Looking for more study tips? Read our 10 Tips for Creating Your Ideal Study Space

Tip 1: Plan Ahead

The first step in developing your time-management skills is to make a plan for what needs to be accomplished and when. Start by creating a list of tasks for the day or week and prioritize the items by level of importance so you’re not overlooking important tasks or upcoming deadlines.

Planning ahead also means knowing when to say “no” in order to stay on task while balancing work, school, and home life. While it may seem limiting at first, mastering the art of saying “no” is an essential step to striking a work-life balance. When new requests or issues come up, ask yourself whether it contributes or detracts from your goal. Then determine if it requires immediate attention or can wait until a later date. If the request requires immediate attention, consider whether it is higher priority that the items on your priority list, and if it is, determine what other items can be pushed to a later date. If you’re juggling a lot of priorities and everything seems to be due at once, break down your list into the most immediate priorities and start with the tasks you can accomplish quickly, then on the heels of your newfound momentum, move to the tasks that require more attention and effort.

Balancing work, life, and school can be tricky, check out our Tips for Busy Parents in Nursing School.

Tip 2: Manage Deadlines

Procrastination is often the biggest hurdle many have to jump when trying to manage time and balance work and home life. And when you know you have a deadline looming, it can sometimes worsen the tendency to procrastinate. Good news, self-regulation is something we can learn by breaking down tasks into manageable parts.

A simple way to feel less overwhelmed when faced with an impending deadline, is the break down the parts of the task and prioritize what needs to be done when. Once you have the scope of the project in mind, start with your deadline and work backwards to determine when each milestone needs to be completed in order to finish your task by the due date. This is a technique project managers often use when building out complex projects with a lot of moving parts, but it can also apply to your coursework, job duties, and even your home responsibilities.

Let’s put it into practice. If your task is to write a term paper and you’re deadline is in one week, first determine the scope of the task: research the topic, write the outline, gather citations, writing the first draft, and edit the draft. Then, make time each day to accomplish one of these tasks instead of cramming it all in the night before. This will allow you to balance writing your term paper with your other responsibilities, whether it’s completing other coursework, caring for children, or working a job.

If you’re struggling with staying focused, check out our article on 5 Ways to Make Studying Less of a Chore.

Tip 3. Get Organized

To minimize that dreaded sense of urgency, you can leverage organizational skills to build habits that ensure you know when your deadlines are and what is required to reach them.

• Use Organizational Tools
  Having a few tools in your organizational belt can be invaluable to your time-management process. Part of managing your time well is knowing everything you need to do and what your deadlines are. You can keep your tasks and dates organized using a physical day planner or digital calendar app. Set reminders for important dates or deadlines to help you remember when things are due. You can also keep a journal with notes as you’re working through each task so you can pick up where you left off if you have to switch to something else.
• Avoid Distractions
  An important part of completing a task, like studying or homework is to spend quality time focusing on it, but distractions can interfere with your ability to stay on task. If studying at home makes you want to clean the house, go to a coffee shop or tutoring center for quality focus time. Consider other distractions like your phone or tablet, and either leave them at home or shut them off while studying to reduce easy distractions. Another likely distraction can be family. If you’re preparing for an important exam, tell family and friends that you need a few hours of uninterrupted time to focus on your studies. Sometimes a chatty mind can also be a distraction. Find sounds that help your mind relax like soundscapes, binaural beats, classical music, or ambient sounds.
• Ask for Help
  Going to school is hard, especially when you’re balancing your time with other responsibilities. There are so many deadlines and due dates that students can quickly get overwhelmed. At 51cg, our Faculty, Student Success Advisors, Tutors, and Staff are committed to helping our students succeed, so if you’re feeling overwhelmed, start by asking for help.

At 51cg, our Faculty, Student Success Advisors, Tutors, and Staff are committed to helping our students succeed with effective time management strategies. Whether you’re beginning your healthcare journey with our ASN program, pursuing a 3 year BSN degree or accelerated BSN program, advancing through our RN to BSN program, or reaching higher with an MSN degree, we’ll provide the support you need to balance your educational goals. Discover which nursing pathway aligns with your career goals by exploring our nursing programs.

An Occupational Therapy Assistant’s Daily Schedule

Before diving into any career, it’s important to know what a typical day on the job entails. Doing this gives insight into what you might encounter, and the same goes for a career as an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA). At 51cg, our OTA associate’s program teaches what daily life as an OTA looks like, firsthand, through classroom and fieldwork opportunities.

