I've been a member on AN since Feb. and was an avid reader for months prior to creating an account. I've noticed on tons of threads asking for advice on working during school, a very popular response is "don't work" or "you won't be able to work full time and go to school".
Unfortunately, not everyone has the ability to take off for two years or cut back on hours (and pay) in order to focus solely on school. Not everyone with an interest in nursing is blessed with extra money or another person to keep them afloat while they attend school, and some are unable to take out more loans on top of school loans to pay for their living costs.
Please stop giving "don't work" or "you can't work" as answers, because it's not only discouraging, but it gives the impression that it isn't possible to complete nursing school with a job.
I'm not saying it's easy and of course there are restrictions on working hours availability since school will need to take precedence, but with proper time management, support, and dedication, working full time can be done during nursing school.
Haha, and all the floors I've done my clinicals on - never saw the CNAs that worked there... We did everything! So, if the CNAs are not doing much while we are there, you can imagine how much free time you'll have to study your pocket guides/flashcards, etc.
A CNA tried this crap where I'm doing clinicals. She got fired. So I would recommend against this strategy.
A CNA tried this crap where I'm doing clinicals. She got fired. So I would recommend against this strategy.
Completely agree. Make sure something like that is okay, but generally it's a no-no. As my previous supervisor said, "There is always something that can be done."
Nights can sometimes be a different story since work slows way down on nights (depending on the unit) but again, make sure this is okay before doing it.
At the last LTC facility I worked at, it was okay to be on our phones and whatnot so long as the supervisor could verify your rounds were done and other duties were taken care of. She was understanding that sometimes there just wasn't that much to do (although rare).
I worked full time as a PCT in the OR/PACU while I was in nursing school. I worked evenings, so often if we didn't have a case I could study or do school work. It was awesome and I'm sure a rarity as far as jobs go. I'd say a PRN schedule as a PCT would probably have been my other option if I hadn't gotten the job I did, just so I wouldn't have to worry about scheduling conflicts. I totally get that the "don't work" advice is just not practical for many. Obviously it isn't ideal, but you do what you have to do. I was an A/B student in nursing school, graduated on time and passed NCLEX first try. Good luck OP, I hope you can find a job that suits your needs in school.
It's so dependent on an individual's time management skills, their individual school requirements, their work, whatever other outside obligations they may have....one answer will not work for everyone.
When I was in undergrad nursing school I had to quit even my piddly little work-study job (15-20 hours a week) because I just couldn't handle it along with the other non-negotiable things I had to fit in like family and friends. I'm in FNP school now and while it's not easy, I have so far found myself able to work 3/4 time, be there for my kids, and study. This may be due to grad school being vastly different than undergrad, or the fact I've got a little maturity/time management skill under my belt, or both. Either way, not working is not an option for me either....so I'm very glad it's been doable so far!
I worked while in school as a tech. It got my foot in the door (I just got hired with great benefits, retirement, etc), and it enabled me to graduate with my BSN debt-free.
I've been a member on AN since Feb. and was an avid reader for months prior to creating an account. I've noticed on tons of threads asking for advice on working during school, a very popular response is "don't work" or "you won't be able to work full time and go to school".
Unfortunately, not everyone has the ability to take off for two years or cut back on hours (and pay) in order to focus solely on school. Not everyone with an interest in nursing is blessed with extra money or another person to keep them afloat while they attend school, and some are unable to take out more loans on top of school loans to pay for their living costs.
Please stop giving "don't work" or "you can't work" as answers, because it's not only discouraging, but it gives the impression that it isn't possible to complete nursing school with a job.
I'm not saying it's easy and of course there are restrictions on working hours availability since school will need to take precedence, but with proper time management, support, and dedication, working full time can be done during nursing school.
/end rant
You can definitely work. It's all about drive and motivation. I did have to cut down to part time during the last semester. Now, with a year experience in med surg as an RN..i'm wondering if it's possible to go to NP school and work full time in an ICU unit. I've never been an ICU nurse before, and it will be a challenge. I'm likely going to go to school part time and work full time. Don't let other people get you down. You can make it work! :)
I worked a 40+ hour per week day job all through nursing school. Had class in the evenings and clinical on weekends. Did it suck? Yup. Did I make it work? Yup. I was pretty much non-existent in my husband and daughter's life for those two years. Was it worth it? Absolutely!
