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5 Successful Tips to Help You Balance Nursing School & Work

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Are you working (or about to work) a full-time or part-time job during nursing school? Nursing school can be tough, and working while taking a full class load can be even harder. For many nursing students, work is a necessity. As a non-traditional student, I was able to balance my studies and a part-time job while maintaining my grades. So, whether you’re an independent student or a parent returning to school, you can confidently pass nursing school while working on the side.

Continue reading for the best tips to help you succeed through this crazy, yet fulfilling journey!

1. Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize

At the start of every semester, check your syllabus, and plan out your schedule. Remember, school is always a top priority! Determine where you want to focus your time and energy into (school, work, family, yourself, etc). Next, get yourself a calendar and write down all the exam and assignment dates/deadlines. Then create a study timetable. Whether you have to study early in the morning or late at night, write down the hours of each day you will dedicate to studying. After, you can plan your work schedule and “me time”.

It’s also important to keep your employer updated whenever you have to book off in advance. You might want to consider finding a flexible job when you go back to school. With a flexible schedule, you can manage your time and schedule more shifts post-exams when the stress levels are lower. Check out my list of nursing student jobs here that you can look into within your region. 

With so much on your plate, you can’t do everything. So expect to skip out on the occasional outings or weekend getaways with your friends. Of course, it’s easier said than done but you can manage. I like to think of it this way:

“All the hard work, sacrifices, sleepless nights and struggles will pay off with long term success.”

After nursing school or each semester, you’ll be able to treat yourself and go for those outings. But right now, your choice to be in nursing school needs your time and dedication. For more time-management strategies check out this blog post.

2. Work Smarter, Not Harder

On your work break or your kid(s) taking a nap? Take out your study notes and review them. Do you have 1-hour spares between classes? Take at least 30 mins to get ahead on your homework. If permitted to tape lectures, listen to them on your daily commute. Basically, cram in any study time by studying in small time intervals or within study groups during spares.

3. Efficient Study Area

After you’ve established a study timetable, you’ll need to find or set up a proper study area to get work done. This could be a particular study table or work station. It could even be the nearest library or coffee shop. Avoid places like your bed or with any distractions such as loud noises. If you study or work better with music, try to choose music without lyrics to help you focus better. I love listening to lofi hip hop radio on Youtube. They provide live streams of soothing beats to help you concentrate.

Study tip, if you feel very distracted by social media, download the app: Self Control on your Mac. With this app, you can black list certain websites for up to 24 hours. This means your internet browsers won’t let you access those black listed websites until the time is up. You can also download these 12 study apps (nursing school related).

Another tip, if you’re a single parent, try finding another single parent in the program and become study partners. You can bring your child over to play with the other kid while you and your colleague can help each other study.

4. Manage Stress Levels / Take Care of Yourself

Stress is an inevitable part of being a nursing student and worker. Working full-time and studying will inevitably cause you to stress out every so often. Find a balance that allows you enough time to maintain your health and handle your stress in a positive way. Try adding exercise to your weekly routine. You can try yoga, meditation, or going for a walk several times a week. Adding any form of physical exercise is an effective stress reliever. Try to devote at least 30 minutes of your day to doing something you enjoy as a way to reduce stress and prevent burnout.

Other ways to take care of yourself is to get at least 7 hours of sleep and fuel your body with nutrient-dense foods. Proper sleep and nutrition will help you retain memory and keep you energized. If you find yourself really lethargic and sleepy all throughout the week, then it means you need to change your routine. Give yourself enough study breaks when you are feeling worn out.

Check out my fitness motivation secret!

5. Remember Why You Chose Nursing

Take a moment to breathe and remember your “why”. You wouldn’t be tackling work and nursing school simultaneously if you didn’t have any reasons. Whenever you feel overwhelmed, focus on your goals and end date.

Finding the time to balance work and school becomes easy when you study something that you love. If you love your new study area, the classes, and the people, then you’ll be more motivated to put in the necessary time and dedication. You might be surprised just how motivated you can be by doing something that you are passionate about.

If other students can successfully balance work, family, and studies, so can you! Stay positive, stay focused, and keep going. You got this!

Final Words

Balancing your job with studies might seem very tricky at first, but with a little focus and planning, you can manage both. Keep these few pointers in mind and you will be all set to take on the double (or even triple) load. I hope that these 5 tips will help you strive to find an equilibrium in life 🙂

Apply these top 5 tips and you will benefit in the long run.

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