Work while in school for NP?? Possible??

Specialties NP

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I am ready to start back to school and the way that our university has the program arranged "supposedly" allows for full-time nurses to successfully attend school. I was wondering if any of you were able to work full-time/near full-time hours while you were going to school to be a NP?

Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

I did an RN to BSN to MS progression (still in the M part!)

I was in for a shocker when I hit the MS level courses - MUCH harder, MUCH more reading, MUCH more work, MUCH higher expectations.

Just be prepared - you cannot take the number of grad level hours that you can take in undergrad.

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Specializes in Acute Care - Cardiology.

WOW... I am already tired of school. *hehe* Just kidding. I understand the expectations of graduate work and am prepared for them, at least mentally. Cardio - I COMPLETELY understand what you mean about paying your bills and such. I have to work too. That is why I posted this thread. My husband works and makes decent money, but with our busy, float by the seat of your pants lifestyle, we both have to work. I was talking with my hubby last night and he said if I am serious about going back to school this time (I have gone back 3 times and dropped because I wasn't ready), then I would have to do what needs to be done to get finished. If that means working every weekend for full-time hours... then so be it. I guess I am like a lil kid... in that I don't want to miss anything fun on the weekends... , but something else... if I work solely on the weekends, I can go to school full-time and be done in 3 years... and at that point we can play all we want! :chuckle I guess I just need to grow up a little and look down the road and not just to the end of the driveway.

I really appreciate all the insight from everybody!

Thanks for the financial aid info too!

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Specializes in Emergency, Cardiac, PAT/SPU, Urgent Care.

I agree with everyone else on here. If you want to go for NP full-time, it will be very difficult to hold down a full-time job - even a p/t job would be tough with a full-time NP program.

I started my p/t NP program and it is a lot of work - especially with working PRN and having two little ones ruling my world right now. The only times I am actually able to read/study/do papers is when either both of them are napping during the day (rarely occurs) or after my husband gets home at night. I only took one course this past semester and it took up so much of my time. (Should be interesting when I take two classes next semester)!

Pretty much what it comes down to is if you are very determined and focused, you can make anything happen. Good luck with whatever you choose! :)

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I am in the category of "absoutely have to work" b/c I am both the primary breadwinner and benefit carrier for the family. (my husband has been out of work and unable to find meaningful employment for QUITE a while.)

I therefore am working full time and have started my NP program parttime. It is a LOT of work esp. with a family - I wonder what I will do when I get into clinicals but that is a year away and maybe by then he will have a job.

One problem I am finding is that many scholarships (as well as student loan deferments) require the student to carry at least a half-time load which my curriculum over the next year does not qualify as (1 class per semester). For example this semester I am taking adv patho and it only qualifies as 3 sem. hr.

I just constantly pray that something will open up for me and/or my husband as I progress. I continue to search any available means of financial aid.

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I worked full time in one place and per diem in another and finished

my degree in 3 years. I did have to give up the per diem job when clinicals began. But, I dont have any children, which makes a HUGE difference!!

I am ready to start back to school and the way that our university has the program arranged "supposedly" allows for full-time nurses to successfully attend school. I was wondering if any of you were able to work full-time/near full-time hours while you were going to school to be a NP?
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Specializes in Med/Surg.
I am in the category of "absoutely have to work" b/c I am both the primary breadwinner and benefit carrier for the family. (my husband has been out of work and unable to find meaningful employment for QUITE a while.)

I therefore am working full time and have started my NP program parttime. It is a LOT of work esp. with a family - I wonder what I will do when I get into clinicals but that is a year away and maybe by then he will have a job.

One problem I am finding is that many scholarships (as well as student loan deferments) require the student to carry at least a half-time load which my curriculum over the next year does not qualify as (1 class per semester). For example this semester I am taking adv patho and it only qualifies as 3 sem. hr.

I just constantly pray that something will open up for me and/or my husband as I progress. I continue to search any available means of financial aid.

Are you in the FSU online program with me???

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Are you in the FSU online program with me???

No, I am in a traditional on-campus program at North Georgia College & State University.

I love computers and the Internet but do not think that an online program would work for me for a few reasons, not the least of which is trying to share a computer with a 15- and an 11- year old!!

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Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

A word to the wise - after losing my hard drive to a virus downloaded by a teenager and being forced to stay up all night and retype a paper on a borrowed laptop, I STRONGLY advise getting a second computer and making it yours and only yours - at least as long as you are in school. I also would suggest making a backup of all of your data at least once a week. equipment failures DO happen and it's just a matter of time. Teenagers increase the risk greatly (I have 4 teens and a 3 year old!) Their PC crashes about once a month because of some stupid popup or something they clicked on somewhere, in fact last time, I made them rebuild it using the factory restore disk themselves. Mine is passworded so tightly that they can't even get on it "just to look something up real quick" If theirs goes down they don't get to use mine even to check their email. They stay on each other pretty well about not downloading cue emoticons or free game software (which is where a lot of the viruses and spyware come from)

Computers are cheap enough these days that it just isnt worth losing your thesis over not to have a second one!

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Specializes in ICU/CCU/MICU/SICU/CTICU.

Another trick for papers or assignments that have been submitted..........

Once you submit the assignment/paper, email it to yourself as an attachment. That way if something were to happen to your hard drive....you can access your email from any computer and have your assignment. I learned that trick doing my RN-BSN program. I always printed my completed work, but then started emailing it to myself, then I could be anywhere and have my work and not have to carry around the hard copy. :)

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Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

Great idea - only works if you are using web based email that keeps the stuff forever. I back up my stuff to a usb flash drive. Of course those get lost, so I also have an external hard drive LOL

Teenagers on your pc and grad school don't mix!

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but do all colleges offer the NP program online? Isnt there a few which offers some of its courses in class?

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Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

While most programs are campus based they still make very heavy use of the internet and computers, and you do still have to type papers.

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