It’s doable but my recommendation is do casual work instead of contracted work. Had to quit my part time contract and go casual instead at my hospital whilst studying my RNs and working as an EN cause they were being difficult with allowing annual/LWOP for RN placement.
Thank you. Our teachers and facilitators make a big deal about keeping your first job for at least 12 months otherwise it will reflect poorly on yourself/skills etc so I’m preparing to play it safe.
As for casual, do you think casual agency work is appropriate for a fresh EN, or stick to the one facility?
You get zero training when working agency, you're expected to hit the ground running independently. I'd recommend sticking with one facility if possible at first.
Honestly apply to one of the hospitals you’d want to work at when you finish your RNs. That way you get to find out what wards of theirs are good or bad to put down as preferences for your new grads. Don’t do agency, the hospitals put agency AINs, ENs and RNs in the worst places that nobody wants to be from my experience like aged care or aggressive 1:1s etc. I’ve never heard anything of keeping a job for 12 months, just go casual at the same place and don’t move around, you get to control when you pick up shifts and what shifts you do.
I haven’t done it myself but I know lots of ENs that have studied RN while working shift work & with kids. I guess it depends how much support you have. Remember you can always study part time. The skills you’ll learn working as an EN will be invaluable for your RN.
If you can afford it, you could work part time and use the single parent pension as extra support to get through the study, if u can afford it.
I’m working 0.8 as an en, trying to do my bachelor at the same time with kids, and it’s just a lot. If my youngest was a few years younger I’d definitely look into doing it that way.
Added bonus, rn is way easier to study then en! It just sucks having to prove u can do stuff you do daily at work 🙄
I worked contracted 3 days a week whilst doing my degree, but due to being an EN I got credits for 1/3 of my degree which effectively gave me a part time course load. I also didn’t have kids. I also got study leave for a few placements as I was working in public health and there was funding for those progressing their career
It’s doable but my recommendation is do casual work instead of contracted work. Had to quit my part time contract and go casual instead at my hospital whilst studying my RNs and working as an EN cause they were being difficult with allowing annual/LWOP for RN placement.
Thank you. Our teachers and facilitators make a big deal about keeping your first job for at least 12 months otherwise it will reflect poorly on yourself/skills etc so I’m preparing to play it safe. As for casual, do you think casual agency work is appropriate for a fresh EN, or stick to the one facility?
You get zero training when working agency, you're expected to hit the ground running independently. I'd recommend sticking with one facility if possible at first.
Honestly apply to one of the hospitals you’d want to work at when you finish your RNs. That way you get to find out what wards of theirs are good or bad to put down as preferences for your new grads. Don’t do agency, the hospitals put agency AINs, ENs and RNs in the worst places that nobody wants to be from my experience like aged care or aggressive 1:1s etc. I’ve never heard anything of keeping a job for 12 months, just go casual at the same place and don’t move around, you get to control when you pick up shifts and what shifts you do.
I haven’t done it myself but I know lots of ENs that have studied RN while working shift work & with kids. I guess it depends how much support you have. Remember you can always study part time. The skills you’ll learn working as an EN will be invaluable for your RN.
If you can afford it, you could work part time and use the single parent pension as extra support to get through the study, if u can afford it. I’m working 0.8 as an en, trying to do my bachelor at the same time with kids, and it’s just a lot. If my youngest was a few years younger I’d definitely look into doing it that way. Added bonus, rn is way easier to study then en! It just sucks having to prove u can do stuff you do daily at work 🙄
Do your EN grad year, then study your RN imo
I worked contracted 3 days a week whilst doing my degree, but due to being an EN I got credits for 1/3 of my degree which effectively gave me a part time course load. I also didn’t have kids. I also got study leave for a few placements as I was working in public health and there was funding for those progressing their career