What is your schedule?

mrsboots87 · Jan 28, 2014

I'm in my final semester of an ADN program. Here's my current schedule...
Monday - off (with the exception of community teaching and certain observation days).
Tuesday - Clinicals from 6:30am til 3:30pm.
Wednesday - Clincals from 6:30am til 3:30pm.
Thursday - Lecture from 9am-12pm and 1pm to 2pm.
Friday -Lecture from 9am til 12pm.
Now, in my cohort (there are currently 36 of us) there are four different clinical groups, on different days (some on weekends) and different times (some are second shift). Lecture time is the same for all of us.
One of the reasons it's difficult to try to plan your work/nursing schedule is because often the instructors do not have absolute confirmation on the clinical schedule the facilities they use will allow until the week before class starts. Sometimes it's even the first week of class. So things can be sort of "up in the air". And there are things (classes, observations, flu clinics, community teaching) that aren't part of the normal schedule. It can make the work thing tricky. I only work 10 hours/week. My previous job would not work with me on my schedule so I had to leave before school began. But, several of my fellow students work full or close-to-full time jobs and manage. Because of the large amount of time I spend studying (3-6 hours/night depending), I have mommy-guilt because I feel I'm not spending enough time with my 3 year old daughter, but I try to make up for it when I can. So yeah, that's my schedule. Good luck to you!! :)

I totally feel you on the mommy guilt. I think that is the hardest part for me. I have a 4 year old and a 1 year old and dont spend nearly enough time with them. I just have to tell myself that it is only 2 years. I know nurses dont get great schedules, but at least a day off will be an actual day off and not filled with study.

nekozuki, LPN · Jan 28, 2014

I work 50 hours a week as an LPN and take 18 credits a semester. My last full day off was January 5th, my next day off is mid-march. I want to punch myself in the face on a regular basis.

Tuesday - class from 11:30am - 8:30pm. 9pm - 11pm is date night with my DVR (trashy reality TV escapism time!)

Wednesday - work from 7am - 7pm. Go to campus library from 7:30pm until it closes at 10pm

Thursday - class from 11:30am - 8:30pm

Friday - work from 7am - 7pm. Set up at a booth in paneras until they close at 10pm (need their wifi access for two online courses)

Saturday - work from 7am - 7pm. Another night at paneras, but sometimes I go wild on the weekends and hit up a Denny's instead (all my online courses have work due by midnight, so sometimes I'm out pretty early)

Sunday - Sleep in, attempt to see friends/family, try to accomplish schoolwork/errands/laundry/everything else in my life before going into work at 7pm until 7am the next morning

Monday - Get off work at 7am. Report to home office to turn in paperwork, meet with staffing/case management and any other professional duties. Get home around 10am, take a 2-4 hour nap (can't be long or I'll screw up my sleep cycle), then get up and do schoolwork. Hit the sack around midnight and prepare to do it all again.

In addition to this, I have a mandatory thirty hours of "co-curricular" work to do this semester, which means I have to attend school functions or workshops outside my regular schedule. And on top of that, I have a study abroad trip in the summer, but all coursework and class meetings are held in the spring, so that's another stack of work added to the pile.

My friends and family are wonderful, supportive and tolerate my whining. If your support system is good enough, you can do anything! I don't have kids though, and wouldn't even trust myself to keep a potted plant alive (at least for this semester, anyhow). I keep myself on a very, VERY strict schedule, because it's the only way I can stay on track.

goldenanchor · Jan 28, 2014

I work 50 hours a week as an LPN and take 18 credits a semester. My last full day off was January 5th, my next day off is mid-march. I want to punch myself in the face on a regular basis.....
...
My friends and family are wonderful, supportive and tolerate my whining. If your support system is good enough, you can do anything! I don't have kids though, and wouldn't even trust myself to keep a potted plant alive (at least for this semester, anyhow). I keep myself on a very, VERY strict schedule, because it's the only way I can stay on track.

Wow that is busy! Thankfully I don't have to work 50 hours a week. Like you though, I keep myself on a strict schedule to stay on track. I know exactly which hours are my designated study/homework hours, and since I do have a child I also have designated family time. If/when I started nursing school though, he'll likely be in daycare FT which will help a lot with time management.

And I agree! support is key. My husband now wants this as much as I do, because I'm so passionate about it. His support is the key to my survival and success.

heystargirl · Jan 28, 2014

I'm single and still live with my parents, but I carry my own health insurance, so I have to work full time while in school. I have class two days a week, all day, and then a lab and a clinical. I also work (very) part time at my local hospital. Luckily, my full time job (mental health worker at an impatient psych facility) allowed me to take a double weekend option contract, so I work 32 hours between Saturday and Sunday, and then go to school Monday-Friday. It's not impossible, but so far has taken a lot of commitment and very understanding family and friends. I don't know how those of you with kids and husbands do it because I only have to manage myself and I am swamped! :)

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Jan 28, 2014

I'm still doing my prereqs and I am a very busy single mom. Here is what my schedule looks like.

Mon.- Class 9-4 judo practice for my son 5-8

Tues.- Class 10-1 practice 4:30-6

Wed.- Class 9-12 practice 5-8

Thurs. - Class 10-1 Practice 4:30-6

Fri.- Class 1-4

Weekends Travel to tournaments

I take my son to and from school everyday and I study and get homework done during the time I am not at school. This past weekend we went to Milwaukee and didn't get home until 4 in the morning on Monday and had to get up 2 hours later for classes on Monday. I live the crazy life right now. I am usually studying in a Courtyard Marriott somewhere on the weekends. But I manage to get it all done and pull mostly A's.

Compassion_x · Jan 28, 2014

I ended up leaving my job in November (not by choice). I'm in my last full semester of my ADN program and my schedule is: Monday - OB/Peds clincial 0630-1230, Tuesday class 8-12, Wednesday med-surg clinical 0630-1230, Thursday Class 8-12. Friday's a free day.

ambitiousBSN · Jan 29, 2014

I am a second semester BSN student. I work part time in a program that the hospital I work at provides for nursing students to work part time while attending a nursing program full time. So, I only work 24 hours a week.

Monday: Clinical 7a-2:30p

Tuesday: Clinical 7a-2:30p

Wednesday: Med/Surg 9a-1p for 7 weeks, and then Peds 9a-1p for the second 7 weeks

Thursday: Nursing Research 9a-12p, and then I work 11p-7:30a

Friday: Pathopharmacology 9a-1p, and then I work 11p-7:30a

Saturday: Work 11p-7:30a

Sunday: Off

I worked the same schedule last semester and did pretty well with my first semester. My semester GPA in the first semester of nursing courses was a 3.679 so I'm pretty proud of that considering the course load, assignments, due dates, clinical, work, and managing time with my husband in-between. The only plus now is that this semester I won't be working on a night that I had clinical all day- last semester, I had clinical on Thursday morning so I was up at 5a and wouldn't get home until close to 6p (I had class after clinical), and then I'd work at 11p. Now, with Med/Surg and Patho in the same semester, I'm a little terrified, but I know I can do it.

If you go in with a game plan and are organized and can manage time well, you'll be successful! :-)