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.
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.
I really prefer to rent textbooks since it's so much cheaper than buying, but my school has been doing this thing where you don't have a choice and the school books are "included" in the tuition so the financial aid that covers the class will also cover the book. It kind of sucks because I'm essentially purchasing the book for the school selling price rather than being able to find a cheaper solution, but so far I have not had to pay a cent of personal money on books because my financial aid has been able to cover everything.
I really prefer to rent textbooks since it's so much cheaper than buying, but my school has been doing this thing where you don't have a choice and the school books are "included" in the tuition so the financial aid that covers the class will also cover the book. It kind of sucks because I'm essentially purchasing the book for the school selling price rather than being able to find a cheaper solution, but so far I have not had to pay a cent of personal money on books because my financial aid has been able to cover everything.
I'm personally all for renting texbooks as well, but not my nursing books. almost all of my nursing books I used throughout my ADN program and even into my BSN. The only ones I rented were non nursing texts and my psych nursing book. I have even used my medsurg book for my patho class for my BSN program. Renting the same books each semester would equate out to me actually buying the book anyway but for those who don't have 200 at the time to buy the book, renting is a good option
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I'm personally all for renting texbooks as well, but not my nursing books. almost all of my nursing books I used throughout my ADN program and even into my BSN. The only ones I rented were non nursing texts and my psych nursing book. I have even used my medsurg book for my patho class for my BSN program. Renting the same books each semester would equate out to me actually buying the book anyway but for those who don't have 200 at the time to buy the book, renting is a good option
I plan on renting but I don't know how much financial aid I will get & most likely will have to pay some portion out of pocket for nursing school. So any way I can save money, I will.
I worked 36 hours during the week, ran EMS for 36 hours each week and attended nursing school PT on nights and weekends (and did 6 online credits each summer) It CAN be done!!!
This is such a great thread & definitely much needed! I completely agree with BeachyRN2Be that, if this were the NCLEX, "don't work full-time" would be an ideal answer choice in a perfect world. I sometimes naively think "wow! wouldn't it be so nice to be able to focus solely on nursing school?" Nursing school is going to be hard at times whether you have a job or not haha :) Maybe that's just me? I don't mean to sound negative or pessimistic at all, this just reminds me that we're all in it together and that we're all here to learn as students. There are also plenty of amazing moments along the way too! Don't want to scare anyone from enrolling in a RN program That's why I wanted to contribute a post and shout from the rooftops: "YOU CAN WORK FULL-TIME DURING NURSING SCHOOL!" Yes, it's doable! I've been doing it for over a year and it's all about knowing what works best for you.
As someone who works full-time during nursing school, I find the "don't work" during nursing school advice to be really discouraging and disappointing. This advice also doesn't take into account every student's unique set of circumstances, which can be so many different things. Where you live, tuition of your nursing program, family life, support system, health status, paying for day-to-day living expenses, et cetera. I also think DURATION or length of your nursing program can definitely impact managing a full-time, part-time, or per diem job. I'm in a 24-month Accelerated BSN program and knew this was the best fit for me as a learner. I also knew completing a 12-month or 16-month BSN program would just be too much for me socioemotionally... Adding a job to the mix just wouldn't have been possible for me. I think that's key is knowing what works best for you and knowing that you can change your mind. I have an amazing friend who worked TWO JOBS during her 15-month accelerated program. Everyone's pathway to becoming a nurse is different :) It's important to own your story and journey of becoming a nurse, which can mean reflecting on many aspects of your life and finding a way to make working a job *work for you.*
As an older student, I knew I needed to work during nursing school. I know there are those who will brush that off and say that I didn't "need to work." However, my pathway to becoming a RN meant working throughout my BSN program. From there, I knew what was best for me given there are only so many hours in the day for work, school, and just how I am as a learner :) I wanted to make sure I had enough time to devote to everything nursing school entails, which is A LOT of reading, memorizing, studying, and sleeping. Oh yes! I seriously need some sleep to function during lecture ;o) Since I knew I needed to work, I found a job that was a great fit for me and my new nursing schedule, which I knew would be during the daytime. Again, nothing is perfect, so I try not to stress and address curve balls when they pop up. School, work, and home are super close to one another so that cuts down dramatically on commuting. Work actually contributes financially to my RN education, which helps a lot! I could keep rambling about working during school so to wrap things up: listen to your own voice and trust yourself. Be confident! Also, keep in mind, you can change your mind. I know plenty of students in my BSN program who have recently accepted jobs and those who are leaving their jobs... Everyone is different! My two cents would be to try to enjoy this process as much as possible :) You're clearly a very special person, if you want to be a nurse ;o) and thinking about working during school demonstrates dedication, organization, critical thinking, and reflection.
