A nursing degree is challenging, time-taking, and costly as well. These days, almost all students prefer to pay for their degree by working on the side or freelancing, especially when you consider high-interest rates on education loans and the current rate of inflation.
However, with many bills and rents to pay, nursing students often leave their degree incomplete or just opt for something else. Only a few people can manage a nursing degree while working full-time. In this article, our primary focus is to guide nursing students on how they can strike a perfect balance between their job and education.
Set Your Priorities
As a student, your primary focus should always be on your education. If your current job is making you miss the assignment deadlines or quizzes, look for another less demanding job. It is also essential to follow a routine religiously after you take up a job.
If you stay up late studying and then work all day, it will leave you completely drained. Most of the time, working students can also get distracted from their goals if the pay is acceptable or the routine is challenging. To help yourself stay focused and motivated, we suggest setting boundaries, priorities, deadlines, and goals for yourself.
Set a Budget
While working and paying for your degree, staying on budget is one of the most important things. Instead of eating out, buy groceries at the start of every month and cook for yourself. You should also save the money left after all the necessary bills are paid and try not to use it until needed.
Find Jobs Related to Nursing
As a nursing student, healthcare jobs should be your priority. All the work and the discussions there will be closely related to your field. This will help you in learning more about your degree. Practical knowledge will also be available to you firsthand and valuable for any research or assignment.
Consider Flexible Jobs
Working full-time while getting a nursing degree is already too hard, and if your side job is tough, it will leave you stressed out. A nursing student has to attend several clinical performances and practical simulations. They are usually scheduled early in the mornings or afternoons. Hence, find flexible jobs so it is easy for you to manage the time between attending classes, meeting university deadlines, and office work. It is also crucial that you communicate with your employers that you are a nursing student. Many companies offer flexible schedules or working hours for students.
Online Education
Nursing students often feel too stressed and drained while managing work and education. This often leads to students leaving their nursing degrees incomplete and going for easier courses. However, before making any big decisions, students should consider online education. Online degrees are much easier to manage with a job, with many universities offering flexible class timings and fee schedules. A downside is that presently, very few universities offer online nursing courses, and their quality of education is also questionable.
However, Marymount University offers excellent online MSN FNP programs for working students. CCNE currently accredits the degree they offer. All the students graduating become licensed family nurse practitioners. This degree is also fully online and requires no GRE or GMAT. Many students prefer to get an MSN FNP degree from Marymount university because they provide students with clinical placements. Hence, nursing students no longer have to stress about getting clinical placements. They can concentrate more on their degree and job.
Endnote
We hope that this article will help you learn how to manage your nursing degree and job in a more organized way. You must incorporate healthy habits like setting up budgets, schedules, and goals in your routine. Otherwise, a demanding nursing degree with an equally tough job can be very stressful for the mind and body.