What do occupational therapy assistants do?

Your OTA daily routine will usually include collaborating with an Occupational Therapist (OT), prep work, meeting with clients, and advising their family members. No two days are identical as an OTA. Before learning the ropes in person, here’s a typical OTA schedule.

Occupational Therapy Assistant Schedule

6:00 a.m. | Wake Up

Fans of a regular sleep schedule and consistent morning routine, rejoice! A day in the life of an OTA begins in the morning with the majority of the working world. Unlike most healthcare careers, where swing shifts and graveyard hours make nocturnal living unavoidable, the OT industry takes place during regular business hours.

8:00 a.m. | Check In and Get Assignments

OTAs work in a variety of settings, from hospitals to schools to homes and beyond. However, a large majority of OTAs work in specialized OT outpatient clinics, under the supervision of one or more OTs.

When you arrive at work, you’ll typically check in with an OT, review the patients you’ll see that day, and receive a list of assignments. OTA daily tasks can include:

• Training patients on exercises.
• Teaching patients to use adaptive equipment.
• Teaching patients mindfulness and stress management techniques.
• Modifying a patient’s space to better suit their needs.
• Tracking patient progress and reporting it to a supervising OT.
• Maintaining treatment areas and equipment.
• Planning and executing community activities and outings for patients.
• Collaborating with speech therapists, art therapists, case management or other providers.

8:15 a.m. | Prep for the Day

After checking in at work, you’ll typically have a few minutes to take care of administrative tasks like scheduling, answering emails, or preparing your clients’ activities.

9:15 a.m. | Work With Clients

It’s time to complete those daily tasks you were assigned when you got to work. Most of your OTA daily routine will be spent working with clients to strengthen skills that enable the activities of daily living (ADL). Successful OTAs individualize care for each client and prioritize their preferences when building a treatment plan.

As an OTA, you may also spend the morning at a client’s home, where they complete many of their ADLs. The opportunity to work in a client’s home is a unique gift of the OTA profession and builds meaningful relationships with clients. It’s also a common part of an OTA schedule.

For example, you may work with a client who’s learning to transfer themself in and out of their wheelchair to their bed, the toilet, the car, or the shower. Their home is the ideal place to practice these activities.

12:30 p.m. | Lunch

Midway through the day, you’ll have a lunch break. OTA work is rewarding, but it can be intense to work up close and personal with clients who are navigating huge challenges. Your lunch break can provide much-needed downtime or an opportunity to connect with your coworkers. Time to recharge helps you be fully present for the rest of the patients you’ll see.

With that being said, you may have to spend some lunch periods training, in meetings, or catching up on administrative tasks.

1:00 p.m. | Work With Clients and Their Families

In the afternoon of a day in your life as an OTA, you’ll work with more clients.

You’ll also write up their status and progress for their patient record. It’s important to keep clients and their families updated regarding their treatment, status, and progress so that even when they leave the clinic, they can keep practicing the techniques and exercises you’ve taught them. This is also a vital step for insurance to pay for their treatment sessions. Good communication skills make for great OTAs, helping clients continue progressing in the office and at home. In the therapy world, you’ll hear the phrase “If you didn’t document it, it didn’t happen.”

5:00 p.m. | Prepare for the Next Day

Just like most healthcare professionals, an OTA’s final daily tasks are recordkeeping and paperwork. You’ll examine the work you did with each patient, make notes for the following day, and make sure everything is squared away and ready to begin again tomorrow.

5:30 p.m. | Return Home

Many OTAs find that at the end of a day, they keep thinking about their clients. That’s because OT isn’t a job where you merely punch the clock, do your work, and punch out. As an OTA, you’ll make real connections with your patients, and these connections help them thrive.

Is an OTA Career Right for You?

Looking at an OTA schedule is one way to gauge your interest in this career. Another effective tool to decide whether becoming an OTA is right for you is volunteer work. Many clinics, schools, geriatric facilities, and OTA policy organizations have volunteer programs where you can learn if OT is a good fit and even find your preferred specialty.

Joyce’s OTA program can help you decide where you fit into this rewarding career. With supportive students and faculty, fieldwork opportunities, and a career services organization, Joyce is primed to set you up for success as an OTA.

FAQs 51cg Occupational Therapy Assistants’ Daily Routine

What is daily life like for an OTA?

As an OTA, you’ll check in with a supervising OT, work with clients, maintain equipment, keep records, and communicate with clients and their families.

In what employment setting do most OTAs work?

