Soooo... Are you at a disadvantage at NS? I think I am.

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I'll be starting the nursing program for my school next week. I have all my supplies, books, and things that I need... but I'm at a considerable disadvantage seeing as I don't have a car or a job right now.

I hear about people that work 40 hours a week or more, but I just don't see how you can do that unless you're "working" at a job that allows you to sit down, read, or use the internet freely. I know most certainly that I couldn't work a retail job 40 hours, heck, not even 30 hours and still pass school.

Having a reliable way to school and the clinical sites is going to be a MAJOR problem for me. I don't know if my classmates would be willing to give me rides to and from the clinical sites and I fear that once I run out of money for public transportation, I'm going to fail due to attendance.

I guess this is more of a rant than anything and I had to get it out before it sat on my mind too long.

Specializes in Pediatric Hem/Onc.

This is my thread and I'll rant all I want until I'm done doing it. It's better than complaining to people in real life about it, so I might as well do it here because I'm not gonna let it simmer on my mind.

This made me laugh. Better to annoy people online than to their faces, right? :lol2:

People who work nights have to stay up all night, usually. I wish we got nap time! And um.....it's possible to work full time at a job where you can't do homework and still manage. Get a bus pass and study on the commute. Or.....wait for it......study at home :rolleyes: You're looking for an easy solution - as in "awww we feel bad for you so here's some free money to help you out!" - and you're not gonna find it.

I just got off work, so maybe I'm cranky....but seriously dude. Ranting time is over and now it's time to DO something. You're gonna be kicking yourself 3 months from now, wondering why you didn't do X, Y, and Z in time so you could go to school.

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I'd say from listening to your extreme negativity and the fact that you're already resigned to failure, that you won't make it anyway. I'd say maybe you should drop out, wait for a better time - or choose a career where you don't have to do clinical time or be in class in the morning (an online program, perhaps?) - and give your spot to someone who will be determined enough to succeed.

There are so many students in my class who work full time...some work nights. And NO they arent just sitting on their rear-end at work studying, they're actually working. You know, like they're paid to do? What kind of work ethic do you have if you are complaining that any job you could get wouldn't give you time to do homework or get on the internet? Really? We also have students who have families/new babies, are pregnant, don't have a car/license, one cares for a severly disabled child with no father in the home, blah blah blah. Suck it up and give it a shot or drop out. There will be a person out there who is thrilled to get your place if you do.

Nursing school/nursing isn't for the weak or the weak at heart. Making excuses will last about 5 minutes, then your instructors will come down on you like a ton of bricks. If that's how you typically handle adversity, this probably isn't the right choice for you anyway.

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Specializes in Case Manager.

Well duh, I'm not gonna quit easily... BUT I won't be unrealistic either... I mean I care, but not enough to let it affect me negatively...

Of course I'm going to utilize all my resources that I can and try my best to get a job as well.

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Well duh, I'm not gonna quit easily... BUT I won't be unrealistic either... I mean I care, but not enough to let it affect me negatively...

Of course I'm going to utilize all my resources that I can and try my best to get a job as well.

Not let it affect you negatively? You mean you get more negative then this?

If you manage to stay in the program, nursing school could be really good for you.....it will give you the opportunity to meet folks who actually have problems, not just inconveniences.

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Well duh, I'm not gonna quit easily... BUT I won't be unrealistic either... I mean I care, but not enough to let it affect me negatively...

Of course I'm going to utilize all my resources that I can and try my best to get a job as well.

Just a friendly word of advice, it's probably better that you let this thread go. :) People are going to keep jumping down your throat I think. Only YOU know what your situation is. :twocents:

I know how hard it is to get a job. I put in over 200 applications over the summer and did not get one call back. I just don't want to work right now so I stopped looking. I know not everyone can do that though.

So yeah, like I said closeing the thread is a good idea. ;)

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Exactly... you worked at a group home which allowed you to SIT AND DO HOMEWORK... as well as "relax." I highly DOUBT that you would have been able to do home work and pass nursing school if you had a fast food or retail job... or ANY job where you weren't allowed to bring books and study materials... plus school isn't at night so that isn't an excuse either. You can always sleep on your job if you really have to.

And getting a job is a lot easier said than done. Otherwise, I would have been had one by now. And don't hold it against me that I decided to go to school and get things done BEFORE I had kids.

