Nursing school is known for being very intense, with a massive amount of information crammed into a very short time period. Many people find it very hard to hold down even a part-time job while attending nursing school, because they need to set aside so much time for school and studying.
Unfortunately, this means that a lot of people who want to go to nursing school are not able to do so, because they can’t afford to stop working for two years for an Associate’s Degree program or four years for a traditional Bachelor’s Degree program.
First of all, forget the two year Associate’s Degree program or the four year Bachelor’s Degree program if you want to be able to work full-time. Also, those programs have massive waiting lists and it will take you years to get in unless you have a 4.0 average – and you may not get in even then! So, that is not your best option unless you have the ability to wait for years before you get into nursing school, AND you don’t need to work while you are in school
So, instead, here is your step by step plan to hold down a job and succeed at nursing school at the same time.
First, enroll in a part-time Licensed Practical Nursing program (or Licensed Vocational Nursing Program, depending on what state you live in.) These take about 18 months to complete, versus 12 months for a full-time LPN program, and they meet in the evenings so that you can work during the day.
Then, when you get your LPN degree and are licensed as an LPN, you can start attending an online LPN to RN or even an LPN to BSN program. You can complete this program while you are working full-time.
Note: You MUST check with your State Board of Nursing to make sure that you are allowed to take an LPN to RN bridge program in your state, and to find accredited programs. Some online programs are accredited in some states and not in others.
There are a number of prerequisites for RN programs – these include Anatomy & Physiology, Psychology, College Level Algebra, Human Growth and Development, and a few others. You do not have to complete these before attending an LPN program. Once you get your LPN degree, if you have not already taken those prerequisite classes, you can take them online or at a local community college while you are working as an LPN, and then you can apply to your LPN to RN online program. These are known as “bridge” programs.
Also, once you start working as an LPN you should check with your employer to see if they will reimburse you for part or all of your nursing school continuing education. They may pay for you to get your RN!
And that is your step by step plan for getting through nursing school without ever having to quit your job.
