Working and going to nursing school?

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I'm planning on applying to nursing schools in the fall. Once I get accepted (hopefully), I have to get a job, wherever I choose to go to school. How many of you work and go to school? I work right now and I'm at a CC. I know it's gonna be harder at a 4 yr, but is it impossible? I kinna don't have a choice in this... I do have my family helping me out financially, but I feel bad and would rather work than get everything handed to me?

Specializes in Cardiothoracic, Peds CVICU.

As for working. I wouldn't if you absolutely can. Because the BSN programs are 3 years average, with clincials and theory classes plus upper division GEs too. So you won't just be doing nursing classes. And (as far as I know at least for CSULB) you have 12 shift clinicals twice a week.

You really want to focus on learning and understanding nursing. Just because its not a 2 year ADN program doesn't mean its not intense. You need the good grades because its get hard to find jobs for RN with no experience especially in the bay area of CA. You will end up applying to new grad programs with reqs of BSN and minimum 3.5 GPA and other stuff like letters of rec etc..

So I mean I know it sucks getting money from someone else but that is what I recommend you do. Luckily I am quiting my waitressing job once I start the BSN program I get accepted to, my fiancee will support me financially (plus I am trying to get my BSN two years with CSULB trimester program, talk about intense! no summers!)

But if its absolutely necessary you work. Only work weekends for like 4-6 hours or something. I heard those careplans are a pain in the butt and can be like 30 pages long!

Hell yea!

I'm for sure only going to work weekends and end up working 16-20 hours a week. Even if it takes me an extra yr to get my BSN, no worries. I will at least ATTEMPT to work and go to school.

And yea, yea. I know about the job situation up here. I plan on making top grades even if I work because that's how badly I want to be a nurse.

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Specializes in Cardiothoracic, Peds CVICU.
Hi! I think you've been given very good advice as far as limiting your work hours and making sure that your grades stay high. The only other recommendation I have is that you ask someone who works in the nursing department at your school if they advise that you work.

I attended a BSN Nursing orientation and they told us that you aren't given your clinical and class schedule until right before school starts and that they will own us and will work us so hard, they said we won't see our family for 2 years, but that it's worth it in the end.

Their advice made me start considering how I will finance college and my living expenses during that time.

I work for myself so, I am setting my business up so that it can make money without me.

If you work for someone else, I think that you will need flexibility and a decent rate of pay so that you don't have to work a million hours.

If I were in your shoes, I'd look for real life stories from nurses who worked during nursing school. I'd ask them how they studied and about their grades and about their schedule. It would be great if you found people who attended your school, since not all school are the same.

Great idea! Now why didn't I think of that? LOL.

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I currently work 40 hours a week at a bar and nothing can change that... I need every bit of money I make. I'm pretty nervous but also confident that I'll get through.

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Specializes in Med Surg - Renal.
I'm planning on applying to nursing schools in the fall. Once I get accepted (hopefully), I have to get a job, wherever I choose to go to school. How many of you work and go to school? I work right now and I'm at a CC. I know it's gonna be harder at a 4 yr, but is it impossible? I kinna don't have a choice in this... I do have my family helping me out financially, but I feel bad and would rather work than get everything handed to me?

It will be harder because it will be nursing school, not because it is a four year. :)

Given today's job market, I think every nursing student should work in direct care while attending school. You should think of it as another clinical. The experience I gained in LTC, Home Health, and Hospital settings was a key part of my success in nursing school and finding a good job after.

I can tell you this for sure: In my graduating class of 80 students, the ONLY ones (5 of us) who got jobs in hospitals were the ones who worked in a hospital during nursing school.

Not working during school will not disqualify you from finding an RN job, though. All of my classmates who shifted their focus to Home Health and LTC got interviews and jobs.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/DOU/Ortho/Onc/Rehab/ER/.
It will be harder because it will be nursing school, not because it is a four year. :)

Given today's job market, I think every nursing student should work in direct care while attending school. You should think of it as another clinical. The experience I gained in LTC, Home Health, and Hospital settings was a key part of my success in nursing school and finding a good job after.

I can tell you this for sure: In my graduating class of 80 students, the ONLY ones (5 of us) who got jobs in hospitals were the ones who worked in a hospital during nursing school.

Not working during school will not disqualify you from finding an RN job, though. All of my classmates who shifted their focus to Home Health and LTC got interviews and jobs.

