Going to nursing school and working full time at the same time may sound like the perfect recipe for a career disaster but it doesn't have to be. It IS possible to work and study nursing - and do both successfully. If you find this hard to believe, then read on.
For most nursing students,
one of the greatest challenges of going to nursing school is finding a way to survive without a paycheck for several years. It's a little easier for students who have just graduated from high school and still have financial support from their parents, but for older nursing students who may have a family, a mortgage or rent, car payments, and grocery bills...surviving for three or four years without a paycheck is a huge financial burden.
Traditional nursing schools require massive amounts of memorization of complex topics involving science and mathematics. They are so intense that it is nearly impossible for students to succeed in their classes and also work full-time. Students who try to do this usually flunk out. Even working part-time while attending a traditional nursing school is a quite a burden.
This is why online nursing schools are a good option to consider. In these programs, students can be flexible with their schedule and adjust the pace of their studies so that they will be able to work full time in addition to studying for their nursing degree. They can opt to take less number of subjects every semester, thereby stretching out the length of their program, but at least they also get to earn a living.
It must be noted however, that in addition to the course fees, an additional fee is charged for every year that the student stays with the program. It's not very big, and it's a small price to shell out for being able to spend enough time on each course to help you have time to study, and pass the class, rather than rushing through and risking failure.
One reason why online classes work for those who have full time job is that the students have the liberty to choose what time is most convenient for them to do their classroom modules. Whether they take classes in the morning, afternoon, at night, and even on weekends, the important thing is that they finish their coursework and take their exams within the allotted time frame given by the instructor.
And another benefit - if the online nursing school student flunks a class, they can retake it. And, while failing a class is unpleasant and expensive, because the student will have to pay to retake the class, at least they will know where their strengths and weakness are in that class, and they can seek tutoring or help from an online study group. In traditional nursing schools, generally, if a student fails a class, they are kicked out of the program!
One important note: you can only get an Associate's Degree in Nursing if you are already a licensed practical nurse or a paramedic. In some states, respiratory therapists are also welcome to participate in online courses. On the upside, a degree in licensed practical nursing, paramedics, and respiratory therapy usually takes only a year of full time schooling. Then you can take an LPN to RN online course, paramedic to RN online course, etc., as long as your state board of nursing permits it.
If the above arguments have not convinced you altogether to take the online route, maybe this one will: many hospitals and health care facilities are willing to pay for the continued education (e.g. earning an RN degree from LPN) of their employees.
