Working while in nursing school? Tell your story..

KrisRNwannabe · Aug 21, 2003

I am 25 and changing careers to become a nurse. I have to look at it this way: this is my decision and I am going to graduate if it kills me. so far through pre-reqs I have worked fulltime 40+++ hours per week and managed to keep a 4.0. Flagstarr bank and GMAC like to get there money ever month so for that reason i will work fulltime until the nursing programs starts and then i will go partime and hubby will graciously get a second job to help pay the bills. sometimes you don't have a choice wether to work or not but hey what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger. all dreams are possible you just have to WORK at it!!!!!!!!!! good luck all:D

Momto2Boys · Aug 22, 2003

This was a very interesting post. I am still trying to decide whether or not to work when I start nursing school. Like many other I have been working fulltime while taking pre-reqs.

renerian, BSN, RN · Aug 22, 2003

I worked full time for my ADN, BS and MS. The later two were challenging as I have five kids.

renerian

agent · Aug 22, 2003

5 kids? Thats impressive.

That is an accomplishment of its own :)

obeyacts2 · Aug 22, 2003

I am working for a homehealth agency that primarily accepts hospice pts dying at home. It is full time and I work graveyard 11-7. School is from 8-11 am in the mornings. If she sleeps (usually she does) all I have to do is give her her Ativan and change diaper/reposition every 3 hrs. Rest of time is mine to study or sleep as needed. My agency hires RN/LVN steudents alot because we can do a little more and have head knowledge when to call a nurse manager is a problem is showing up unexpectedly.

Laura

pixiel · Aug 23, 2003

While in RN school, I worked as CNA in a hospital. The best thing I ever did. Was familair with where I would be working and learned lots too. I worked relief because I didn't need insurance and got more money. Not to mention the hours I worked were very flexiable. Right now I am getting my BSN. I worked for a few years and saved lots of money. Now, I am working part-time and going to school part-time. Of course picking up extra hours when I can. My "plan" is working out great so far, waiting for a bump!

nursebucky · Aug 23, 2003

I don't work, but my husband has me on a $200 budget every two weeks. I spend about $50 of it, and am stockpiling his money. *snickle*

This is my first semster of nursing school and I am CHILLING. I love it!

icesk8ie · Aug 24, 2003

I worked full-time as a food server/bartender during my first year of nursing school. It was difficult, but I managed a 3.75 GPA. This year, with the extra day of clinicals, I am only working 2 days a week. The only way I can manage this is by maxing out my loans from school. But, it gives me the peace of mind to not worry about my bills being paid. I could probably work another day a week, but I would rather spend it with my boyfriend!

nptobee · Aug 25, 2003

I started nursing school last semester and only worked ten hours a week. This semester I have to pay for before and aftercare for my kid, and now we live alone (my sister moved away, more expenses) So I work ten hours during the week at one job (this is where I make the most money), twelve hour shifts q o weekend as a Unit Secretary, and student loans. We're making it, by the grace of God. Can't wait until Dec. 04 - Graduation!!!

Momto2Boys · Aug 26, 2003

Originally posted by renerian
I worked full time for my ADN, BS and MS. The later two were challenging as I have five kids.

renerian

Yes that is very impressive!!!

Cali · Oct 10, 2003

I am presently an LPN/LVN working towards my RN degree. I work full-time nights (7pm-7am) on a Labor & Delivery Unit and I'm a full-time student during the day. I try to schedule my classes so they are either right after or right before work so I don't have to wake up in the middle of the day. This semester isn't so bad but I know that it's going to get a whole lot worse. Working part-time is not an option for me because I live alone. I'm paying for school with a Stafford Loan and the hospital I work for will also reimburse me up to $5000 a year for tuition and books.

Catma63 · Oct 10, 2003

Originally posted by babs_rn
When I was an RN student, back in 1986-88, it was virtually impossible to work with the courseload we had. Of course, from what I've seen in the past few years, dealing with nursing students and nursing schools, it's nothing now like it used to be so it might be possible for you. But not then...not when you had to go to your clinical site the night before clinical to gather information and do paperwork in preparation - an amount so extreme that it wasn't uncommon for students to be up till 1 or 2 am the morning of clinical, to be at the hospital at 6:30 for report...and to complete the paperwork the next night to have it ready to turn in at the end of the next clinical day. And God help you if one of your patients got discharged...then you had to do it all over again on another patient! We had 2-3 tests per week, each one covering an average of 22 chapters of reading.....

as I said, it wasn't reasonable to expect to hold down a job like that.....I was able to do it because I was 18 and got work/study as a dormitory RA - which meant essentially that I kept my door open from 9-12 each night - while I studied....

Good luck!!

Babs

Now THIS sounds like the nursing program I'm in! I only work four days out of the month as a waitress (okay, the restaurant I work in calls us "servers" but what, really, is the diff?) and really can't see how I could have a prayer of passing if I work any more than that. Maybe it's because I still feel overwhelmed....maybe this is how ALL nursing students feel....dunno. I DO know that even working outside the home as little as I do interferes with precious study/assignment time and I can't afford to lose it. Then again, I can't afford not to work at all, so what to do. We've had our share of financial worries lately and this is only going on 8 weeks into the semester.

Mondays I have lecture from 9-12. At 12, I have A & P. At 1, I have another hour of lecture. Back home to prepare for the following day's clinicals. This is after being assigned a pt complete with medical diagnosis. To prepare, we do a clinical preparation tool; we have to find the pathophysiology of the disease, the clinical manisfestations of the disease, the nursing interventions for that disease, prescribed diet for that disease, textbook lab tests, and then textbook nursing diagnosis. We also have to look up the drugs/meds the pt. is on, tell what classification they are and what group, give pt's dose, route, and frequency. Then we have to name it's implications. After we do clinicals, we have to finish the clinical preparation tool, naming actual signs and symptoms we actually saw, the pt's real diet, and name three nursing diagnoses according to Maslow's Hierarchy. On the pharm meds sheet, we have to finish the area where we did or didn't see any improvement in the pt. After these two sheets are done, we have to do a mini-assessment sheet....is the pt. on oxygen? How much? Pt. oriented or disoriented? Past history? etc etc. We also have to do either a S.O.A.P (much like the mini-assessment), or a narrative. Afterwards, we still have to fill in our weekly evaluation sheets. And then, after that's finished, we can work on preparing for the following day's clinical lab. So, Monday lectures, Tuesdays clinicals, Wednesdays labs. And I do mean lab(s). After clinical lab lets out in 2.5 hours, we have to go to A & P lecture. After A & P lecture is finished, we have to go to A & P lab. This last for two hours. Then, back home. Thursdays, we have lecture from 9-12. From 12 to 1 we can actually eat or go view the required cds in the library. On Fridays, a few of us meet from 9-12 in the clinical lab for our study group. Then, from 12-1, we have A & P lecture.

I've had continuous headaches this entire week due to stress and sleep deprivation. Probably my system is retaliating for the excess caffeine too. I've become a coffee-drinking fool. Yeah, okay, I've always loved coffee but this gives new meaning to coffee consumption.

Evening hours at home are spent studying, doing writing and typing assignments, washing laundry, cooking, trying to beg my two grown sons to empty the garbage, and trying to break up the occasional quarrels of my 7 year old twin sons.

Will this semester ever be over? I want sleep!