Same situation.
I attended a program that was for working individuals for evenings and weekend clinicals.
I worked 30+ hrs and had grown up bills and a mortgage-which I still have now.
I was an independent contractor LPN, and was able to be flexible to even do weekday clinicals when needed.
I graduated with a reapectable 2.89 GPA...I plan on going to graduate school, I'll take the GRE and some post Bac classes and do well in them-it won't be the end of the world.
People are going to be in the camp where "nursing is your LIFE!" as the instructors state, and that's ok...as well as where one has to manage a job and grown up responsibilities and school-it can be done!
On the flip side, I feel like I got a lot of flack from peoplee for working so little. I would like to say that as a person who worked part time for the first year of nursing school and then ended up working just one day a week during the second year of school, I constantly felt like other students would make snide comments like "must be nice to work so little" or "no wonder you did well on your exam, you have time to study since you only work one day a week" etc. In my situation, I did fail a course in my first year. While I will never know if it was directly contributed to working or not, I failed by only one point (which is one question, and our program didn't do partial points so I literally could not have been any closer to passing). When I came back to the program, I cut my hours and it made a huge difference in my "studying stamina." I also moved to day shift which made a huge difference. My job is as an aide on a busy neuro floor....very very hard on the body.
It really is an individual decision and I think that a lot depends on a person's personal motivation, the actual job, the shift, the person's study skills, etc.
I only worked saturday and sunday, about 10-16 hours a week while in school but I also still live with my mom and I only have my own personal expenses to worry about (car payments, car insurance, phone bill, credit card bill, any dental or medical bills I had, clothing, etc.) I was able to make it work because of school refund checks due to an excess of money in my school account because of scholarships and financial aid. I also got paid by the VA on a monthly basis to attend school due to my father suffering a disability and eventually death while in the military.
However, many are not that lucky. There were plenty of single moms working nearly full time hours while attending school. I had a friend that worked 2 jobs while going to school full time. It's not ideal and it will be more difficult for those students, but it is definitely doable.
my suggestion to those who need to work while going to school would be to apply to as many scholarships as possible. Build up a surplus of money in your account at school. use that surplus to pay for text books at the school store. Any money that is not spent on textbooks will be refunded to you by the school. This might vary by state, but this is how it works in NYS. I have never had to pay for a single text book my entire 5 years in college due to this.
A CNA tried this crap where I'm doing clinicals. She got fired. So I would recommend against this strategy.
Yeah, I loved it when students were on the unit but that just meant I got to focus on my 8 patients rather than my 13. Certainly never meant I didn't have work to do...... can't even say that with a straight face LOL.
Yeah, I loved it when students were on the unit but that just meant I got to focus on my 8 patients rather than my 13. Certainly never meant I didn't have work to do...... can't even say that with a straight face LOL.
At my clinical rotations as students we were in charge of complete all around care. Meaning of course the CNA's weren't going to be going in those rooms as much. As students we had 3-4 patients so it only makes sense that we can do CNA care as well as passing meds and assessments.
My instructor would have kicked our butts if she saw us having a CNA do our work.
You can definitely work. It's all about drive and motivation. I did have to cut down to part time during the last semester. Now, with a year experience in med surg as an RN..i'm wondering if it's possible to go to NP school and work full time in an ICU unit. I've never been an ICU nurse before, and it will be a challenge. I'm likely going to go to school part time and work full time. Don't let other people get you down. You can make it work! :)
I'm sure for the last semester or two I'll be able to cut down to part time as long as I'm able to continue saving money before I get there but I definitely won't be able to for the first two semesters.
My mom worked in the ICU for a while before working in a spine hospital and she said she really liked it.
After getting my ASN I'm going to get my BSN and hopefully keep progressing in education and I'll probably do the same thing and work full time and go to school part time!
Red Kryptonite
2,212 Posts
A CNA tried this crap where I'm doing clinicals. She got fired. So I would recommend against this strategy.