Working while becoming an RN.

[CARRERANS]

I was wondering what type of jobs other people are doing while going to school to become an RN or if there are any graduates on here who could give me advice on jobs that would be great. I am planning to get my ADN or BSN but I will have to work at least until I start clinical courses. I am going to shoot for BSN over ADN because with a BSN I could get loans and go to school full time at a CA university. Either way I will need to work as long as possible to survive, my family cannot afford to support me while I go to school. I am considering becoming an EMT-B and work for a private ambulance company until I enter an ADN or BSN program. Here in LA we have three week EMT-Basic training program at a few community colleges. Is this a good plan?

Also I'd like to hear from graduates who worked while going to school. Did you work the entire time or did stop working at some point? From what I understand, once you are past prerequisites and are entering the actual ADN or BSN programs, it's a full time.

[work&play]

My brother- in- law's wife is an rn. She worked all the time in the hospital while going to school. She was an lvn though and the hospital worked around her schedule. You could get a tutoring postion. They pay good.

Now you could work! I know 15 years ago, they asked students to quit their job. Thant's why I' going back now. I have to support my self. Even if you're in a ADN you could still get loans. Fill the FAMSA? They'll tell you what you qualify for and always offer loans. Decline them if you don't want the at a ADN.

[chae1975]

For me, I currently work for a HMO Health Insurance Company full time. I will be attending partime nursing school in the fall 09 sememster. In New York there are many schools that offer full-time and part time evening courses. I know that Phillip Beth Israel Nursing offer evening and weekend courses catered to student who work full-time. Long Island University and Adelphi offer BS in Nursing and offer evening courses and clinicals on the weekend. Many professors do not encourage student to work full time while attending nursing schools, but if you have a family to support then you have to do what you have to do. I will be taken my pre-requisite A&P1 and 2, Chemistry, Microbiology in the fall and hopefully enter the Nursing in Jan 10. This a career change for me and I am so excited.

[FLmomof5]

Our CC offers nights/weekends and most of us in that program work FT in our first careers while going to NS. Currently, I am a computer programmer (Mainframe). One fellow student is an airline pilot. A couple them are nursing assistants. Not sure what the others do.

Since the beginning of the term, those who could quit working did. I can't so, I just keep plugging along. It can be done. It's tiring and you feel burnt out at the end of each term, just keep your eye on the goal knowing that this overload is only for a year and change!