Choosing a career is a crucial decision that a person makes in life. Experts recommend selecting a field according to one’s passion as they believe when a person enjoys work, he performs better. In the past few years, nursing has gained popularity, and an increasing number of people are pursuing careers in it. Amongst other reasons, a passion for making a difference in people’s lives is the significant reason people choose this career path. Nursing is a noble profession, and lately, nurses have started getting recognition, and earn high salaries.
Nursing school is not an ordinary school and requires utmost devotion from students. An ideal situation is to get an admission in a nursing school, acquire a degree, and then work as a nurse. Unfortunately, plenty of students cannot afford these schools and have no other choice but to pursue nursing with their jobs. It is not an easy task, and demands extreme hard work; however, it is doable.
Advanced technology has made it possible to seek education through the Internet. Online education is now a new way of pursuing a degree, and many universities are facilitating students in this regard. Several nursing schools are also offering online courses and Masters of Science in Nursing is one of the most followed course. MSN online is a big investment in terms of time and effort, but one that surely pays off. The fact is maintaining a job during studies is a difficult task. Below we have listed are a few tips that will help to continue both.
- Flexible Schedule
Most of the jobs have a set duration, and employees are supposed to follow it strictly. Once a person receives an acceptance letter of nursing school, it is better to take a manager in confidence and let him know about your plans. People generally appreciate and help other people in need and chances are that a manager would not only encourage but, also helps in managing a schedule. Although the responsibilities of work would still need to be fulfilled, with a flexible schedule, it would be more comfortable.
- Support
It goes without saying that managing two things simultaneously demands a lot of planning. Life happens, and no one can have everything planned out. Emergencies occur, mishaps happen, and at times a person might find unable to hold everything together. Having support is like a blessing in disguise. A person who has a mindset of empathy, compassion, and care can be genuine support, no matter what career he follows.
- Communicate more often
One of the habits of successful people is that they do not keep things inside, but talk to the people around them. Some people tend to keep things to themselves and do not deem it necessary to communicate. This habit harms in the long run, and as a result, people around them are generally indifferent to them. The key here is that a person should communicate in an appropriate way at a proper time.
- Study Area
Some people think designating a specific area for study is a luxury. In reality, it is far from luxury, as it is a necessity. It does not have to be a huge room, but a small space that is adequately lit and can occupy the required material is sufficient. Having a study area help in focus and minimize distractions. A great tip is that study in marathon tires a person while studying with breaks in between is more effective.
- Be organized
Proactivity helps in achieving goals and keep you focused on the target. A job and nursing school both demand time, effort, attention, and energy. If someone has not planned things out, chances are both will suffer. It is not impossible to manage both, but time management is the key. Dividing time in such a way that one does not suffer because of others should be an utmost priority. A wise thing to do is to have weekly plans and then follow them. Besides, staying organized helps in all other departments of life too.
- Celebrate
The big goal is to acquire a degree, but celebrating small achievements while being on the way towards it will serve as motivation. Having a scoop of ice cream because a person submits an assignment on time seems like a small thing, but serves as a big dose of encouragement.
- Be Consistent
In most cases, it takes years to finish a degree from a nursing school. Most of the time, people adopt new roles with full zeal, but after a while, they start losing their enthusiasm and find it difficult to continue. A practical tip is not to overburden oneself but staying consistent with meeting the target. When someone practices something with consistency, it becomes his second nature, and then even tiring, and troublesome tasks seem easy to accomplish.
- Take Care of Yourself
A misconception widespread in a community is that people who take care of themselves are selfish. The truth is that maintaining a full-time job with a school is not a piece of cake, and a person might find himself in a position to put his interests on back. It is fine to do this once in a while, but if someone starts making it a habit, he is going to get exhausted soon and would be tempted to quit. A person might think that doing what you like is a waste of time, but it is not. Having a half an hour just for ownself is not being selfish, rather being smart.
Conclusion
The thought of pursuing a degree with a job is intimidating. It may not seem painless and easy, but some people have no other choice but to continue both. The good news is that more and more people are maintaining a job with studies and all it requires is time management, consistency, and hard work. Keeping an eye on the goal works as motivation and people manage to get through this challenging phase.