Work Schedule and School

[andrew.youv]

I'm aware that most NP students work in some capacity, and I am sure that everyone's experience varied in some way or another. Maybe you have kids, maybe you have familial priorities, maybe you're a better learner when you devote time fully to school instead of working.

In my case, I'll be working full-time and starting NP school next month. I currently work nights and have my schedule as Fri/Sat/Sun. It looks like I'll have class/lecture every Tuesday. Clinicals after the first year.

I live with my girlfriend in Manhattan, no kids, so I think I have a pretty good situation.

I come here asking for tips on balancing life/school/work as well as perhaps documenting my own experiences throughout school.

I look forward to hearing your responses!

-Andrew

[Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP]

In undergrad, I worked in an ICU 11a-11p and every third weekend so I'd just work on assignments on days off as I only worked 3 days a week. That was pretty sweet, and everything was online anyway except for a couple labs. If I worked the weekend and assignments were due on Monday, I'd just get them done earlier in the week so I didn't have to stress over them.

Now I work Mon-Fri 7-3 and am just starting the second year of an acute NP program at my local state school. For the entire first year I was lucky enough to do all didactic classes online, but this Fall I do one online class and one physical class. Every Wednesday I'll do a class in the morning and then a lab in the evening. The lucky part is that my boss is allowing me to work remotely so I can stay at school in the library so I'm there for my later class. This will help when the weather turns bad and I don't have to waste time commuting. My job is 40 minutes from my school and I live in between the two. I'm fortunate enough to not be clinical right now and my boss has just completed an MSN herself so understands the struggle. Once clinicals start I will either have to drop part time, change jobs to something clinical, or arrange all my clinicals to occur on the weekends. I will have to wait and see. I'm hoping I won't have to do any clinicals for at least the next two semesters which buys me some time. Up until now I've been doing reading during the week to prepare, and then right papers and do assignments at the weekend. The earlier I could get stuff done, the more I could take a breather at the weekend. It's all about discipline and balance.