Most OTAs work in outpatient clinics, but there are ample job opportunities for OTAs. As an OTA, you could work in hospitals, schools, summer camps, client homes, geriatric facilities, and pediatric clinics.

Where do OTAs make the most money?

You can make a great salary as an OTA. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, the in the United States is $64,250.

Is OTA a low stress job?

Healthcare jobs can be intense. While OTAs often become emotionally invested in their patients, they don’t have to be on the front line of emergencies like first responders or critical care providers do. This makes OT less stressful than most jobs in the healthcare field.

Do OTAs have a good work/life balance?

OTAs enjoy regular working hours and rarely need to work swing or graveyard shifts, which helps with work/life balance. One barrier to good work/life balance for OTAs is the emotional attachment you can build with your clients, which makes it difficult to separate work from home life.

Are OTAs happy?

A career as an OTA can be physically and emotionally demanding work. However, seeing your patients achieve milestones in their recovery are just some of the reasons why OTAs love their job.

Becoming an OTA is a great career choice for people who want to make a difference every day. Because OTA schedules change a little bit every day, this field can give you a stable job that keeps you on your toes. Begin your OTA career in less than 2 years with 51cg’s OTA program.

To get started, schedule a meeting with admissions today!

Explore Your Healthcare Career Options at 51cg

From our renowned OTA program to our nursing pathways—whether you’re beginning your healthcare journey with our ASN program, pursuing a 3 year BSN degree or accelerated BSN program, advancing through our RN to BSN program, or reaching higher with an MSN degree, discover which healthcare pathway aligns with your career goals by exploring our nursing programs.

For many potential Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTAs), the range of possible OTA jobs and work locations is a major draw to the career. As an OTA, you have the option to find a career that best suits your personality, working with a population in a setting where your individual skills shine. 51cg’s flexible OTA program is designed to support you in finding an OTA job where you can thrive and make a difference.

Where Do Occupational Therapy Assistants Work?

OTAs work in diverse environments. From hospitals and clinics to home health and schools, there’s an OTA career option that fits your goals and work style.

Occupational Therapy (OT) is holistically-focused, meaning you will collaborate with different healthcare and therapeutic professionals throughout the course of your career. Your professional partnerships will vary depending on the OTA job you choose. Coworkers are a huge part of daily work life, so consider your working relationships when choosing an OTA career path.

Occupational Therapy Assistant Jobs in Schools

A child’s ‘occupation’ is play. Helping children learn through play is a key focus of pediatric OT, and having OTAs available in schools is important for students, their parents, and teachers who need extra support.

OTAs working in schools may physically adapt the classroom. For example, you may modify a keyboard to help a student with muscular dystrophy type and communicate or create quiet spaces for children with focus disorders. OTA jobs in schools also focus on neurodiverse students who have autism spectrum disorder or ADHD. You may recommend or implement programs designed to help these students succeed at school and at home or pull children aside for short OT sessions during the school day.

Occupational Therapy Assistant Jobs in Rehabilitation Centers

There are many kinds of rehabilitation centers, with OTA jobs available in all of them. Two categories of rehab environments include medical rehab centers and in-patient substance rehab centers.

OTAs in medical rehab centers help patients restore function after an injury. Here, you’ll collaborate with Physical Therapists (PT). Your patients may see a PT to build back physical strength and range of motion after an illness or injury. You’ll help them regain the skills to complete their activities of daily living. Whether you work at a long- or short-term rehab center, you’ll make a difference in restoring your patients’ physical, emotional, social, and mental health.

OTAs in addiction treatment rehab centers work with patients whose substance abuse has caused medical issues (though some rehab centers focus on recovery from other addictions, such as gambling or hoarding disorder). In all cases, OTAs working in addiction treatment will help replace addictive behaviors with new, healthier occupations and collaborate with psychiatrists and mental health therapists.

Occupational Therapy Assistant Jobs in Assisted Living Facilities

OTAs are in demand at assisted living facilities, long-term care facilities, and retirement homes. Many residents in these facilities have survived a stroke or have dementia, Parkinson’s disease, or other physically debilitating illnesses. OTA jobs caring for older individuals give you the opportunity to help someone maintain their quality of life and a level of independence.

Assisted living OT jobs require OTAs to examine residents’ former occupations, lifetime habits, preferences, and needs, then work with an OT to create and carry out a care plan. Your work will keep patients happy and active.

