Work While In School?

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Hey All

So for all the post grads and pre grads;

Did/are you working during school? If so, how much? What is reasonable to expect?

Im not in a bind for money when school comes, but I wouldnt mind making a few extra bucks to take some heat off my wife. What is reasonable to expect?

thanks!

Specializes in Med-Surg, OB/GYN, L/D, NBN.

If it is at all possible to not work while in school, I would recommend it. However, when I was in nursing school, I had no choice. I worked full time in billing at a hospital where I had worked for 5 years, part time at WalMart and then went to school full time. I have to admit, I was exhausted, but that was what I had to do at that point. I did have to repeat a year, but not because of work... I was really sick with my pregnancy and missed too many days. I'm really glad I sat out a year, though, 'cuz I got to see my little boy in his first year ALOT more than I would have.

Regular nursing school or CRNA classes....same thing. If you don't have to work it would be better to be able to devote all your time to classes. I don't think the extra experience you would gain from working while in school would outweigh the time you could spend on studies and clinicals while in school.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Regular nursing school or CRNA classes....same thing. If you don't have to work it would be better to be able to devote all your time to classes.

Definitely NOT the same thing, IMO. I worked 30+ hours a week as a waitress while I was in nursing school. I COULD NOT imagine working AT ALL during my current program (although some people in my program will pick up an occasional weekend shift if they can). Nursing school and CRNA classes are on two completely different levels. Even if I was dead-a$$ broke and couldn't afford to pay my rent, I would beg my parents for money or take out yet another private loan before I would even consider trying to work during school. But that's just me.....I'm sure other people may feel differently.

:cheers:

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Forgive me for sounding obtuse. I am just in prereqs for nursing and have been really excited. Unfortunately, I will have to work while in school otherwise my husband and myself will be homeless. I am going for an AS. I knew it would be hard, but this is making it sound like I should hang up the scrubs before I get to wear them:o . I just want to see if anyone out there is working successfully for an AS to be an RN. I really want to do this, but my husband can't soley support us. Any added ideas would help. We are already doing loans just so I can pay for school.

Thanks

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I just want to see if anyone out there is working successfully for an AS to be an RN. I really want to do this, but my husband can't soley support us.

That's very doable. I did it and many, many others have. Nursing school and na school are very different beasts however, so please do confuse the two. Millions of people have worked full time while going through undergrad...just a little balancing act when you throw in clinicals that non-healthcare majors don't have. Good luck.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
Forgive me for sounding obtuse. I am just in prereqs for nursing and have been really excited. Unfortunately, I will have to work while in school otherwise my husband and myself will be homeless. I am going for an AS. I knew it would be hard, but this is making it sound like I should hang up the scrubs before I get to wear them:o . I just want to see if anyone out there is working successfully for an AS to be an RN. I really want to do this, but my husband can't soley support us. Any added ideas would help. We are already doing loans just so I can pay for school.

Thanks

Keep in mind that the original question was posted in the CRNA (nurse anesthetist) forum.....not the General Nursing forum, so the question was referring specifically to CRNA school, not nursing school. To answer your question though, working (even full-time in some instances) during nursing school is definitely possible, as both myself and my fiance did it. I'm sure if you do a search in the general nursing discussion you will be able to find many discussions about this topic. Best of luck to you!!!

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Specializes in I know stuff ;).

Im planning not toi work!

Though i wouldnt be working for experience, have lots of that, be working fo mad money :p

If it is at all possible to not work while in school, I would recommend it. However, when I was in nursing school, I had no choice. I worked full time in billing at a hospital where I had worked for 5 years, part time at WalMart and then went to school full time. I have to admit, I was exhausted, but that was what I had to do at that point. I did have to repeat a year, but not because of work... I was really sick with my pregnancy and missed too many days. I'm really glad I sat out a year, though, 'cuz I got to see my little boy in his first year ALOT more than I would have.

Regular nursing school or CRNA classes....same thing. If you don't have to work it would be better to be able to devote all your time to classes. I don't think the extra experience you would gain from working while in school would outweigh the time you could spend on studies and clinicals while in school.

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Specializes in I know stuff ;).

While in BScN school in Canada (4 year full time science degee in nursing) I worked a part time job in the lab as a lab tech, a part time job as a paramedic (1 (24) every 2 weeks) and ran my own buisness as a phlebotomist at drug stores 2 days a week.

