Working While Attending Nursing Program?

[MandieStaz]

HI everyone, new here.. I have applied to both RN program & LPN program (as a back up) at my college in Jacksonville, Fl my home town. Right now I am working full time, where I have been for the past 3 years.. I have completed all pr-reqs working a full time job. Upon getting accepted I obviously am leaving my full time job to focus on school 100%. I should be getting letters here soon in the next couple of weeks to know whether I made it in or not. FINGERS CROSSED!

Anyways, my question to all of you that are currently enrolled in programs is how many of you work while enrolled? Even like as a waitress, retail, etc. Can it be done? I am hoping to be able to handle waiting tables at least a couple nights a week and weekends.. but i don't want to cut myself short of study time/ homework, etc.

Also, another question.. do you think it is a good idea to go through with the LPN program if I don't get accepted to RN? (I will then do the LPN-RN bridge after that)

any advice will help!! Thank you so much!

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

I worked full time while earning, ADN, BSN and MSN. Not easy, but can be done. As for taking the LPN route first, not a bad idea.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

welcome to an! you're starting on a great career. there are definitely challenges in nursing, and it is also a source of great satisfaction.

i had a job while i was an undergraduate for two years. i worked one evening in the middle of the week and both sat and sun, plus every holiday and most of my vacation days. my gpa did take a hit for it. and since i went to school with florence in the crimea (little an joke here), there wasn't so much to distract me then. i did not have to work my senior year and my grades took a turn for the better right away,

do not plan your school years as if you will be able to keep working that much. when you have to prepare to be at clinical or taking a big pathophysiology exam or have a big care plan paper due at 0700 you don't want to come home from waiting tables at 2200 the night before, or later. figure out your finances, whatever, so you don't have to work if you possibly can get by without it.

as to lpn vs rn, if you don't get into the rn program right off the bat, find out why and do what they tell you to do. if you've already completed all the prerequisites, brava. personally, i think it's wasteful to do it that way, since it will end up taking you longer and costing more than if you sit the year out and get into the rn program later, even if we're talking about a bsn program. keep your eyes on the prize.