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Discussion

Working and Nursing School

hey, everyone...

i'm set to start nursing school pretty soon. i already have a masters degree (unrelated field, though), but i am well aware that general education, liberal arts, social sciences, and their ilk are a completely different kind of study/time commitment. still though, i've managed to gain entry into nursing school with a fairly impressive gpa and all supplementary science courses completed (i.e. i only have to take nurs i, ii, iii, and iv over 4 semesters - no other classes required). granted, clinicals need to be factored in, not to mention the enormous amounts of study time, but for all practical purposes ... am i ahead of the game? four semesters and all i have to take are 10 credit hours the first and 9 credit hours each of the other three. good thing? bad? no difference?

also, i know that working at all while in nursing school is generally advised against and full-time work would be considered suicidal, but i really can't stop working my full-time job. now, i know you're all going to leap to the conclusion that i simply cannot make it work (and maybe i can't), but consider my specific situation before you tell me if i'm delusional:

1. i work as a night auditor at a hotel (11pm-7am).

2. my job requires approximately 1.5 hours of actual work; the rest of it is me sitting around making sure the building doesn't burn down.

3. my days and nights are comfortably reversed (i'm a night owl), so waking up at 10pm, arriving at work by 11pm, leaving at 7am, and arriving for my classes by 8am isn't a problem for me as far as alertness, attentiveness, or comprehension.

so, my question is ... with approximately 6.5 hours of study every night, while i'm also "working," even more study time the two days a week i do not work, and a physical and mental tolerance for the day/night reversal ... can nursing school be successfully completed?

yes, clinicals would be tricky i expect, but my bosses are incredibly pliable with my work schedule and willing to do pretty much whatever it takes to keep me in my post for as long as possible. any advice, no matter how much i don't want to hear it, is appreciated. i want all points of view; i can take it. :-)

-c.r.d.

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    • Featured Replies

    My fiancee does the same job you do lol

    I think you can make it work. I mean grave shifts are sooo awesome, you can do work and school @ the same time cause most of the time everything is dead at night...

    Clinicals might be a problem but if you made it into nursing school and got good grades with your pre-reqs I think your well-prepared and can do it.

    good luck

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    I have no choice but to keep my full-time job during the day. Got to pay the bills. Financial aid doesn't cover living expenses when you have a mortgage, utilities and debt. Barely covers my tuition. I found the only night/weekend program for RN in Chicago area. Accelerated program for those with a bachelors degree already. It will be an intensive 16 month program and I will be sacrificing my social life but so be it. My kid is grown (almost, he's 19 1/2), I'm 42 and this is my last opportunity to become a nurse--while I am still young enough.

    I think if you can sacrifice the social area of your life, you will do fine, especially for a short time. You do what you have to do to get your goal met.

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    Yes. You've got enough education to know how to do the classes. You have a job that allows plenty of time to study.

    The only sticky part I can see is that you'll need to be able to think quickly/accurately at the tail end of your "day". That might not be a problem for you. It would be for some since there is a difference between keeping the eyes open and functioning. It might be enough to know it is a potential issue and do what you can to mitigate it.

    Or maybe your school does late clinical seldom enough that you can work your job schedule around them and it wouldn't be an issue even if you more of a "early bird" than a "late owl."

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    • Experts

    I worked 32 hours per week as an LVN while attending an RN bridge program last year. Contrary to popular belief, working while attending a nursing program is very much doable for many people. Working is also much better than taking out multiple personal loans for cash to live on while attending school, because in the end, the lack of debt will be potentially liberating.

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    Sounds like a piece of cake. You have prepared yourself well by taking all those classes early. Your job sounds awesome! Hope I can find something like that :)

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