Ugh! Need advice about work hours!

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So I am set to start an ADN program in the Fall (yeah!) and I currently work full-time. I gave my work notice a few weeks ago that I would be leaving to go to school. I have been here a little over four years and it was really tough!

So my plan has been to start looking for a part-time job in July. I did a budget with my live-in boyfriend and with financial aid I need to work 30 hours/week for at least $10/hr.

So today I mention this to my boss and she says since I plan on working 30 hr/week why don't I just stay 40 hr/week and make much more than $10/hour - right now I am making $21/hr. I will be allowed to flex my hours and work evenings, weekends, etc., whatever works with my school schedule. My class and clinical hours are Tue-Fri in the mornings until about noon. Although my work is flexible on when I work full-time, part-time is NOT and option.

My boss also said we could try it and if it doesn't work that is okay as long as I give her enough notice.

I worked 30+ hours all through my undergrad taking 12 or more units each semester. Yes I had no life but I did it. I'm so confused on what to do!

So should I consider this?

Specializes in Med-Surg.
So I am set to start an ADN program in the Fall (yeah!) and I currently work full-time. I gave my work notice a few weeks ago that I would be leaving to go to school. I have been here a little over four years and it was really tough!

So my plan has been to start looking for a part-time job in July. I did a budget with my live-in boyfriend and with financial aid I need to work 30 hours/week for at least $10/hr.

So today I mention this to my boss and she says since I plan on working 30 hr/week why don't I just stay 40 hr/week and make much more than $10/hour - right now I am making $21/hr. I will be allowed to flex my hours and work evenings, weekends, etc., whatever works with my school schedule. My class and clinical hours are Tue-Fri in the mornings until about noon. Although my work is flexible on when I work full-time, part-time is NOT and option.

My boss also said we could try it and if it doesn't work that is okay as long as I give her enough notice.

I worked 30+ hours all through my undergrad taking 12 or more units each semester. Yes I had no life but I did it. I'm so confused on what to do!

So should I consider this?

So really we're talking about whether or not that 10 extra hours would be feasible. There are a lot of people here who work FT and go to school. If you have to work 30 hours and the questions is whether or not you can swing an extra 10 AND the pay difference is a whopping $11 an hour then if it were me....

I would stay at the job I have that is paying me well and is more than willing to flex for me and see if I can swing that extra 10 hours. With the extra $$ I'd also hire someone to clean my house for me while I'm in school! But that's just me...

Specializes in ICU.
so i am set to start an adn program in the fall (yeah!) and i currently work full-time. i gave my work notice a few weeks ago that i would be leaving to go to school. i have been here a little over four years and it was really tough!

so my plan has been to start looking for a part-time job in july. i did a budget with my live-in boyfriend and with financial aid i need to work 30 hours/week for at least $10/hr.

so today i mention this to my boss and she says since i plan on working 30 hr/week why don't i just stay 40 hr/week and make much more than $10/hour - right now i am making $21/hr. i will be allowed to flex my hours and work evenings, weekends, etc., whatever works with my school schedule. my class and clinical hours are tue-fri in the mornings until about noon. although my work is flexible on when i work full-time, part-time is not and option.

my boss also said we could try it and if it doesn't work that is okay as long as i give her enough notice.

i worked 30+ hours all through my undergrad taking 12 or more units each semester. yes i had no life but i did it. i'm so confused on what to do!

so should i consider this?

hi dream,

i would definitely try to keep your job. if your job is going to be flexible with your schedule and allow you time off to study, i would say go for it. if you find that you cannot handle it, just leave. maybe you can start saving up money now, so that if you fall short you will have something put away. work as much ot as you can!:rolleyes:

you may want to consider taking the first 2-3 weeks off when you start school. there is going to be so much to wrap your brain around, you are not going to want to deal with anything else but getting yourself situated with your new life. also, if you have medical benefits, go to the dr. for all the check-ups that you need if you decide to quit. being in school without benefits really sucked...thank god i did not get sick!

good luck with your decision...i am sure it will work out.

:) ketcia:)

ps you are not going to have a life either way it goes, so why not try not to be a broke, struggling student like myself:uhoh21:

Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.

If it were me, I'd work as few hours as possible. I've known a few students who work full time. Generally they didn't do as well as the students who worked part time. Of course, there are exceptions. Maybe you should keep your current job but look at other possibilities in the meantime. For example, down here in Palm Beach County, nursing agencies pay companions for the frail elderly something like $20 an hour. No licenses are necessary. It's not a nursing job.

Maybe even nights/weekends as a nursing assistant might be a possibility once you've completed your first semester. The shift differential might make up for the shortfall.