Honestly, nursing school was not hard for me, but then i love school. Maybe it was because it was much more interesting than the majority of schools i find in the US where little medicine is taught and alot of theory, i dont know. All i know is we did 2 full year classes in patho & advanced patho along with a full year anatomy lab with cadavers (and many other things that arent offered at most schools here in the states). That may be why i did well, i enjoyed it. These associates programs (never heard of it until i came to the states) seem to be rat races to the end where you learn none of the whys behind what is done. Add to that the online BSNs which are total BS (clinically irrelevant) and the education is boring and lackluster. I can see why so many people here ask "why would i bother getting my BSN post grad?". My wife works as a clinical instructor for these associates classes and is constantly amazed by how little seems to be taught in regards to patho and the whys.

Do other people have experiences such as this? Maybe its just the local schools

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Specializes in ICU, psych, corrections.

oops...wrong forum =)

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While in BScN school in Canada (4 year full time science degee in nursing) I worked a part time job in the lab as a lab tech, a part time job as a paramedic (1 (24) every 2 weeks) and ran my own buisness as a phlebotomist at drug stores 2 days a week.

Honestly, nursing school was not hard for me, but then i love school. Maybe it was because it was much more interesting than the majority of schools i find in the US where little medicine is taught and alot of theory, i dont know. All i know is we did 2 full year classes in patho & advanced patho along with a full year anatomy lab with cadavers (and many other things that arent offered at most schools here in the states). That may be why i did well, i enjoyed it. These associates programs (never heard of it until i came to the states) seem to be rat races to the end where you learn none of the whys behind what is done. Add to that the online BSNs which are total BS (clinically irrelevant) and the education is boring and lackluster. I can see why so many people here ask "why would i bother getting my BSN post grad?". My wife works as a clinical instructor for these associates classes and is constantly amazed by how little seems to be taught in regards to patho and the whys.

Do other people have experiences such as this? Maybe its just the local schools

Though I have a BSN I know several peeps that graduated or are attending ADN programs. They arent such a cake walk really. They are almost just as difficult to get in as many BSN programs. Its basically most of the BSN nursing curric minus research theory type classes and minus all the englishes, music appretiation, history ect ect. These folks have to take science pre reqs anatomy and phys ect. So dont diss. There are a ton of CRNAs who went ADN to BSN to CRNA. These folk are just as capable in the clinical arena that any BSN. As far as the WHYS no Nursing courses BSN, ADN, LVN ect teach the whys? Thats why nursing is what it is. Every RN knows how and what to except as in I give this morphine to relieve pain, it may drop resp rate and BP ect. They can titrate effectively. However they have no clue of pathways effected, any modulation of neurotransmission ect.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I wouldn't say "no clue". I don't have the complete in-depth knowledge that an MD or CRNA does regarding medications- nowhere near. But I do know for most medications, more than just that "when I give this medication, it might have this side effect but I don't know why". And if I didn't for any certain drug, a lot of that is available in any drug reference book that I use every day at work. And a lot of it can be from pathophys or pharm that was in undergrad nursing school, too- the neuro pathways, etc. Not the complete and total story of the drug of course, but definitely some "whys" in there. I do salute CRNAs though- it's a tough job and you do it well and know more about medications than I ever will! Sorry for hijacking the thread- just wanted to make that point.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
...These associates programs (never heard of it until i came to the states) seem to be rat races to the end where you learn none of the whys behind what is done. Add to that the online BSNs which are total BS (clinically irrelevant) and the education is boring and lackluster...

This is the second thread in which you have referred to other people's educations as "lackluster." I'd be more careful about throwing around this cavalier judgment.

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Specializes in I know stuff ;).

Well said.

I agree there are lots of highly trained and educated ADNs as well. That wasent what i meant. What im saying is that the education seems aweful rushed and spends less time on hard science.

The BSN progams I have seen here are 60% theory and 90% if its post grad. This was very different at the school i went to. Our nsg school was very medical model oriented in that we did alot of hard science that was relevant clinically and little nsg theory.

Though I have a BSN I know several peeps that graduated or are attending ADN programs. They arent such a cake walk really. They are almost just as difficult to get in as many BSN programs. Its basically most of the BSN nursing curric minus research theory type classes and minus all the englishes, music appretiation, history ect ect. These folks have to take science pre reqs anatomy and phys ect. So dont diss. There are a ton of CRNAs who went ADN to BSN to CRNA. These folk are just as capable in the clinical arena that any BSN. As far as the WHYS no Nursing courses BSN, ADN, LVN ect teach the whys? Thats why nursing is what it is. Every RN knows how and what to except as in I give this morphine to relieve pain, it may drop resp rate and BP ect. They can titrate effectively. However they have no clue of pathways effected, any modulation of neurotransmission ect.
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