So I have been hearing all kinds of horror stories from other students on just how hard the coursework will be for us next semester, and that the courses, plus clinical rotations, plus the 30 or so hours of homework is so hard that you have to give up your job to get through school.
How has everyone else dealt with this? Did you manage both? Not work?
I can't afford to not work. I have a mortgage, car payment, and a kid. There is no way that I can give up work. Has anyone else dealt with this? Is this just scare tactics, or am I in for a rough time of it?
I worked 2 jobs while getting my AAS, then worked 2 while transitioning to BSN. It can be done, but I dont recommend it for the faint of heart. You just have to find those 1 in a million employers that will work with your schedule, and get used to not sleeping at night.
The last 2 semesters (Spring and Fall) I worked pretty much f/t, went to school, and barely slept. Oh, AND I had a good drive to school, also. When did I sleep? I have no freaking idea. How did I survive? No idea there, either. Still trying to figure it out.
Everyone is different. Last semester I worked PT, no way would I have worked FT. This semester, I still work PT but can work FT if I wanted to. Just choose not to. Some people don't have the option not to work.
Guess I am going to have to make it work. There is no way I can afford to not work, so I just hope that things play out well.
i know a RN that worked full time and was a full time mom...and she passed...it really just depends on your drive of how bad do you want it...you'll give up alot a free time but it can be done. just manage your time well...you would be amazed how much time is wasted in a day...and you can function on 5 hours of sleep :nurse-rofl:
As much as I like sleep, I have had some times in the past where I was not given much of it. While it seems very difficult to get a straight answer out of my nursing dept. at times, I have to wonder about the kind of jobs that they don't want folks to work. I am pretty lucky when it comes to work. I wait tables in a fine dining restaurant, so with a really good 3 or 4 shifts, I can make a lot of money.
So I think that I can make something work when it comes to covering the bills. Study time is what I am most concerned about. Since I only work nights, I miss out on times when classmates are meeting for study groups and that kind of thing. And it also means that I really have to stay on top of managing my time and getting things done before I have to go to work at night.
Bottom line is, I don't really have a choice. I have to pay my mortgage and bills. And I have to get done with school. I am not going to give up now, after all of the work I have put towards my education. Just have to let the friends and family know they can see me on holiday breaks and in about 2 years.
Well, I guess I should amend my post, with I hope that this is what is going to happen.
All of my prerequisite coursework is done, and pretty much all of my corequisite as well. I submit my official application to the department this afternoon. I am probably just being paranoid, but I worried that they are going to turn my app down. My grades are good, my HESI score was almost perfect, but I am worried about my immunization records.
I have everything they asked for, but I am turning copies of my 36 year old military dependent records, and my immunization log from my time on active duty. Some of the immunizations I need I have gotten more than once, but I am just stressing myself out that they are going to turn the stuff down for some reason or another. It's not like that can call up any of the MD's or PA's from when I was on AD or a dependent to verify this stuff.
I am hoping that I am just over thinking all of this and all will be well, but I would be more than a bit upset if I came this far to have them turn down the app.
If your immunizations aren't up to date, I would think the worst they would have you do is have titers drawn to see in you're immune, or just get re-vaccinated.
My MMR came back that I was not immune, even though I had all my immunizations, so I just had to get another MMR vaccine.
91B wrote:Well, I guess I should amend my post, with I hope that this is what is going to happen.
All of my prerequisite coursework is done, and pretty much all of my corequisite as well. I submit my official application to the department this afternoon. I am probably just being paranoid, but I worried that they are going to turn my app down. My grades are good, my HESI score was almost perfect, but I am worried about my immunization records.
I have everything they asked for, but I am turning copies of my 36 year old military dependent records, and my immunization log from my time on active duty. Some of the immunizations I need I have gotten more than once, but I am just stressing myself out that they are going to turn the stuff down for some reason or another. It's not like that can call up any of the MD's or PA's from when I was on AD or a dependent to verify this stuff.
I am hoping that I am just over thinking all of this and all will be well, but I would be more than a bit upset if I came this far to have them turn down the app.
I was kinda wondering the same thing you are when I started going to the college I'm at now. They never asked to see original documents for my shots, I just wrote down the round about dates I got the immunizations and they accepted them. I did have to get a varicella titer when I got accepted into the program though.
As for working full time, if you can work around your clinicals you're set. For us that's the only thing in school that we absolutely cannot be absent from. Being there for lecture helps, but the few people in my class that work leave early sometimes. We're all pretty good about catching each other up on what we had to miss out on.
I have 2 kids and I am a single mom, I know that working full time and be a mother is very difficult but I will share what I am doing I found some test banks for some classes and That help me tremendously. I still have some if you have troubles with any class send me an email to **PM for e-mail** and I can share it with you.
Thanks for the help guys!
Yes you can work and make it through nursing school and have a life, you have to be organized though.
I raised 2 kids(single parent), worked and graduated with high honors from ADN program, not easy but I didn't notice that working as a nurse, raising 2 kids and having a life is much easier:).
