working while in program?

JStyles1 · Jun 13, 2008

i work PRN in a level 1 trauma ER. I have since my first semester in nursing school. Its not bad working PRN. I have the ability to set my own schedule for when I can work so I can accommodate for tests.

Is it hard? Not if you know your schedule in advance. However, if you have someone setting your schedule and you do not have the freedom to take off a couple weeks at a time then it will be much harder

Michelle123 · Jun 14, 2008

I work as an AIN (student nurse) which I think is the equiv to a CNA, in a hospital.

I started when I was in the beginning of my 2nd year. (our programs are 3 years). I also have a daughter (and a husband!) I also worked in hospitality as a waitress, I started at the end of the first semester, until I got the AIN job, so I did have a period of time where I wasn;t working.

I must admit that my marks have gone down since the beginning semester, but I don't think that is soley due to working, but a combination of other health issues, and the fact that I tend to go until I collapse instead of noticing that there is an issue and getting it sorted ASAP! (But that is just the way I tend to be lol).

I love working as an AIN, and feel while it may not help me in the essay writing department, it helps to see patients as whole people rather than just body systems, and it helps to see that a lot of pt's have problems with multiple systems, and not just one area, so I get to deal with incorporating what I actually learn on campus and from books to the real world. We don't have enough clinical exposure here for that to happen consistantly. I actually feel that I would be disadvantaged in my own practice if I didn't have this experience. There is so much that goes on in the hospital environment that you don't learn in class. The politics, the routines, the "way things are done" so to speak, as well as time management - how am I going to get these people up dressed and showered before the physio comes, and none of them are independant and we have one shower....

I get more experience with handover too, so now I am actually confident in my ability to handover a pt and also recieve handover.

And the difference in actually seeing and responding to someone having chest pain, it totally different to having a written scenario with written responses!

Although I have yet to work on a code (as you guys call it, we call it an arrest over here!) I have seen the way the team responds and have actually witnessed it.

Anyway what was the question again??

Oh yeah! lol, sorry!

I just think that there are so many advantages to it, but if your program offers a lot of clinical exposure and you don't have to work, then you could get away with not working. My schedule with work is flexible, I fax in when I am available over a 4 week period and they will roster me on if needed (which is pretty much most of the days that I am available).

You could always get a job, and then if it is cutting into your study time or adding too much to your stress levels, then scale it back.

I learnt the hard way that you have to say no sometimes for your own health!

kgh31386, BSN, MSN, RN · Aug 24, 2008

I know this thread is old, but even though they suggest don't work, and to study 24/7...you might not have to. During my orientation last semester, the FIRST thing the dean told us was,"this is a very hard program". They also brought in who was supposed to a "positive" counselor who told us straight up NOT to work and to mark out 9-6 every day on our schedule to study. For some people this may be necessary, for others it might not be. I was lucky and was able to keep working 30 hours a week and do well in school. It's not about how much you study or how smart you are, it's about how well you can relate and apply material. It might take someone 30 hours to be able to take a nursing test on 1 chapter, it might take someone else 20 minutes to study and know it. I did get a couple of B's 1st semester, but it's definitely possible to work somewhere while in school, AND still have a life. Honest truth, I never plugged in my Xbox 360 UNTIL I started nursing school. Oh yea, DONT stress out lol. That's a big key, the less stress, the easier material stick in your head. I did fine and even got a scholarship, so be positive.

Kasia3 · Aug 25, 2008

Ok just before starting nursing school I quit my job because it was the first semester and I had no idea what it would be like studing for nursing classess(plus I heard all the horror stories from here or there).I only had one class at a time during my first semester because I took all my required classes for the program before I actually enter the program.The only class that I had left to take was microbiology and I took it this summer (going into third semester.So as I was saying I only had one class to take and knowing what I know now I wouldnt quit and probably just reduces my hours and work weekends.The second semester was famous for being the hardest one (due to pharmacology which was a very time consuming class) plus I had medical surgical so maybe it was possible to work 1 or two days but I didnt want to risk failing so I also didnt look for work.Summer 2008 came I found work and took Microbiology.Now this third semester I have only one class at the time (like in my first semester).The first half is psychiatric nursing and second chronic care,so I'm planning to stay at my job(but I'm also applying again for loan just to be secured in case I need to quit).I start class tommorow and I work monday,wensday,and thurdsday.Then next week I'm planning to work only weekends.I arleady found out I have test coming in two weeks from tommorow and have to read 350 pages of psych nursing plus four chapters of pharmacology (review from last semester).It will be tought but I think I have my organization down so hopefully I can handle it.I appologize for this lenghty post,didnt mean to come out as an essay:p

melloyello68 · Aug 25, 2008

Ok just before starting nursing school I quit my job because it was the first semester and I had no idea what it would be like studing for nursing classess(plus I heard all the horror stories from here or there).I only had one class at a time during my first semester because I took all my required classes for the program before I actually enter the program.The only class that I had left to take was microbiology and I took it this summer (going into third semester.So as I was saying I only had one class to take and knowing what I know now I wouldnt quit and probably just reduces my hours and work weekends.The second semester was famous for being the hardest one (due to pharmacology which was a very time consuming class) plus I had medical surgical so maybe it was possible to work 1 or two days but I didnt want to risk failing so I also didnt look for work.Summer 2008 came I found work and took Microbiology.Now this third semester I have only one class at the time (like in my first semester).The first half is psychiatric nursing and second chronic care,so I'm planning to stay at my job(but I'm also applying again for loan just to be secured in case I need to quit).I start class tommorow and I work monday,wensday,and thurdsday.Then next week I'm planning to work only weekends.I arleady found out I have test coming in two weeks from tommorow and have to read 350 pages of psych nursing plus four chapters of pharmacology (review from last semester).It will be tought but I think I have my organization down so hopefully I can handle it.I appologize for this lenghty post,didnt mean to come out as an essay:p

You sound like you are prepared and you know what's in store. I am in my second semester and I work Fri-Mon. I think if you have everything organized and you are ready to rock it will work out! Go get em! :)