Home Health Occupational Therapy Assistant Jobs

Some home health OTA jobs take place nearly entirely in patient homes, but even OTAs who work in clinics or outpatient treatment centers are known to make home visits. OTAs can do a great deal of work in their patients’ homes. After all, this is where people do most of their activities of daily living and where they usually feel most comfortable.

As a home health OTA, you’ll observe your patients as they perform daily tasks. Then you will make plans to assist them or modify their environments to better serve their needs. Home health OTAs help prepare meals and coffee, assist with personal hygiene, keep records for and with their patients, accompany patients as they do hobbies, and more. As a home health OTA, you’ll form close and meaningful relationships with your clients. Additionally, home health is one of the higher paying OTA jobs.

Animal Assisted Occupational Therapy Jobs

Animal-loving OTAs may want to research animal-assisted OT jobs. Incorporating the power of animals can help reduce stress and improve mental health outcomes. It can also help patients accept therapy and be more willing to participate in exercises. OTAs help clients regain skills relating to caring for their own pets or teach them how to adapt to a new service animal. An OTA degree is the first step toward a career in animal-assisted OT.

51cg is dedicated to OTA student success, offering job placement assistance for life to all our graduates. OTA graduates can also find OTA job opportunities through the connections made during hands-on fieldwork. Ready for a career that makes a daily impact in the lives of others? Check out our OTA program today.

Nursing is a career where a lot of your first experiences will come from the “learn by doing” model, a.k.a clinical. Clinical is a time to learn and practice as much as possible, gain confidence in your abilities, and believe that you can face and overcome the challenges of being a nurse. Despite your jitters, fears, and anxiety, your clinical rotation is where all the hard work you’ve already put into your studies and labs will start to pay off. So jump in with both feet and follow these tips. And before you know it, you’ll start to feel more and more comfortable with each new task you take on.

Ask questions

You know the feeling — you have a question in class but don’t want to ask it because you fear it’s too elementary or you should already know the answer. You ask it anyway. Three people immediately lean over and thank you for asking it because they didn’t know the answer either. In class, as in your clinical rotation, there is no such thing as a stupid question. If you don’t know something, ask, then commit the answer to memory! If you don’t, you might miss out on a golden opportunity to learn something.

There will be times where your instructor will be too busy to answer a question. This is the perfect time for you to find the answer on your own. Do some research. Study your books. Look up diagnoses, treatments, terminology, or medications that you have trouble remembering. If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, write down the question and ask your instructor at a time that’s more appropriate for them.

Related Resource: How to Survive Your Overnight Nursing Clinical Shift

Be humble

Nurses are lifelong learners. You won’t start clinical knowing everything, and you won’t retire knowing everything, either. That’s the beauty of the profession — there’s always so much to learn! Books and lectures, as much as they might try, can’t convey the nuances of communication and patient care that start to form when you’re actually in the trenches. Being humble and gracious to the nurses who are teaching you, and knowing that your knowledge base hasn’t even scratched the surface when you enter clinical, will take you far in developing a solid learning experience for yourself.

Be confident, too

Clinical is like learning in hyperdrive, but that doesn’t mean you haven’t already learned a lot, or that you aren’t ready for the challenges you’re about to face. Your first classes in nursing school should have prepared you for the responsibilities you’re about to take on. Working with patients for the first time can be daunting, but remember: You were accepted into nursing school for a reason! Others believe in you just as much as you first believed in yourself, so enter your first day of clinical with confidence, too.

Be an active learner

Being a wallflower won’t help you become a great nurse. Even though that might be your natural instinct when thrusted into a new — and scary — situation, take control of your experience. The nurses and other healthcare professionals are there to guide and mentor you, but they’re not there to do the learning for you. Don’t wait for someone to tell you everything you’re there to learn — seek out what you want to learn during your practicum. If you haven’t done something before, ask your supervisor to do it. This is the time to practice your skills!

Remember: The little things count

While most of your time will be spent learning about patient care and how a hospital or clinic operates, the little things you do to prepare for clinical will show your instructor and classmates that you take your role, and their time, seriously. Here’s a helpful list of things to remember:

• Be on time. Treat this clinical rotation like you would any other job.
• Be professional. Even though you’re a student, this is a work environment, and basic workplace etiquette still applies to you.
• Know the dress code. And stick to it!
• Eat a good meal beforehand. Your brain will thank you when you’re trying to recall information.
• Stay positive. We all need to vent from time to time, but do it away from the hospital and on your own time.
• Be prepared. Study your patients’ charts so you’re prepared if you’re called on by your preceptor to answer questions about one of them.
• But don’t fake it. If you don’t know an answer to a question, be honest with your preceptor.
• Stay engaged. Stay alert. You never know when an opportunity to learn something new will strike.

