Tips To Handle Nursing School While Employed Full-Time

TheCommuter, BSN, RN

As a traditional student or non-traditional adult learner, nursing school can prove to be one of the more demanding ventures that you will ever experience. Nursing school is daunting enough for a student who is not employed; however, the experience can be twice as imposing for people who contend with full-time jobs, family obligations, bills and other responsibilities. In this day and age, many students must maintain full-time employment while attending school full-time to stay financially afloat.

Even though some individuals choose to live off the proceeds of federal and private student loan disbursements to keep from working while going to school, other people are reluctant to borrow money or unnecessarily add to the amount they will eventually repay. Staying employed while attending school is a fiscally sound way to stay out of student loan debt or, at the very least, minimize the amount of money one borrows. While many instructors will recommend that students not work during nursing school, full-time employment is very much manageable as a full-time nursing student. Here are some tips to handle both nursing school and a full-time job.

Don't be afraid to neglect some tasks

If you are normally a clean freak, it's okay for your living space to be a little messy while you are a nursing student who works full-time. If your family has come to expect time-consuming home-cooked dishes prepared from scratch every dinner, it's alright to serve leftovers, sandwiches or other time-saving meals. Remember that your time is finite during this venture and you must use it wisely.

Manage your time sensibly

One of my former schoolmates was a busy wife and mother who admitted that she still ironed her sheets to ensure they were never wrinkled. After hearing this revelation, we all told her she needed to spend her time on the stuff that truly mattered such as schoolwork, her kids, the husband and the job. Ironing the sheets is a poor use of one's very limited time during nursing school because, once you lay on those sheets for several hours, they are going to develop wrinkles anyway.

Obtain a planner

You will be juggling multiple tasks, duties and responsibilities as a full-time worker and nursing student. A planner is one school supply that will help you stay on track to remind you of due dates, appointments, projects and other upcoming events that a busy person might forget.

Don't be a lone wolf

Although much of your time will be occupied by school and work, do not neglect your family and friends. Be sure to carve out the time for your friends, significant other, and immediate family members. Also, solicit their input and support. Furthermore, if any of your classmates seem like decent people, network with them. After all, no man is an island.

Do not procrastinate

I know it is tempting to put that essay, research project, or study time off until the last minute. However, you cannot afford to squander valuable time by putting assignments off until the day before they are due. Instead, set aside some time to study each day to keep from becoming overwhelmed on the day before a major test or project.

Temporarily revamp your expectations

If you received a 4.0 grade point average in your prerequisite courses, keep in mind that it is normal for GPAs to drop somewhat during nursing school. If you are accustomed to a full night's sleep, keep in mind that this might not always happen if you are a full-time student who also works full-time. In other words, shift your expectations during this time in your life.

Seek out time-saving activities whenever possible

Instead of cooking on a daily basis, prepare a large amount of food on the weekend, deep-freeze it and reheat as needed. If you have some responsible classmates, form a study group and divide the mountain of tasks between members to save some valuable time. If you regularly stop at a convenience store for snacks, also use the time to refuel your gas tank. Evaluate every activity in your life to determine if you can trim some time.

Find a place to study -- and stick to it

If you find yourself becoming distracted while studying at home, you might be better off using the library as your quiet spot. If you are fortunate enough to be able to study at home, find one place in the house and claim it as your personal space. If you live with others, let them know you are not to be interrupted while studying unless it's an emergency.

Take advantage of resources at your workplace

Some people are lucky enough to have occasional moments of downtime at their jobs. It would be wise to use this downtime to study if nothing else is happening. Some self-righteous people might say, "They aren't paying us to study!" To these people I respond, "Upper management isn't always working every single minute when at work."

If you're feeling stressed, take advantage of any employee assistance programs (EAP) that your place of employment might offer in the benefits package. Definitely use the tuition assistance if your employer offers it unless, of course, you dislike any of the strings that might be attached.

Be mindful of your career goals

You are in nursing school to eventually become a nurse, I assume. Therefore, you should treat nursing school as if it is one of your urgent priorities. It is best to invest your time and effort on your educational plan so as to learn as much as you can. After all, you want to pass NCLEX on you first attempt, right? Be cognizant of your goals and continually remember why you are in nursing school. Good luck!