Yes, You Can Have Full Time Job While Earning Your Nursing Degree

Many people who wish to attend nursing school have simply given up on the idea because they can't afford to quit work and dedicate a minimum of two years of their life, full-time, to their education. After all, two years is a LONG time to go without a salary.

And that's just for people who want to get an Associate's Degree! The traditional Bachelor's of Science in Nursing is a four year degree.

That's fine for recent high school graduates whose parents will foot the entire bill, or for someone who has a spouse who is working and can support them for the duration of their schooling, or for people who don't mind graduating from school with massive debt.

For everyone else who doesn't fit into any of these categories, here is the best way to go:

Start out by enrolling in a part-time evening LPN degree program. This will generally be an 18-month program. Full-time LPN programs are shorter - about 12 months, but they are much more intense, and it will be very hard to work even part-time during such a program.

When you complete that first step and become a Licensed Practical Nurse, you can then take any pre-requisite courses needed to get into an LPN to RN bridge program. There are usually about eight classes required. These include college level Algebra, Anatomy & Physiology I and II, Psychology, Nutrition, and Human Growth and Development. You may already have taken some of these classes. Either way, you can take them a couple at a time online or at a local community college while you work full-time.

After that, it's time to apply to an online LPN to RN bridge program to get an Associate's Degree in Nursing. This will take about a year to a year and a half - but the good news is you will be working the whole time you're in school. AND - it is very likely that your employer will help pay for some or all of your continuing health care education, especially if your employer is a hospital or other large health care facility.

Going to traditional nursing school is not the only way to have a career in nursing. As we've outlined above, you can still enjoy a decent income working full time, even as you slowly but just as surely earn that nursing degree!

LPN programs are a superb way of starting your nursing career even if you have a full-time job. Visit us to learn more about these nursing programs and to find schools in your state that offer them.