This is my thread and I'll rant all I want until I'm done doing it. It's better than complaining to people in real life about it, so I might as well do it here because I'm not gonna let it simmer on my mind.

My point was, I had a lot of responsibilities that you do not. Laundry for four people (including cloth diapers), housekeeping, parenting, breastfeeding an infant every 2-3 hours while I was sleeping (the 5 hours a day I had to sleep), etc. And no, I could not sleep at work, are you crazy, it was a locked down facility for juvies. It would have been fabulous if I would have gone to nursing school before I had kids and a house; but I didn't, and I made it work. There was never any question in my mind, that I wouldn't be able to make it work. Since you *don't* have children or own a home or a car, you have fewer external obligations and therefore more time and money for what *you* need to do: study, work, sleep, etc. You can make it work if you want to.

It seems like you have a lot of excuses or expectations about how hard life is for you, and that's why you probably won't make it. Why don't you think you're tough enough and smart enough to figure out how to make it through nursing school? You need to adjust your attitude. Instead of "poor me, I'm disadvantaged because of x, y, z. I'm probably not going to be able to do this." why not think "Lucky me, I don't have to deal with a, b, c like some people do. I can certainly figure out how to handle x, y, z, no problem."

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Specializes in Case Manager.

I've gotten enough advice and feedback... Thanks for all the input!

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Are you kidding? if you study by asking questions to whoever you can convince to car pool with you then you will both get free study time. If you take the bus do the same for yourself. Trust me no job (if you can survive) is an advantage. By the way good luck with job. This is the highest unemployment in years and is going to be very slow recovery.

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I worked 2 full time jobs (Monday through Friday as a CNA, two 24-hour shifts as an HHA on the weekends) and rode a bike during nursing school. Just wanted to let you know that it is doable! And I didn't have study time at work, except on my lunch breaks. While I thought I was gonna die during nursing school, it did teach me how to be super-organized :nurse:

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I've gotten enough advice and feedback... Thanks for all the input!

People in worse situations than yours have made it work; and people in better situations than yours have bombed miserably. From your posts, you seem like a bright enough fellow...you *can* make if happen. Just like everything else in life, it's a little luck mixed in with a lot of sweat. It's just that much sweeter when you actually have to work, sweat, and shed a tear for it.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Emergency, home health, urgent care.

Hang in there bro, and make it work. I'm a male nurse and I was in a very similar position in the early (and very cold) months of 2007 in a suburb of Pittsburgh. I was also working at a local hospital about 4 miles away. I suppose I was lucky to have and keep a full time job during school and before the economy tanked. There were a couple months where I was unable to drive. I see many posts telling you to "just suck it up, get a job at the school, use public transportation, bike to school." While all those are great ideas, I doubt that you hadn't explored those options already. In my case, there just weren't a lot of jobs at the school (but I had a better one at the hospital), while the distance was relatively short, the icy, dangerous, fast moving traffic roads with a steep uphill grade to getting to either one made biking and walking usually impractical. The public transit system here blows, and the county leaders are going backwards in cutting routes, times, and jacking up fares. It would take an hour between two buses to get to either work or school. I would do 12 hour shifts and sometimes get off at 330am and walk the 4 miles back home through thick snow, freezing temps and icy roads. I was lucky to have a roommate that helped me out a bit, occasionally fellow employees with the same start of their shift would pick me up if coming from my direction. I did use the bus, and carpooled with other students. Even buying a cheap car can be tough without proving to creditors that you have a source of income. So do what you need to do to make it work, but it will always involve sacrifice. But school will end! Good luck/

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Specializes in home health, flu clinic, private duty.

Here's my 2 cents: Try to work at least 1 day a week or volunteer 1 day a week in a healthcare setting. My school told me not to work (I didn't), got a 4.0 GPA, passed NCLEX at 75 questions.....and I can't get a job because I don't have enough experience. All the people that were just getting by, but working in healthcare through school all have jobs now. Knowing what I know now, I'd definitely get my cna license and start working while in school.

As for a ride, that's a tough one. We had 1 girl in school and she did get a ride everyday from different people, including to clinicals. It worked for her. I think it was pretty lucky. I did carpool a lot by offering to pay the gas for the person driving. It worked for them because it made it cheaper for them to get where they were going (I was on the way), and it made it easier for me (we are a 1 car family). I did however drive my own car sometimes, or get dropped off by hubby. So, make SEVERAL contingency plans.

Good luck. Don't give up if it is what you really want!

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