I agree to get your foot in the door while in school or at least your last year or whatever.

My plan was to volunteer as a CNA (after your 1st semester of NS you can be a CNA w/o certification but I have mine already) and just get in through that way. But to actually work during school? No... I rather just set my own schedule during the breaks in between semesters. Why get hired if you will have to quit for a few weeks? And I actually mentioned working while on breaks to my fiancee and my mom and they said that I will be working so hard to just relax during breaks and not worry about working. Money doesn't really matter but the experience will.

But if get accepted to my top choice and get in there fast track program there is no break so guess I will just relax.

But to have best of both worlds just work during tor breaks as a CNA to get experience and the $$ ii need. that way while your in school you focus on that.

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Specializes in Med Surg - Renal.
But to have best of both worlds just work during tor breaks as a CNA to get experience and the $$ ii need. that way while your in school you focus on that.

I know I keep harping on this, but the people in my class having the hardest time finding jobs are the ones who have no experience in patient care.

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I am attending nursing school (BSN program) full time (12 credit a semester is my limit) and am working full time in a research lab. is it easy - nope, but i am the queen of time management. My social life is not huge anymore and while my husband and family understand, my friends don't always. I carry the health insurance for my husband and I and my job pays for part of my tuition so there are many benefits. My bosses are totally sportive of my going back to school so that helps a whole lot. Plus it is an over all concept that i know well as i did grad school while working full time. I should be done with school in 4 semesters but decided that was too much and have limited myself to one clinical a semester.

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As far as working in the field while in school, I thought it was a lot harder to get a job in a hospital or medical office without any experience what so ever. Wouldn't your degree count as something once you graduated? Don't they have job placement assistance? I know some schools have contracts with hospitals so the grads are pretty much guaranteed a job if they sign on for 2 years. I don't think they have any of those where I'm applying though inthe Philly area.

But if I were to try and work in the medical field while going to school, where could I apply in order to get my foot in the door if I have ZERO healthcare experience?? I've only worked in Hospitality so I'm not sure how I would start. I would love to get in before graduating from school though. Would even working as a medical receptionist be something??

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As far as working in the field while in school, I thought it was a lot harder to get a job in a hospital or medical office without any experience what so ever. Wouldn't your degree count as something once you graduated? Don't they have job placement assistance? I know some schools have contracts with hospitals so the grads are pretty much guaranteed a job if they sign on for 2 years. I don't think they have any of those where I'm applying though inthe Philly area.

But if I were to try and work in the medical field while going to school, where could I apply in order to get my foot in the door if I have ZERO healthcare experience?? I've only worked in Hospitality so I'm not sure how I would start. I would love to get in before graduating from school though. Would even working as a medical receptionist be something??

In most states one can apply for a CNA lisence once they finish their fundies course work and pass the class - that is always an option. I am from Philly and know a few people that got their degrees up there and passed their licensing and those with BSN's have had much more luck - experience or not

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Oh thats good to hear since I'm getting my ADN hahaha. I'm a single mother and am 28 so I'm going for my ADN and then hopefully getting a job then will decide whether or not to go back for my BSN. I don't want to be 35 by the time i finish my degree. The sooner the better. I was going to go to a school here in Florida that contracts you out to the hospital directly from graduation but now that I'll be in Philly I'm not sure what I'll do. I guess I should try and get a job in the field while in school. :uhoh21:

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it is always good to have a plan - personally, when i finish my BSN i'll be over 35 but it will be my third degree and hopefully then we can worry about the babies and not the job market. ;)

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Specializes in Med Surg - Renal.

"As far as working in the field while in school, I thought it was a lot harder to get a job in a hospital or medical office without any experience what so ever."

It is. That's why many of toiled in nursing homes before getting those other jobs.

"Wouldn't your degree count as something once you graduated?"

In a word: NO. Not in today's market. People today seem real interested in whether you have worked in healthcare.

"Don't they have job placement assistance?"

BWAAHAHAHAHAaAHAHAAHAaha!!! (Sorry)

"I know some schools have contracts with hospitals so the grads are pretty much guaranteed a job if they sign on for 2 years."

This may be a relic of the boom from a few years back.

"But if I were to try and work in the medical field while going to school, where could I apply in order to get my foot in the door if I have ZERO healthcare experience??"

Nursing home.

"Would even working as a medical receptionist be something??"

Not really. Get your hands dirty.

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