Telling your boss you're going to nursing school....

cccormier · May 14, 2011

Hi Ellis02136,

I know how you feel; I'm facing the same dilemma, but instead working a job where I have between 20-30 hours a week, and with shifts varying from 8am to 9pm Monday to Sunday... I am not sure I will be able to keep this position if the hours don't go down and if they still expect me to have "open availability" to complement the business hour needs. I enjoy my job, but fear telling my employer that in 3 months (September), I will be enrolling in a full time nursing program that will be my number-one priority and take up most of my time.

I've been told by employees to "hold off" on telling my boss on my acceptance into the program until August... but I feel as though that's too late! I'm just worried that my employer will "let me go" thinking I will be gone once September comes anyways. :uhoh3:

leenak · May 14, 2011

Do you have a good working relationship with your boss?

I plan to ask my boss for a letter of recommendation 6 to 9 months before going to school but then again I plan to quit work to go to school. The odd thing is I may need to tell him soon that I am considering going to school because he knows my job isn't the right fit for me and is trying to help me get a different job in the company (he wants to keep me but this topic came up before the idea of nursing school). So since he is trying to help me, I will probably tell him that I will work for him until I quit.

If you aren't sure how your boss would react, then you might just say you are taking some classes on a subject you are interested in or you don't even have to mention school and say you have a personal commitment that you need to make.

Ellis02136 · May 14, 2011

Do you have a good working relationship with your boss?
I plan to ask my boss for a letter of recommendation 6 to 9 months before going to school but then again I plan to quit work to go to school. The odd thing is I may need to tell him soon that I am considering going to school because he knows my job isn't the right fit for me and is trying to help me get a different job in the company (he wants to keep me but this topic came up before the idea of nursing school). So since he is trying to help me, I will probably tell him that I will work for him until I quit.
If you aren't sure how your boss would react, then you might just say you are taking some classes on a subject you are interested in or you don't even have to mention school and say you have a personal commitment that you need to make.

I really don't have a relationship with him cause I rarely see him. I am usually on my own. I like your idea about saying personal commitment though , I just hope he does not ask for details, their nosy at my job. Really I will continue to do 40 hrs just come in 7 to 3 so it is not like I'm asking to cut hours but just to come earlier and leave early. I plan to tell him in August or end of July. I'm nervous but it is either that or get a new job.

SC APRN, DNP, APRN, NP · May 14, 2011

someone quit right before I talked to my boss, she had no emotion at all. That made me very nervous. Timing is important

iPink, BSN, RN · May 14, 2011

Coming in at 7-3p would be a great suggestion. As far as details he may ask, I would start preparing something in advanced since their nosy on your job. I wanted to leave my job but didn't have the heart to do it, luckily I was laid off. It gave me the motivation to pursue nursing and now I'm 11 months away from graduating NS.

K_girl · May 14, 2011

I worked in a corporate office too before i left in April. How does your company view education? If the company I worked for gave me grief for wanting to go to school (even if it's not in the same field), it's not a company I want to work for.

Luckily the company I worked at always stressed the value of education. They highly encouraged it even if it wasn't business related. My supervisor was so excited for me she was just beaming all day. So I guess my situation was a little different than yours. However I always think honesty is the best policy.

Have you thought about just dropping little hints before you resign so you dont shock him? I've had supervisors before that turned out to be a little vindictive when I just gave my resignation letter and would not give me a letter of recommendation. I guess they took it personally. You may want to think about that too!

Good luck and I'm sure it will work out :)

Ellis02136 · May 14, 2011

I worked in a corporate office too before i left in April. How does your company view education? If the company I worked for gave me grief for wanting to go to school (even if it's not in the same field), it's not a company I want to work for.
Luckily the company I worked at always stressed the value of education. They highly encouraged it even if it wasn't business related. My supervisor was so excited for me she was just beaming all day. So I guess my situation was a little different than yours. However I always think honesty is the best policy.
Have you thought about just dropping little hints before you resign so you dont shock him? I've had supervisors before that turned out to be a little vindictive when I just gave my resignation letter and would not give me a letter of recommendation. I guess they took it personally. You may want to think about that too!
Good luck and I'm sure it will work out :)

You are right honesty is the best policy. I plan on holding on to this job up until maybe my last semester or even graduation so that is like 2 years from now. I really hope me being honest does not back fire, I like my current job but I don't see myself doing it 10 yrs from now. I want to better myself and I hope he understands even if it is not something that will benefit the company.

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · May 14, 2011

Where I work, they do value education. They really do. I have told my boss that I got into nursing school and, at least for the 1st semester, I won't have to change my work hours. 2nd Semester is going to pose some difficulty, but they should be able to accommodate the temporary change in schedule. 3rd and 4th semesters should be easier, and will require some flexibility on my part and a willingness on some co-workers to stay over a little time and I'd return that favor later in the week... but only for 2 days.

As to how long I plan on working while going to school? Simple, I'll continue working until work gets in the way of going to school. Once that conflict happens and I can't resolve it, school will win. I do, however, have a plan for that... but I do not want to activate that plan until then. It'll keep the overall costs way down...

My employer won't pay for school, but they will try to help me work out a viable schedule...

caliotter3 · May 14, 2011

The worst that could happen is that your employer takes the opportunity to leisurely find your replacement. The best that could happen is that you are fully supported. Either way, sooner or later, you will have to spill the beans. Hopefully, you will be pleasantly surprised. Good luck.

prospectivepville · May 15, 2011

I was fired. In this particular situation, HOWEVER!!! It all worked out for the better for me. I had informed my boss two semesters ago I intended to go back to school to attempt to be a nurse, his reaction was "So-so blah blah, you won't last til' December, but we'll work around your schedule, just to make you happy until you get out of this slump." Needless to say they really didn't do so well working around my schedule, I was a 911 operator, I knew they wouldn't so I took two online courses, and two early morning courses which I fell asleep in OFTEN, but managed to absorb most of the information by the grace of God or osmosis, and received a 4.0 that semester. When the grades came out so did the big guns, I started getting written up for telling callers that there were EVENTS taking place in our city, *rolls eyes*, anything that they could really do. My tone of voice, which I've been told is pleasant by many people, and even one call when the caller THANKED me for my time... Geesh! Anyhow, I'm receiving unemployment, which to me is a God Send!

I'm thankful for the stimulus package at this point! It allows me to look for a job that will actually work with my schedule, and also allows me to not accept a job that will not pay my bills. Getting unemployment was not easy at all, I had to go through a hearing, and also another appeal, but honestly truth prevails over injustice. Especially since my former employer had a policy that entitled me to be able to further my education.

To beat it all, I worked for a small city, and they hired the mayors nephew in my place. Nepotism much?

mzrainydayz, BSN, RN · May 15, 2011

I think you should, because this is your life and future. Just let your employer know that is something you are seriously pursuing. Don't let any employer hold you back fom furthering your education. I am currently taking my last preq and I need every Tuesday off for the next two and a half months, and my employer has oked that for me. I also went ahead and told her that I will possibly be in the Jan 2012 nursing program and will need to go down to working 2 or 3 days she has oked that for me so I am very thankful. I say tell them but also start looking for another partime job just in case things don't work out, I wish you the best of luck.