Working and going to school

TX RN · Aug 20, 2008

Congrats on deciding to going back to school. :up:

It's definitely possible to work full time and attend full time, but it isn't easy. Home/family obligations should be a good indicator of what route to take. A possibility is to attend school part time.

I'll be graduating next year from an ACNP program and I started out by taking a full time course load in school, 2 semesters later I dropped to part time. It's not easy cracking open books after 12 hours shifts. :zzzzz

My advice would be to carefully evaluate what your obligations are at home. If you're not the main bread winner or you can cut back on hours and still get by then go full time. If you are the bread winner and full time studies would be a stretch then opt for the part time route.

Good luck and keep us posted. :up:

KatieRN04 · Aug 20, 2008

I started an FNP program a year ago. I have all the basic MSN classes down (theory, research, politics, those sort of things) and have down the NP classes (patho, pharm, health assessment). Did this working full time, and it was hard but do-able. I just dropped down to part time down that I am starting into my adult, geriatric, peds and women's health classes that are going to require clinical hours. I cannot imagine working full time plus going to class, plus going to clinicals and studying and doing all the papers that go along with it.

lsutigerrn · Aug 20, 2008

I worked full-time through my entire program and went to school full-time. Its possible but takes a LOT of hard work and dedication. There were plenty of times I declined invitations to attend functions because of school. It was also common for me to send my husband and son to watch a movie so that I could study in peace and quiet. I have to admit that my husband and son were troopers and really dealt with me not really being there even when I was physically "there." It was worth it all in the end though.

Good luck and congratulations on being accepted and making the decision to start! It's worth every bit of struggle and heartache!

Christen, ANP · Aug 21, 2008

I just started my masters program classes Monday! Woohoo!

I have to work as my hubby is going back for his PA starting in Jan, and he won't be able to work at all. I have worked the three day weekend program for (ugh) two years this summer, and have at least two more ahead of me!

What is your school schedule like? I work Friday, Sat, Sun, and have classes Monday 1630 - 1915 and Tuesday 1630 - 2200. I also lost my mind and chose to teach BSN student clinicals on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6:30 to 15:00pm!

What I've decided to do with my crazy schedule is to get as far ahead of my assignments as possible and to be very on top of everything. The three classes I'm taking are Patho (study-intensive); Research (writing-intensive); and Theory (not too bad so far!)

So, bottom line: I agree, it's do-able, but organization is going to be key (like most of nursing )

ANPFNPGNP · Aug 21, 2008

I just started my masters program classes Monday! Woohoo!
I have to work as my hubby is going back for his PA starting in Jan, and he won't be able to work at all. I have worked the three day weekend program for (ugh) two years this summer, and have at least two more ahead of me!
What is your school schedule like? I work Friday, Sat, Sun, and have classes Monday 1630 - 1915 and Tuesday 1630 - 2200. I also lost my mind and chose to teach BSN student clinicals on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6:30 to 15:00pm!
What I've decided to do with my crazy schedule is to get as far ahead of my assignments as possible and to be very on top of everything. The three classes I'm taking are Patho (study-intensive); Research (writing-intensive); and Theory (not too bad so far!)
So, bottom line: I agree, it's do-able, but organization is going to be key (like most of nursing )

I don't understand how anyone can complete all their clinical hours and work fulltime. This doesn't make sense to me...when do you sleep? Do you work nights and do clinicals during the day? I completed 800 clinical hours in 8 months plus went to school for 1 week out of every month. There is no way possible that I could have worked fulltime. I worked 1-2 weekend shifts per month and all my classmates were just amazed that I was able to do that!

lsutigerrn · Aug 21, 2008

I worked five days a week at my current job (730-1600), M-F and then clinical rotations on the weekends. I would sometimes work 12 days straight before having a day off. I also did a lot of clinicals in after hours clinics from 1700-2300 during the week.

I completed 705 clinical hours over four semesters. I did a lot of studying after work, before work and before clinicals.

I did it and had a really high GPA. You just have to stay focus and dedicated. It can be done.

Christen, ANP · Aug 21, 2008

Focus and dedicated - that is exactly what you must be in order to do this. Because I work weekends, I have four days off a week for classes and clinicals (once I get to that part of the program).

The way the program is designed might also effect how much work you are able to do - for example, my husband is going into a PA program and he will not be able to work at all. My MSN program was designed around nurses who have jobs and families, which most MSN students have.

bayouchick02 · Aug 22, 2008

I don't understand how anyone can complete all their clinical hours and work fulltime. This doesn't make sense to me...when do you sleep? Do you work nights and do clinicals during the day? I completed 800 clinical hours in 8 months plus went to school for 1 week out of every month. There is no way possible that I could have worked fulltime. I worked 1-2 weekend shifts per month and all my classmates were just amazed that I was able to do that!

Well, I was wondering...what about working full time and going to school part-time? Do y'all think that's do-able because that is what I want to do...i think. I do see what yall are talking about when you say that it is really hard to work full time and go to school full time as well. I used to work with a nurse who did just that. She worked Fri/Sat/Sun and went to school during the week, all with a husband and some kids. Eventually she dropped down to going to school part-time because it was just way too much on her to be in school full-time and work full time.

7starbuck7 · Aug 23, 2008

I am working FT (three 12s) and going to school very PT (one class per semester). I have two children (ages 6 and 4).

When I reach clinical, I will drop my hours to two 12s.

The people I have met that are doing the program FT are either working PT or PRN and do not have children.

GL

Christen, ANP · Aug 23, 2008

I could go to school part time and am not especially in any sort of a hurry to get out of school, but as I have a husband and no kids (well, aside from my dog!), I decided to go full throttle! Especially as the hubby will be going to school FT himself starting in Jan. No point in sitting around moping, I decided, might as well get on with school! :)

carachel2 · Aug 24, 2008

If you have kids and are not the main breadwinner (or have any otherwise pressing financial issues) then take it slower. Be prepared and flexible as you progress in the program and realize that classes with more clinical hours will demand a LOT more time beyond just the scheduled classes and clinical time (i.e. logging in your clinical information for patients seen in clinical will take another 4 hours, etc.).