My solution was working as a waitress in a supper club. short, evening hours, good tips. Some instructors did badger me to be working 'in the field' as CNA or nurse tech. Do what you need to do. For me it would have been foolish to give up working 20 to 25 hours a week (mostly weekends) and earning full time type wages. I did also use student loans but consider them a good investment. best of luck to you.
OK; we're nearly at the end of the semester. What's going on with you, 91b?
cougarnurse wrote:OK; we're nearly at the end of the semester. What's going on with you, 91b?
LOL, I sent 91B my thoughts on this subject a while back but never heard back from him? Anyway, here is my previous PM and maybe 91B will see here?
_____________________________
Originally Posted by 91B
If you don't mind me asking, how did you manage work and school? I had read in one of your posts that you had your two boys and a full time job while in school. We keep hearing all of these stories in school about how you can't work and go to school at the same time. I say stories, since the department has never, at any time published anything official about the subject.
Any advice? Tips, tricks anything? I keep hearing that the amount of time we are going to have to commit to the patient care plans prior to our clinic rotations is huge.
Steve
91B
Hello Steve,
My apologies for the late reply. Best to reach me at cary.barrett@us.army.mil
Yes, I was a single parent with two sons while in ADN program. I worked odd hours [total 32 hrs/week qualified as FT for med ins.] as an OR Tech around my nursing program schedule. Plus, most of my ADN clinicals were at Seton Medical Center the same place where I worked as an OR Tech. The Seton OR is open 24/7. My body clock was in continual flux. I had NO free time with working, school, and full-time father duties.
I noticed most of my classmates that were able to work while in nursing school worked in some type of healthcare related field. Or, they worked where there schedule could be very flexible. I became very good at managing my time. I even had one of my sons very active in sports which involved coordinating transportation.
Again, I was a single parent and my livlihood depended on my success in the program. I was very driven & motivated. Sometimes sleep was more like a hobby than a regular routine. Later, I went on to complete UTMB Galveston's School of Nursing RN-BSN online program while working 40hrs/week as an OR RN at Seton.
Hope this helps.
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I would like to Know how he is doing, especially since he lives near by me and is an Army veteran.Sorry about the absence from the forums folks. Things got a bit crazy between finishing up the semester, and trying to work enough to cover the bills in this wonderful economy.
I am still waiting to hear from the nursing Dept about my application. Everything was in order, they accepted the app, now I am just waiting to see if I start the clinical rotations next semester. If not, I will take a few more classes that I will need when I take an ADN to BSN program. The word is supposed to come down any day now. They said somewhere around the 1st, so I am just waiting to see.
So kind of in a holding pattern at the moment. The stress is not horrible, but between waiting to hear what my status is, and dealing with some lousy income due to the economy, things could be better.
And Cary, I sent a message to your "work" email, sorry about the delay in replying!
Ok, little update to the last post. May 7th is the day they send out the acceptance letter. That was just posted to the Departmental website about 45 minutes ago. At least I now have a date and can try and relax a bit till then.
91B wrote:Sorry about the absence from the forums folks. Things got a bit crazy between finishing up the semester, and trying to work enough to cover the bills in this wonderful economy.
I am still waiting to hear from the nursing Dept about my application. Everything was in order, they accepted the app, now I am just waiting to see if I start the clinical rotations next semester. If not, I will take a few more classes that I will need when I take an ADN to BSN program. The word is supposed to come down any day now. They said somewhere around the 1st, so I am just waiting to see.
So kind of in a holding pattern at the moment. The stress is not horrible, but between waiting to hear what my status is, and dealing with some lousy income due to the economy, things could be better.
And Cary, I sent a message to your "work" email, sorry about the delay in replying!
No need for apologies, my friend. I was just worried. Glad all is good. BTW, answered your email & hope we can meet up in Buda soon.
Oh, lord! Put out the alert if/when you two meet up. We'll do clean up. :D :nurse-rofl:
Wow, am I going to need protective gear?
91B wrote:Wow, am I going to need protective gear?
LOL, all my immunizations are current.
cougarnurse wrote:What about rabies shot? :nurse-rofl: Yeah, j.k. here.
My Doberman's rabies shot is current, too :p
At least the dog is protected.......
Hey the foaming is just from the beer, ok! Mostly harmless, otherwise.
Like I said, mostly harmless! :nurse-beer:
And I got my notice. Not accepted into the class. Ranking was not high enough. Way it is worded, if not enough people accept the offer, I may get in. I doubt that will happen.
So now I have to wait till June to reapply. Which means one more semester of spinning my wheels and waiting.
91B wrote:And I got my notice. Not accepted into the class. Ranking was not high enough. Way it is worded, if not enough people accept the offer, I may get in. I doubt that will happen.
So now I have to wait till June to reapply. Which means one more semester of spinning my wheels and waiting.
ACC ADN program will not admit/confirm but they have a waiting list D/T high demand. However, once you have applied you should not have to keep reapplying? Do you have all the prereqs?
From the time I applied [one time] it took about around 18 months before I was accepted.