. I sometimes naively think "wow! wouldn't it be so nice to be able to focus solely on nursing school?"
Yep. I'm certain that if I weren't working full time while also attending school, my husband would (justifiably) expect me to do some housecleaning now and then. And I would much rather take 12 credits and work 36-40 hours a week (a couple I've done 48...NOT RECOMMENDED!) than do housework.
Specializes in TCU, Post-surgical, Infection Prevention.
A CNA tried this crap where I'm doing clinicals. She got fired. So I would recommend against this strategy.
Well, in California - they dont't care especially at (what I call) "the bread hospital" (yeah, that HMO that ery'body in Cali thinks is great, but is actually garbage care).
Who recommended anyone do that? I was pointing out what I have seen doing clinicals in hospitals since 2012... lol
Yep. I'm certain that if I weren't working full time while also attending school, my husband would (justifiably) expect me to do some housecleaning now and then. And I would much rather take 12 credits and work 36-40 hours a week (a couple I've done 48...NOT RECOMMENDED!) than do housework.
ROFL! Mine actually had the nerve to say the reason I stayed in school so many years was to avoid housecleaning. On some level he was probably correct, lol.
I just wanted to give a big THANK YOU to all of you who have commented and given personal examples and testimonies of the ability to work and attend school. It's great to see that so many were able to successfully do both.
I have a private facebook page for members of the nursing programs at my school and I shared this thread so others could see that it is possible and I received some happy feedback from it.
Nursing school is not something that's easy, regardless if you have a job, children, or are able to focus solely on school. But I feel that regardless of the circumstances, it's entirely possible to do anything that the mind is set on.
It was tough and I'd be really tired on Thursdays because I didn't get much sleep between class/clinical and work, but I managed to pull it off for the year and complete my ADN program.
Our shift is very small & I supv 2-3 nights a week but perhaps I can nap a bit...not sure about changing my schedule just yet. I'm sure there will be many days I will not get much rest, but I just want to do well.
Amen Sister! LOL I too would love to hang out and study on the weekends, and after school but I have 2 mouths to feed alone. I will say that working in a hospital is the BEST job you could have if you do work. The staff at our hospital gets along well, and I bring study guides/a&p charts/questions etc to work with me. Everyone who knows is willing to help in whatever they can from an explanation, or even quizzing me on things Im learning at school. There was one time I just couldn't understand a concept, and was dang near ready to give up; then one of our Dr's took some time out to explain it a different way and saved my grade on that test. I would just say if your working just try and do your best to incorporate any material you can into work. Flashcards, or giving an explanation to someone about what your learning helps you remember stuff for your class too. I know it's ideal to be unemployed, but when if you need to work, try and get a little study time in at the same time if you can. It saved me!
That's why I wanted to contribute a post and shout from the rooftops: "YOU CAN WORK FULL-TIME DURING NURSING SCHOOL!" 
mirandaaa
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I really prefer to rent textbooks since it's so much cheaper than buying, but my school has been doing this thing where you don't have a choice and the school books are "included" in the tuition so the financial aid that covers the class will also cover the book. It kind of sucks because I'm essentially purchasing the book for the school selling price rather than being able to find a cheaper solution, but so far I have not had to pay a cent of personal money on books because my financial aid has been able to cover everything.