Nursing school while working full time?

If you are talking about taking organic and inorganic chemistry and microbiology, that would be hard. Chemistry was a killer for me. I took microbiology summer session working as an RN and the memories make me shudder.

Good luck!

Over the years, I have worked closely with a number of adult students who are going back to school for an RN degree.

Where we are, in order to apply to the nursing program, you have to complete Anatomy and Physiology I and II and Microbiology. Because entry into the program is SO competitive, you really have to do well, and these classes are hard-a lot of memorization and learning SO much. I would always recommend that my students did not take Microbiology with either of the A&P classes...it is just too much.

I *know* that it can be done. My adult students were some of the most tenacious and hard working students I have worked with. The key is realistic expectations, particularly while completing the prereqs. You will be advised to take more classes, but when taking the A&P's and Microbiology, one class at a time is the best way to go. No math, no English, nothing. Especially when working.

It will take a while, this won't be an immediate gratification project. But it can be done and done successfully.

I think you can, but I would check with the nursing program you want to apply to regarding clinical hours. Work M-F might make it hard to meet the clinical times. Not all programs offer night/weekend times.

You'll need to check to see if all your course work is available online, or as evening classes unless you employer will allow you to have a flexible work schedule. The university I work for, no, a full time employee working M-F/8-5 would not be able to finish nursing school because the classes are on campus M-F during the day. Other schools do have more options though. Clinicals will be a particular problem because it is working in a clinic/hospital during the day.

Keep in mind as well an accredited college program expects a full time student to spend about 40 hours in class and doing homework. So even one course is going to take 10 or more hours of your week which can be a lot when juggling family and work too. Most of the courses for a nursing program are going to exceed 10 hours a week. You'll need to calculate if you can finish the program in time. Most have a time frame they expect it to be done in. It may be 5, 8 or 10 years but if you are only going one class at a time you may not be realistically able to finish in their time frame.

You can do it if you are working evenings, flexible hours or as long as ALL courses are available online, evenings/week ends.  Often general ed courses are more accessible on an alternate schedule. The issue will be when are the actual nursing courses scheduled.   The best person to ask is the advisor for the nursing program at the college you plan to attend.

My DD worked full time nights as an ob nurse while going to school to be a nurse practitioner. Her son's were in early grade school. She was busy, busy, busy and very stressed but she made it and graduated with honors. She's now working full time days as a pediatric nurse practitioner and going to school for her doctors.

I did my pre-reqs for nursing school while working full-time and then, did my ASN (associates level) nursing program while working full-time. I am a single mom and had no other choice and wouldn't recommend it to anyone, as it was brutal. I couldn't have done a BSN while working full-time, as I only took 9 hours at the most while in nursing school and most BSN programs are full-time. It helped that I was working 12 hour shifts at a hospital while in school, so I had off 4 days a week. It was really hard working a 12 hour shift, then having to get up at 4am the next morning to go to clinical an hour away. I survived but it was awful.

Nursing programs are extremely competitive these days so it's imperative to get very high grades in order to get into the program. Once you're in, you not only have class hours but you'll also have lab, clinical, and tons of work to do at home, so make sure you think about all of that. I only had one day off during the week where I wasn't working, in school or in clinical and had to try to cram everything into that day, shopping, laundry, cleaning, studying, papers, everything. It was tough.

I am now doing an RN-BSN program while working full-time and the good thing about it is that my work has and continues to help pay for this education for me, which is good, as I'm going to be able to graduate from both my ASN and BSN without any student loans.

It can be stressful but knowing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel will help. I know there are weekend nursing programs for those that work FT during the week. Is this an option for you?

It would be possible it the courses were all online and clinicals on weekends, but there is no way to guarantee all weekend clinicals. I've seen online RN-BSN programs but there are no ADN or BSN programs that are strictly online.

Good luck. I got my RN approximately one year ago and have been working as a nurse for 8 months. I absolutely love it. This after i finished an MSN in biomedical sciences almost 10 years ago and worked as a lab tech. Big career change, and a lot of hard work, but it was worth every tear.

I don't know anyone who isn't working in the medical field already.  My cousin worked so hard to get into an RN program and had to drop out after 3 months.  She had a 4.0 going in and quickly fell behind.  She couldn't manage with work and kids.

I know 3 RNs that just graduated but they did not work while in the program.

I graduated 4 years ago from a BSN program. The program was full time so there was no way to do both. You could possibly take your few pre-reqs on a part-time basis and continue to work but once the program starts, you probably won't be able to do both.
While I went to the four year BS nursing school, there was a two year community college that offered an ADN. I am pretty sure that program had weekend-only classes. Not 100% sure how that would work since you have to have so many hours of clinical time per semester to meet state board requirements.

Even if I could logistically work full-time and go to school, the workload alone in nursing school was overwhelming at times. When you add clinical days on top of that, you are just adding to your stress levels.

Not trying to discourage you but I just don't think you can do both.

Having said that, I really do enjoy being nurse most days. I'm even getting my MSN now and teaching clinical glasses. Go figure.
Good luck!
meredith

I have two friends around age 21. They are young, smart and they don't have kids yet. They are in the BScN program here and do not have time to work and study and go to school.

There are some people who do work and I don't know how they do it. Nursing is hard work. Ask any nursing school graduate and they will tell you it is hard.

It is a gratifying job. The rewards are numerous, being able to help people is priceless and do I think you should do it? Of course!!! Working 40 hours a week just might not work that's all.

The college and university near me only offer the needed prerequisites during the day. I am sure there are American universities and community colleges that offer these kinds of programs at night (hopefully). A & P as well as microbiology here each have 1 3 hour lab per course plus lectures. Taking it at night would be ideal.

Plus if you go to school at night there are issues with childcare unless your kids are big.

But in Canada there are 2 good distance universities who's (whose?) credits are fully recognized. For example Thompson Rivers University has Biol 1593 which is A&P by distance. I am not promoting this university but distance to get the prerequisites done could work. Check to see if your university offers distance if that would work for you.

These are just some ideas. You know what you are like and how hard you work. If you think you can do it and this is a bucket list thing you have to try.

During my BSN, I was a single parent of a preschooler, I worked as an intern at the local hospital...basically CNA duties but got to float thru the hospital and see everything. I picked up one night shift a week and delivered pizza on Sunday afternoon. Could hardly keep up. I would work my butt off during summers and breaks. One Christmas break I worked 15 out of 16 night shifts...all 12 hours...to stay caught up financially. Some schools allow clinicals on night shifts, but you need to request that WAY in advance.
My MSN/NP, in comparison, was so much easier. It was still a lot of papers, a ton of reading, and two days a week in the clinic and hospital. But I worked 2 12-hour shifts a week. Was it difficult? Sure...but we didn't have all the stupid care plan stuff that took so much time in the BSN program. And my two daughters were preteen/teen with my MSN so that was a lot easier. I know young peeps who can do MSN f/t and work f/t. But I have never known anyone to do BSN and work f/t. I know that's not what you want to hear, but that is the reality of it.

As for taking the sciences the way you are, you will do fine. Especially if you have taken them before.

Good luck!

When I went to nursing school, I was able to take the CLEP test instead of taking microbiology again, as, like you, I had taken it too long ago.  I bought a used text book, read the whole thing over the course of a weekend, and took the micro exam Monday morning.  Saved me a semester and like 700 dollars.  I never felt like my micro knowledge was weak, either, it took me all the way through grad school.