Good luck.:)

Thank you for your responses, I appreciate the advice! I especially like the suggestion to use the $$ to get a maid! ;-)

It is a tough decision and I am still not sure what would be best. I really want to do well in school and not sure if the full-time work will hurt my GPA. To make things more confusing I found out last night that I am probably going to be offered a part-time position as a Physical Therapy Aide that will pay $12.50 and give me the 30 hours I need. Plus it would be great hands-on experience working with patients.

Well I have the weekend to decide so... Thanks again for all of your advice!

Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
So I am set to start an ADN program in the Fall (yeah!) and I currently work full-time. I gave my work notice a few weeks ago that I would be leaving to go to school. I have been here a little over four years and it was really tough!

So my plan has been to start looking for a part-time job in July. I did a budget with my live-in boyfriend and with financial aid I need to work 30 hours/week for at least $10/hr.

So today I mention this to my boss and she says since I plan on working 30 hr/week why don't I just stay 40 hr/week and make much more than $10/hour - right now I am making $21/hr. I will be allowed to flex my hours and work evenings, weekends, etc., whatever works with my school schedule. My class and clinical hours are Tue-Fri in the mornings until about noon. Although my work is flexible on when I work full-time, part-time is NOT and option.

My boss also said we could try it and if it doesn't work that is okay as long as I give her enough notice.

I worked 30+ hours all through my undergrad taking 12 or more units each semester. Yes I had no life but I did it. I'm so confused on what to do!

So should I consider this?

If you have finished all your pre-requisites and are just taking your ADN nursing classes you should be able to work your 40 hours and still do school for one or two semesters. It is a good suggestion that someone made to take the first 2 or 3 weeks of school as vacation time from your job because those are pretty intensive weeks. It is definitely much harder to work full time in the 3rd and 4th semesters. If you start to notice that your schoolwork is suffering the job goes. I would also pack as much money away in savings as you can to get you through if working the full time job doesn't pan out.

Hi,

I worked FT all through nursing school, although I used 99% of my vacation time during those two years to take days off to study for exams. Also, in my final semester I had to leave early 2 days a week to go to clinical. I did well in school and managed to survive otherwise, but if I could have afforded to work PT in nursing school I would have done it in a minute. The 2 years I was in school I had literally no life other than work and school. No fun! My school required students to have health coverage and offered affordable, albeit sort of crappy, health insurance, but at least that was an option for me had I needed it. Probably your school has it too. It's great your boss is willing to be flexible with you. That's really important -- I would not have been able to finish my program without the flexibility I had at my workplace. But still, I'd work PT if I could. Much easier to balance things that way.

Specializes in L&D all the way baby!.
It is definitely much harder to work full time in the 3rd and 4th semesters.

Just out of curiousity, why is it harder the 3rd and 4th semesters? In our program the 1st semester is the most time intensive (11 units versus 9 or 10 for semester 3/4) and I would think that just the sheer volume of the info the first semester would be enough to make you go crazy.

I'm asking these questions for myself because I planned to wait to work as a student nurse AFTER 1st semester was over (waiting until 3rd semester if we can afford it). Thanks

Hi RN2BE,

I don't know this exact answer to your question but I had this 4th quarter warning reiterated to me this weeked. I happened to meet a former nursing instructor from a local junior college in my CPR class this weekend. I asked her about working full-time and she suggested against it and also said it would be nearly impossible to work my forth semester. She said you are practically working full-time with class and clincals. This seemed a little extreme to me but it definiteley sounds like 4th semester is much more demanding. I hope someone will have more information for us! :)

Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.
Just out of curiousity, why is it harder the 3rd and 4th semesters? In our program the 1st semester is the most time intensive (11 units versus 9 or 10 for semester 3/4) and I would think that just the sheer volume of the info the first semester would be enough to make you go crazy.

I'm asking these questions for myself because I planned to wait to work as a student nurse AFTER 1st semester was over (waiting until 3rd semester if we can afford it). Thanks

I think it's because third semester expectations are higher. It's at this point that we were expected to begin functioning with less supervision and were introduced to greater complexities in both clinical and theory. The instructors told us that they expected all the learning and the experience to come together. I really felt third semester to be the beginning of the transition of student to professional nurse.

Although full-time is hard, I think that for me, life would be less stressful with the extra $$ and getting that maid! What is the situation for being replaced at your job? Would your boss consider giving you an unpaid LOA once in a while, as well as your vac time, for the heavy times. Again, taking a LOA occas. you'll still be ahead of the game making $21/hr.

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