Nursing Student Thinking Austin.

[MakeItRain]

Hello Everyone,

I'm new to this site and I was wondering if anyone in the Austin area could give me some advice. I'm a student enrolled in a BSN program in my hometown. My wife is an LVN and is also currently enrolled in an ADN program. We both have talked about our future and where we want to go with our careers. She is undecided on how much further she is willing to take her education after her Associate's degree. My ultimate goal is to obtain my MSN and I am currently looking into UT Austin. My question is; does Austin currently have a moderate amount of job opportunities for BSN's and ADN's? If so, what type of schedules will be expected from us? Do you think it would be too difficult for a full-time student to work as a full-time nurse, especially while obtaining a Master's? If it became necessary, would the average pay for ADN's be adequate for my wife to support both of us in the Austin area? If anyone could help me out, I would greatly appreciate it.

P.S. I will be graduating in the Spring '13

[AciaRN]

Hi! I currently live in Austin and have mt BSN in nursing. I'll try to help answer some of your questions, if I can!

My question is; does Austin currently have a moderate amount of job opportunities for BSN's and ADN's? If so, what type of schedules will be expected from us?

I would have to say yes, I moved here a year ago and got a job immediately. I only had a year of previous nursing experience in a LTC facility. I got a hospital job here in Austin. The schedule would depend on where you are hired. Most nursing jobs consist of three twelve hour shifts, so you would have four days off. There are 5 day a week, 8 hour a day nursing jobs, though. This is for full time, of course. There are PRN positions which consist of working a few shifts/ month or week depending on the facility. PRN positions pay more, but hours aren't guaranteed.

Do you think it would be too difficult for a full-time student to work as a full-time nurse, especially while obtaining a Master's? If it became necessary, would the average pay for ADN's be adequate for my wife to support both of us in the Austin area?

I would say yes initially. Nursing school is a full time job in itself. When I was in nursing school, there would often be mandatory meetings or assignments that our instructors would throw on us last minute. So having a set schedule with a job might be a challenge. I know people work full time while going to school, so it is possible. Honestly, Austin is expensive and A LOT of people are moving here. They don't pay nurses that much here because of how many people are available to fill positions. I would say that new grads probably start off around $21-22/hour. Housing is pricey here, too. You'd probably have to get a one bedroom furthur away from the city to be able to afford it with one salary.

If you're going to be going to school here, you could always try and apply for grants/ scholarships to help you out.