Most of what you will learn is comprehension and implementation.

There are many grants and scholarships that you may qualify for that you don't even know about. When I was in nursing school, there was a $1500 grant that was awarded to a qualified student who showed interest in oncology nursing. There was another that was offered to students that lived in XYZ county. And yet another that was offered to students who were affiliated with student government activities.

I don't know if I was the typical nursing student or not: I studied CONSTANTLY. I would review my notes at red lights, for gods sake! Nursing school consumed me, and I thought of little else....but I always kept in mind that there was light at the end of the tunnel. I knew that my commitment was on the one hand unyielding, but on the other hand, temporary. What I mean is that I pretty much walled myself off from distractions for 4 years, knowing that I would be able to enjoy life after I was done with school. Do you think that you would be willing to do that?

I wish you only the best, and truly hope that you find your educational journey to be challenging, enlightening, and rewarding. It feels great to cross the finish line when you graduate and pass the NCLEX. Once you start your first job as an RN, there are many hurdles to jump, but you can do it.

Nursing is a wonderful profession, in my opinion. Even with all of the pitfalls, frustrations and demands that it entails, I still cannot imagine doing anything else. It is a humbling profession. At my core, I still say a quiet prayer of thanks that I have been blessed with the mental and physical faculties to provide nursing care to so many; I remain...FULFILLED.

[NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN]

Working while in nursing school is not hard, the most difficult part is maintaining a set schedule.

[mama_d, BSN, RN]

Ya know, I get so tired of people in the nursing programs telling students that they can't work and be successful. Plenty of people do it.

I'm not saying it'll be a cakewalk, but it's certainly do-able. I've managed damn near a 4.0 in my pre-reqs while working OT regularly and managing a family with for young kids...baby is about to be five and older three are finally all in middle school. I had to start out all over again b/c I went to a for-profit for my LPN and no credits would transfer. The first time around we had two under two, I was going to class/clinicals Mon through Thurs 8 hrs a day and working 2 12-hr night shifts a week...and breastfeeding to boot...and graduated top in my class.

Nursing classes start for me in the Spring, and I'll be either working OT at the hospital or going to have to get a second part-time job to cover the expenses. I've got more going on family-wise as well, what with kids in sports/drama/choir etc...so I've just gotten myself comfortable with the fact that my grades might not be up to my usual standards.

IMO, nursing school isn't easy, but it's not like going for a degree in astrophysics. Figure out what way of studying works best for you, give it what you can, and prove all those who say you can't do it wrong. :)