Working during nursing school/clinicals

brandy119 · Jan 19, 2005

Hi. I'm a pre-nursing student who wants to become a RN. However, one college here says that during clinicals it will be pratically impossible for a student to work. In other words, the nursing program should be the only thing that a student is concentrating on. However, I need to work. I have a daughter to support and bills to pay. I know some students have suggested moving in with, or borrowing money from family in order to support myself, but that isn't an option for me. Both of my parents have passed away, and my brother lives in another state and has plenty of bills to pay himself. My questions are: is it possible to work during clinicals? Also, if you were able to do so, how did it affect your nursing training? I am planning on taking all of the science classes before clinicals so that I only have clinicals to work on. The college here also has clinicals two days per week, plus a one to three hour lecture on another day. I really want to be a nurse, but I do have to support myself and my daugher while I'm at nursing school. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks.

I had to respond to this one, because I am in that same position, although I do have my mom, but she works 2 jobs so I can't really count on her. I am a single mom of 2 boys. I bought a house almost 3yrs ago, and boy did the mortgage payment go up. So me, I have to work and pay mortgage and take care of my children. I am also worried because counselors told me it is impossible to work and go and go to nursing school. I am very confused at how I will do it, but I am definitly planning now. I am going to take my refund for next year, and take whatever loans I can get to at least have money put away and probably work part time. I payed off my car so I won't have a car payment, and reading what someone else wrote about finishing first semester and getting a job as a tech, would help because they should be flexible at the hospital. Need to also check on that one loan if you are a nurse for 5 years you dont have to pay back, I would definitly be INTERESTED IN THAT ONE. Well good luck to you!!1

sabrn2006 · Jan 19, 2005

It is challenging but possible. I am currently working while going to nursing school full time (2nd semester of 4). This semester I am taking A & P II, along with my nursing lecture/clinicals, and a phys ed class. I work two part time jobs - for a nonprofit agency and a home health care agency. Both of them allow me some flexibility with my hours. My husband was recently laid off, and I have 2 children. I understand about the financial pressure to work.

I have my tuition paid by a hospital. I signed a contract to work for them when I graduate. Some facilities will pay for their employees to attend school for nursing. You might want to consider this route. I don't know what your work background is. But you could work for a local LTC facility or hospital as an aide and have them pay for your tuition. Usually with this arrangement, they are more willing to schedule you around your school hours.

Plagueis · Jan 19, 2005

Hey Brandy119. I see that you have the same worries as I do. The counselors here are not very encouraging about working during clinicals, but they don't seem to realize that many of us: have kids to support; don't have parents to move back in with; and aren't independently wealthy enough to stop working during the two years of nursing training. And you have 2 kids to support! You need to work, just as I do. The college also says hours and locations of clinicals vary, so there's no way to plan in advance what days we might need off from work, or whether a babysitter will be available. It's very discouraging, but I'm glad to read that many nurses here were able to work during nursing school. I wish you the best.

As I mentioned before, the college says that it isn't the hours of the actual clinical training (12-16 per week) that takes up time, but the 25-30 hours that we need to spend outside of clinicals studying. Did any of you spend that much time studying during nursing school?

I am going for a CNA interview next week, and I will find out if the facility offers tuition reimbursement for nursing school. If so, that would be a big help!Also, maybe I could try out for Survivor!

ICor9:24 · Jan 20, 2005

I feel the exact same way! I have an 8 yr old, and no parents to "fall back on". I also already have a really good job, it pays well and has great benefits, it just happens to suck! I am going to school to do something I am going to love, nursing, but it is going to be a challenging road! I have to work full time to support my family. I would love to begin working as a CNA, to get a job where I could get some tuition reimbursement and not have to take out student loans, but I just can't live on what the average salary is for a CNA. My goal is to be an RN, but for now, I am doing the LPN program at my community college. It is sepcifically a PART TIME program, on most evenings and weekends, geared toward working adults. Before I decided on the LPN program, I was going to apply to the RN program, but I was told by the advisor exactly what you all were told, it is nearly impossible to work full time and go to clinicals, etc. By doing the LPN program, I will be done with the program before I would have even ahve been accepted into the RN program. As an LPN, I still can work in the field that I want to, doing what I will love, and earn a decent salary. My long term goal is still RN, so I will do a bridge to RN program after I graduate. I want to work in OB, or the ER, and eventually on MedFlight, and in Ohio there usually aren't those oppurtunities for LPNs. (Dif not MedFLight). But as an LPN, I know I can work in LTCF, or an office, or clinic, which is something I am definitely interestred in also, just not my long term goal.

Sorry this was so long! Hopefully it gives you some ideas on alternative routes to take or at least consider!

:mad:

DDRN4me · Jan 20, 2005

Tommybabe, it can be done...you seem to be on the right track, getting your prereqs out of the way first. You WILL give up some free time, but I spent my study time with my girls while they were studying. I actually received my ADN 2 weeks before my oldest graduated from High School. I also worked almost full time, and still attended my girl's school activities. Yes, it was hard, and I did have an LPN background, but if you get some kind of clincal job, it will help you . Best of luck..keep us posted!

