Work all night -School during the day, can it be done?

Vito Andolini · Jul 30, 2008

It depends on you. A lot of people have done similarly difficult things and succeeded. You just have to learn to disconnect your phone, train your friends and family about your sleep needs, make use of their help whenever you need to, and get some dark curtains for daytime sleep.

It's not easy but it's temporary and you can do it if you really have your mind made up.

Could you get any scholarships, grants, or loans to ease your burden?

ceecel.dee, MSN, RN · Jul 31, 2008

Well, what's your program schedule for Monday mornings?

Students rushing in late only to doze on their fist in the back row do not impress instructors.

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2008

I worked full-time (evenings and later on straight nights) for about half of my time in school. Night shifts are ok, as long as you don't work Sun night, or if you do if you don't have Mon morning classes. The benefits and money were nice, but I ended up giving up my full-time status half-way through critical care because it just got to be too much. If you do work full-time, try to save as much money as you can, or take out a loan, so if it gets to be too much you at least have something to fall back on.

RosalindRN · Jul 31, 2008

I say go for it. I worked two jobs while in school. Like you I had all the prereqs out of the way and only had my nursing class and clinicals for four days through the week. After class I would work prn at the hospital from 3-11p or 3-7 p depending on the days. I recommend getting a job as a cna in the hospital on a prn basis. They know you are in school and they are usually pretty flexable to help you out. I would also call the nursing office on days my floor didnt need me but I was available and they were usually able to place me on another floor for that day. I also worked 11p-7a at a nursing home. Because most residents were sleep, in between my 2 hour pt rounds I would break out a book or work on my care plans. It can be done but you have to find flexible jobs. Good Luck!

ICRN2008, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2008

It really depends on the person, but please consider the effect on your family and your patients if you are over tired. I had a co-worker who almost crashed her car with all three kids inside because she was trying to "do it all", ie. work at night and be up during the day doing family activities.

Switching sleep schedules was very difficult for me even when I was taking evening classes. Getting into a routine is often the only way to get decent sleep on the night shift.

sistasoul · Jul 31, 2008

I just graduated from school in May and stopped working my last semester. The studying, clinical prep, clinical assignments, oral presentations took at the very leas 40 hrs a week (this was with just the nursing class and no prereqs). On top of that 16 hrs of clinical time and 6 hrs of theory.

My first semester I worked 32 hrs and gradually cut it down. I lived off of savings and loans and moved in with my brother.

I only know of one person who worked full time and graduated. This person did not have children.

A lot depends on the clinical instructor you get. Some are just tyrants about their clinical paperwork and will make you redo what you already spent 15 hrs on again. If you are lucky the clinical instructor will just hand you back your careplans, etc and point out how you could do it better and not make you spend another 8 hrs fixing it.

The required reading each week is not doable. My very first test in school was on 28 chapters. You quickly realize that you can not read all of the info.

If you can get a job where you can study it would be ideal.

Best of luck....

Lisa1963 · Jul 31, 2008

I work three 12 hours shifts; Thurs, Fri, and Sat every week. I've kept this schedule for over two years and it works out well. I also have 3 children and it works with them too.

SecondGenRN · Jul 31, 2008

Hi! I am currently taking my pre and co requisite courses for the nursing program and am hoping to be able to join the program by next fall with all of the other classes out of the way. I've been looking into what kind of job I can get that would be flexible with the school schedule (I have to work and have 2 kids to support). From browsing on these forums, I'm thinking about trying to get on as a patient tech./nurse intern once I'm in the program and possibly trying to work a weekend only schedule. I was wondering if working 2 - 12 hour nights on the weekend would be possible with going to school in the day time during the week. Has anybody else rotated their sleep schedules like this where you sleep some days during the day and the other days during the night? I've never worked night shifts before and am not sure how it would work out.
Thanks!

yes its doable... I've done it and it SUCKS!!! I'm starting my last semester and am finally giving in and applying for a loan.... don't do it if its in any way avoidable.... if it is unfortunately necessary then you can do it, but it will be very very hard

GadgetRN71, ASN, RN · Jul 31, 2008

Ditto for what many have said here...it is possible but you have to know yourself well. I worked full-time evenings and took call during the weekends and graduated with honors.I have always been a good student.

But, it was not easy-I was also single and had no children. If I had kids, something would have to give. I also had no choice..I wasn't going to beg my parents for money(I was in my 30's) and was still paying off other school loans, so if I didn't work, that meant no nursing school for me.

If you want something bad enough, you'll make it work. Good luck:nurse:

Vegas RN, MBA · Jul 31, 2008

nyty, you can do whatever you decide. If you want it, you can make it happen. I graduated at 19 with my LPN, worked three 12 hour hight shifts and went to school in the morning right after work to obtain my RN, for two years. Then I took a few years off to party.

As I worked full time I went back to school later to get my Bachelor of Science in Counseling because I found that I needed more education in human experiences. I found it difficult to relate to loss and need, so I confronted my deficiencies and obtained a Bachelor's Degree in the thing I could not relate to.

As I became an experienced nurse and had more managerial promotions, I found that finance was not my strong point, or really telling, something I could not do. So once again I confronted my deficiencies and received my Masters of Business Administration, with a 4.0. That was the greatest achievement of my life!

My family thinks that I have too much to pay in school loans and they do not really appreciate the value of education, but I personally know that a Doctorate is in me. Hopefully in Economics.

If I can achieve an MBA, from my background, you can do whatever you want. IT IS UP TO YOU.

You go.

Faeriewand, ASN, RN · Jul 31, 2008

During my LVN program there were several students who worked full-time nites and came to school during the day. We went to school 5 days a week. But they also fell asleep during class, but they all made it just fine to graduation! :)

myty23 · Jul 31, 2008

Thank you all for your replies. I'm so glad to hear that there are people that have made it work. But also sad that there are some that haven't. If I do end up working nights, I would probably only work friday and saturday nights and not on sunday's so I can go to school on monday morning. But if I didn't take this kind of job, my only other option would be to continue to work full time during the day at my bank job and do the night and weekend program that my school offers which would be tuesday and thursday nights from 5-10 and every other weekend would be 2, 12 hour days on sat. and sunday for clinicals. That is an option, but I personally feel like it would be harder on me to learn when going to school at night after working all day and that schedule would actually give me less time for studying and with family. I still have some time to figure this all out. I am probably going to apply for the scholarship which gives you a montly stipend, but from reading its requirements, it looks like priority is given to people with most financial need. Being that my husband has an income (even though it doesn't take care of all of our bills) I'm afraid that I won't qualify. We've actually even been thinking about selling our house, just for me to be able to go to school. If it would even sell in this market! But I'm very willing to sacrifice right now be better off in the end.

Thanks again!