UBC course load and an "exotic" part-time job.

Fiona59 · Feb 22, 2013

Accelerated programmes have a huge workload. Add in the time you spend working hospitals and you will be busy.

I personally don't care how you pay your way through Uni. But you need to get a security clearance to work with vulnerable people (every province has a different title for the form). You need to make sure there is nothing that can be used against you.

You'll also need to be prepared for the odd patient who will recognize you. Can you handle that?

brits · Feb 22, 2013

Good for you girl!

exoticdancer90 · Feb 22, 2013

Hi Fiona!

I don't have a criminal record if that's what you're alluding to! The only thing I'd be worried about somewhat is I worked for a large escort company for 6 months back when I was 20. I do worry about patients recognizing me but won't the scrubs make me somewhat unrecognizable? The only issue I can see is I do have breast implants but I'm sure I can downplay the girls lol! Would it really be that bad if a patient does recognize me though?

Brits, thank you sooooo much for your kind words. I know what I do isn't everyone's cup of tea but I make super good money and it allows me to free reign to live out an important aspect of my personality!

What I do wonder is if I'll have to divulge any of this info during my future job interviews?

hurleyBSNRN · Feb 22, 2013

This is a very unique situation... I can't comment on the stripping end of things... But I did bartend through nursing school .. I know it's probably not as much ... But some bars you can make great money ! I feel that for you to ask these questions about if "it's okay to continue" .. Kind of makes it seem that you already Are morally arguing about it with yourself. I can completely understand the empowerment feeling .. But you need to have self-confidence!!! You worked hard to get through school & you will have a "RN" behind your name! Feel good about yourself on the inside and out because you won't be able to take care of others (well) if you can't take care of yourself. And if you choose to continue that lifestyle, which I'm sure is hard to let go of, I would not disclose that to an employer . Jobs are already hard to come by..& nursing is a respected profession...& many have negative opinions on stripping obviously . Just remember.... LIFE IS NOT ABOUT the money!! Or else you'll be chasing it your whole life & won't find happiness! Good luck!

rnckr, ADN · Feb 22, 2013

I would do what you want to do. And I would not disclose it to a potential employer. It's not a conflict of interest, and in my opinion, none of their business.

eatmysoxRN, ASN, RN · Feb 22, 2013

I'd say continue if you want to but don't disclose it. It's not relevant in my opinion.

~ No One Can Make You Feel Inferior Without Your Consent -Eleanor Roosevelt ~

twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN · Feb 22, 2013

#1. If you are wrestling with staying a stripper while nursing, why not find a different focus of your empowerment? I found it incredibly empowering getting the degree with the grades while folks said I couldn't. I always liked showing people they were wrong about me anyway. There is something to be said about a strong, confident, smart, independant woman.

#2. While it wouldn't be relevant in an interview situation, there is a chance that someone you meet in the workplace will know you because they saw you strip, which might be a little more than awkward. That is not just hypothetical by the way, a friend of mine was in the same situation, and the surgeon responding to the trauma in the ER realised who she was.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Feb 22, 2013

There's very little likelihood of 'hiding' your part time pursuits once you begin applying for health care positions since Federal regulations require a thorough background check. This process will uncover any and all jobs for which there has been any FICA activity - or generated a W2. I know (don't ask me how - LOL) that 'adult entertainers' in my part of the country are not actually hired, but enter into an 'independent contractor' arrangement with the strip club. If this is the case, you may not be outed in the background check.

Nursing is a profession in which success is dependent upon your ability to successfully establish a therapeutic relationship with each and every patient. The patient's ability to trust you is based upon his/her perception of your competency/professionalism. What is going to happen when the patient is aware of your double-life? How would this impact your relationship with co-workers and colleagues? I can guarantee you that it would put the kibosh on any chances of promotion or career advancement. In today's world, if you are a stripper, your pictures are available on the internet.... even if your employer did not use them for marketing purposes, I assure you that a 'customer' has posted them. So it would only be a matter of time.

Maybe you could do it, but IMO, this is an untenable dichotomy to maintain. Nursing has been rated as the "most trusted profession" in the US every year except 2001 (when we were #2 to fire fighters). OTOH, I wouldn't even hazard a guess as to whether sex workers are even classified as a profession but would imagine that they are on the other end of the scale. Trying to balance both of these pursuits would be a crazy-making endeavor even if you are a great 'compartmentalizer'.

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Feb 22, 2013

Well said, HouTX. In my opinion, 'exotic dancing' is degrading and objectifies women. And the very first time a connection is made to your sex trade work on a social media site - you can plan on trouble. There are plenty of other ways to be empowered - one is by doing meaningful work. Stripping is not one of them. My opinion only.

ShyeoftheTiger · Feb 22, 2013

Practically speaking, I think you might be too tired to strip in nursing school and/or from working as a nurse... (besides, nursing support socks aren't sexy!)

You're 22? I mean, how long do you envision yourself being an exotic dancer? From what I understand of the business, it doesn't last forever...

I'm just sayin'... two years is a long time. People grow. Priorities change.

I'll bet you a pair of stillettos that when you start working as an RN it won't even be an issue...

bookbunny · Feb 22, 2013

You will have to ask yourself why you are going into nursing in the first place. If it is for the money, you will never be satisfied because money is not a lasting motivator to get you through the extreme levels of stress of both nursing school and working as a nurse.

Fully disclosing your background is important - most healthcare institutions do a full background check. The hospital I work at required a full background check and 4 different personality exams! You don't want to be caught practicing tax evasion or lying about how/where you receive extra income either.

While stripping may be fun for you in your 20's, many hospitals want someone who possesses "moral wholeness." Secondly, depending on the city or area you live in, remember, it is a very small world.

Personally, since I've been studying the miraculous body, it has changed the way I view life and our bodies in general. I've learned to respect my own body more and more, while respecting others.

Please know I am not judging you. You don't want to go through all that hard work and have your past steal it away. I used to work at S factor, a women's striptease workout place, so I understand the "empowerment" you may feel. But, that same empowerment can be done in the privacy of your own home or as a hobby such as at a stiptease workout place - not as a career.

It is your career, no one can tell you what to do, just be careful - our innocent decisions today will affect the future.