Cococure · Jan 20, 2005

I too am in a similar boat...i may not have kids but i have an apartment, car note and all the other bills that come w/ living on your own. I don't have any family support and rich boyfriend and i certainly don't qualify for any grants cuz i make just enough to be above poverty level but still be broke all the time. Going to nursing school full time and working can be done simply because for some people it HAS to be done!! i don't listen to my counselars cuz unless they are paying my bills the have no say whether i work or not as long as i make the grades... i have to also agree with the earlier posts that say something will have to give and for me that wil be my personal and social life...thank goodness i have an understanding boyfriend so is also in a similar situation! Right now I am finishing up my CNA program so that I can work nights/weekend shifts and hopefully make enough to pay my bills...the way i figure it when i am a nurse i will have all the time to enjoy my weekends but for now i have to do what is necessary...I just pray and hope that I get a CNA job in a hospital so that when my nursing classes start they can pay for it. i would suggest you look in you State dept. of health they have programs when they will pay for school and you agree to work for them and search th einternet there are many many scholarships out there for nursing...good luck and hang in there..many of us are in a similmar situation:rolleyes:

Plagueis · Jan 20, 2005

There is a LPN program at a local technical school, but it's a full-time one (5 days a week), so that's out. I wish there were more part-time nursing programs available for us working adults. Most of the students at college here don't fall under the "single, no kids, and living with parents" category, which is audience that the program seems tailored for. With many adults going to nursing school as a second career, counselors should realize that we can't just take off from work for two years, and still somehow support ourselves. It's kinda frustrating to me. :uhoh3: However, I figure that as a CNA, my employer will be more "understanding" of my desire to become a RN, and offer flexible working hours.

ncrnmom · Jan 20, 2005

I think it is a great idea to get those other classes out of the way. Working at the hospital actually helped me in clinicals because of all the on the job training, I was up on my classmates on the patient care aspects. I found my supervisor at the hospital was willing to work around my school schedule. I worked as both a department secretary and as a nurse tech. Some schools are more accomodating to parents and people who have to work than others. And some counselors understand it better than others. Sometimes you have to switch counselors to get someone who will understand your situation and not assume everyone is able to quit any other life they have for 2 years of clinicals! GOOD LUCK

Plagueis · Jan 22, 2005

I think it is a great idea to get those other classes out of the way. Sometimes you have to switch counselors to get someone who will understand your situation and not assume everyone is able to quit any other life they have for 2 years of clinicals! GOOD LUCK

The reason I'm taking those science classes first is to get them done before clinicals, and this is what the counselors suggest to do, but the nursing program only requires Anatomy 1 to be done before clinicals, so this is somewhat contradictory to me. Many of the students here are adults, so I wonder how they can't seem to understand how we can't just drop everything for school. Thanks! :)

Trvln Nurse, RN · Feb 8, 2005

Hi. I'm a pre-nursing student who wants to become a RN. However, one college here says that during clinicals it will be pratically impossible for a student to work. In other words, the nursing program should be the only thing that a student is concentrating on. However, I need to work. I have a daughter to support and bills to pay. I know some students have suggested moving in with, or borrowing money from family in order to support myself, but that isn't an option for me. Both of my parents have passed away, and my brother lives in another state and has plenty of bills to pay himself. My questions are: is it possible to work during clinicals? Also, if you were able to do so, how did it affect your nursing training? I am planning on taking all of the science classes before clinicals so that I only have clinicals to work on. The college here also has clinicals two days per week, plus a one to three hour lecture on another day. I really want to be a nurse, but I do have to support myself and my daugher while I'm at nursing school. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks.

Well...It's not easy. Sometimes I wonder how I did it...but I did. I too had to work my way through school. My best advice to you....I would be concerned about a nursing program that said they didn't want anyone to work while going to school or that people can't do it. What they are really saying (and I say this from experience), is that they don't want anyone who has to work. I went to a college like this....and found that they deliberately overstacked course cirruculum in the first semester to see who could handle the stress and also to weed out people who couldn't dedicate "all" of their time to them. They taught nursing pharmacology with nursing pathophysiology at the same time along with other nursing courses and clinicals. This was a huge dis-service to the students and I feel very strongly that those two classes should be taught at seperate times as they are fundamental to nursing practice. Needless to say, I transfered to another nursing school who wanted to teach their students to their best abilities and understood that most adults do have to work while going to college. I worked full time while obtaining all my prerequisits. You are right to take it slow, study hard and always keep the grades up. Then once you are in nursing school you will only be able to work part time. School will be the priority then and your job must be a flexible one that will enable you to meet your school requirements. I worked all weekends while I went to school and I also took out student loans and applied for all the grants I could. The loans helped me meet my additional household expenses that I couldn't working only part time. I lived frugal and I had no social life and hardly anytime for myself. And I didn't have a child. Others in my class did though...so it can be done if you are determined enough. Good luck.

BETSRN · Feb 8, 2005

Hi. I'm a pre-nursing student who wants to become a RN. However, one college here says that during clinicals it will be pratically impossible for a student to work. In other words, the nursing program should be the only thing that a student is concentrating on. However, I need to work. I have a daughter to support and bills to pay. I know some students have suggested moving in with, or borrowing money from family in order to support myself, but that isn't an option for me. Both of my parents have passed away, and my brother lives in another state and has plenty of bills to pay himself. My questions are: is it possible to work during clinicals? Also, if you were able to do so, how did it affect your nursing training? I am planning on taking all of the science classes before clinicals so that I only have clinicals to work on. The college here also has clinicals two days per week, plus a one to three hour lecture on another day. I really want to be a nurse, but I do have to support myself and my daugher while I'm at nursing school. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks.

I would look into student loans. I used part of mine to help defray the cost of childcare.

Plagueis · Feb 8, 2005

Thanks for your input about my future nursing career. I am starting a CNA program next week, and I heard that nursing homes, or other places that deal with healthcare, are more flexible when it comes to scheduling work around nursing school. I have been reading other posts about parents who had to work during nursing school, and it has given me hope that it can be done, though it will be very stressful!