Working and NP program?

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Specializes in Infection Preventionist/ Occ Health.

I just wanted to get a general idea about working during graduate school. Please tell me if you are working or not during your NP program. If you are, how many hours per week and how many credits are you taking? Thanks in advance :)

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I think this varies quite a lot. I go to school with women who are working full time (3 twelve hours shifts a week), have kids, family, etc. :bowingpur

Then there are those like me who are taking one class at a time, work 4 times a month and have a family.

My grad school program told me to expect the following hours and so far I have found it to be true.

3 hrs of grad classes = expect to spend about 15 hrs/week studying,writing

6 hrs = 30 hrs/week

9 hrs = 40 + hrs/week

My program lets you advance through at your own pace. You can go full time or *very* part-time.

The big thing I've learned is to find what works for YOU and go with that.

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

There are people in my grad program who did the entire program in 5 semesters and worked fulltime and had kids - but I dunno how! I quit my job early on and did in it iin 5 semesters and I was busy ALL the time working on papers, going to cliniclas, studying and taking care of kids. Others took a few classes at a time, worked full time and managed families.

As the other poster said - its up to you and what you think you are capable of, Just dont bite of a big chunk right up front, better to start slow and see what you can handle and then add more later.

I think the ages of your kids have a lot to do with it too as well as the kind of help you have you have available - spouse, parents, paid help etc.

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

I work 3-4 12 hr shifts each week. I have 2 teenagers at home, and a husband. I am taking 2 classes (7 hrs) this semester. I am part time in school, but the semesters are still structured as to what you have to take to advance and graduate at a certain time. I am taking Adv Pharm and Stats this semester. Is it hard?? Yes, but I still have a 4.0 Is it worth it? Yep.

It depends on the person and how fast you want to go through the program. You have to look at your personal situation and the pros and cons and go from there.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

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I meant to also add that it is a good idea to make friends with someone ahead of you to give you the inside scoop on your classes.

I took two classes last semester and it was no problem at all. I did the work while DD was in school and then was pretty much done for the day when I picked her up at 3.

This semester was WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY harder. Pharmacology and Research together was just too much for *me*, largely because my Dh's work demands (he is our main breadwinner too) increased a LOT and he just wasn't able to help out like he wanted to. If I would have someone who could have told me that Pharm was way more demanding as far as time, etc. I think I would have planned better. Lesson learned though.

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I've wondered the same thing. I'm currently enrolled in a BSN program, working 40+ hours per week and taking 17 credit hours. So far, I have found it challenging, but not impossible. But, I am also single, live in the dorms, walk to work and class at my hospital-based nursing school. I'm wanting to become a nurse practitioner, but I owe my hospital four years of full-time employment as an RN to repay them for helping me with tuition now. I'm wanting to get started right away in an NP program, but I'm trying to decide whether I am better off waiting until my contract is up or working my way through it.

Any additional thoughts would be most appreciated!

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I've wondered the same thing. I'm currently enrolled in a BSN program, working 40+ hours per week and taking 17 credit hours. So far, I have found it challenging, but not impossible. But, I am also single, live in the dorms, walk to work and class at my hospital-based nursing school. I'm wanting to become a nurse practitioner, but I owe my hospital four years of full-time employment as an RN to repay them for helping me with tuition now. I'm wanting to get started right away in an NP program, but I'm trying to decide whether I am better off waiting until my contract is up or working my way through it.

Any additional thoughts would be most appreciated!

If I was single and lived in the dorms or in my own apartment, I think I would be willing to up the pace a bit more. Lots of single people in our program work TDA programs (two day alternative i.e. work every weekend, get paid full time + benefits) and then do school stuff during the week. They say it is quite busy, but doable.

OTOH, you could take your basic NP classes one at a time and see how you like the pace while you are working full time.

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I started off with pharm and was working 40+hours/week in management and couldn't do it...I am now down to 32 hrs/week and it is much better and i am taking 7 hrs credit. I am fixing to make a change to the hospital and work 12 hour shifts there on the weekends. Once clinicals start in the fall I may have to work 7 days a week(w/ clinicals and paid work), but nothing comes easy. I say do what works for you...I tried to conquer the world in one semester and couldn't do it so I put the brakes on and you have to know your limits...When your shift is over you need to leave...that was my problem. i would stay till 7-8 pm and then be dead tired by the time i got home...at least if i work only 2 12 hr shifts i can put off school for those 2 days and work on it the rest of the week...Good luck...if you want it you will do it...

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I worked full-time (3 12 hrs weekends) and did my NP program full -time. Married with one school aged child. Worth it? Yes! Hard? You bet! Did I have a life? No Way!

On graduation day, when one of my professors told my mom they wanted me to go on and do my Phd, my then 11 yr old son looked at me in distress and said, "Mom, your not going back to school are you??"

But now 6 years later, I'm glad I did it that way.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Telemetry, Oncology.

I just recently got accepted into a FNP program for Fall 2011, but my school is a brick & mortar. I'm also going PART TIME and working FULL TIME. However, some classes will be available online. I've heard HORROR STORIES of taking Adv.Patho & Adv.Pharm at the same time or either of these with Adv. Assessment.

I was thinking of taking Theory & Adv.Assessment (1st semester), then Research & Adv. Patho (2nd semester), and Adv.Pharm & Adv.Nursing Role (3rd semester). What do any former or current NP students feel about this CLASS COLLOBORATION?

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Specializes in medical surgical.

Research (in my opinion) is far more difficult than pharmacology. The research professors appear to live in a different world than I am accustomed to.

Pharmacology was a breeze.

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Now that I am in my last two semesters there is no way I can work anything except 8 hour shifts on the weekends, which is what I do. My family is large and we have no other income so you can imagine how poor we are right now.

I worked up to a point during graduate school but it gets to be too much once you start doing nearly 200 hours of clinicals every semester. Trust me. I tried and it nearly broke me.

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