Above all else, say thank you. Kindness truly does goes a long way.

At 51cg, it’s important to us to ensure that all of our students get the most out of their education, including their clinical rotations. Whether you’re beginning your healthcare journey with our ASN program, pursuing a 3 year BSN degree or accelerated BSN program, advancing through our RN to BSN program, or reaching higher with an MSN degree, discover which nursing pathway aligns with your career goals by exploring our nursing school.

Study harder. It’s no mystery why this is one of the most common New Year’s resolutions for college students. Better study habits lead to better outcomes. We’ve posted a few blogs that will help you with your study mechanics (try this one and this one), but consistently putting these mechanics into practice requires the formation of habits. To make habits stick, you must commit to them for at least three to four weeks (studies often cite thirty days). Start simple and make it daily. If you only study sporadically, it’ll be much more difficult to form the habit.

Perfect attendance. For many college students, perfect attendance is like a unicorn. You’ve heard of its existence, it sounds amazing, but you’re pretty convinced it’s a myth. The truth is, the practical benefit of attending every class is worth the effort it takes to make it happen. You can’t control unexpected events in your life, but you can better prepare for them. Take care of yourself to avoid sickness. Plan on showing up to campus a little earlier just in case you have car troubles. It’s not the most glamorous of New Year’s resolutions, but it’s one worth pursuing.

Get more sleep. We don’t need to debate the merit of being well-rested. As a college student, your commitments often keep you from achieving that perfect eight hours of sleep. One way to combat this is by structuring your sleep the same way you structure important events in your life – budget and plan for it! Try studying earlier. Stay away from computer, tablet, and phone screens prior to hitting the hay.

Finish assignments at least one day in advance. Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing something. It’s the decision to do something impulsive (often instant gratification) instead of sticking to a plan. To finish assignments early is the most noble of all New Year’s resolutions for college students. Here’s how you make it happen:

• Start by writing down when your assignments are due. Make your due date one day earlier.
• Tell at least three people you are completing your assignment a day early. This way, whenever you see them, they’ll be likely to inquire about your progress.
• Break completing the assignment into small, manageable steps. Sometimes we procrastinate because the work seems overwhelming. Small chunks of work are more manageable.
• Eliminate procrastination enablers. This includes and is not limited to Facebook, Pinterest, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, television, jump ropes (if you’re in to that), etc.

Make healthy choices. These types of resolutions rarely pan out because they aren’t specific enough. Being specific with your formula will help your resolution stick. For instance, if you want to get in better shape, your formula may look like this:

“I want to lose [blank] pounds by [date]. I will achieve this by getting [blank] minutes of exercise [blank] times per week. I will also get [blank] number of servings of fruit, vegetables, and whole foods per day.”

Being specific makes all the difference in the world.

Have a 5-year plan. You’re likely going to college to achieve a specific outcome (like becoming a Registered Nurse). What you do post-college should be about achieving specific outcomes as well. In essence, having a 5-year plan is similar to having an extended New Year’s resolution. Like all resolutions, be specific about what you want. Write it down. Tell other people about it. Five years is far enough in the future where you can start laying groundwork towards achieving your long-term goals. The best way to stick with it is to revisit your goals often. These should be regularly-scheduled times to determine if the steps you’re taking to achieve your goals are working or need to be adjusted.

Are we missing your New Year’s resolution? Post on our with your resolution and we’ll help brainstorm ways to make it stick. We wish you a happy and prosperous New Year! #ATCpride

There’s no magic bullet, but here are five techniques to improve your long-term sleeping habits as a nurse.

1. Establish a sleep routine

As humans, we find patterns comforting because we know what’s coming next; in this case, the end of the line is sleep town. Creating an evening routine is especially helpful for nurses who may have variable schedules and work night shifts.

The activities you choose to include in your routine don’t have to be closely tied to sleep, like drinking a warm glass of milk, for example. Choose a series of actions that can be done at any time of day. For instance, take a bath, read a book, sketch, listen to music, or feed your cat. The key is to find two or three quiet activities that you find soothing and might look forward to.��, and do it in the same order each evening to set the pattern. Before you know it, you’ll be relaxed and sleeping like a baby in no time!

Related Resource: 5 Great Things 51cg Night Shift Nurses

2. Exercise before your shift

Regular exercise is always a top tip for staying healthy, and it’s true for sleep health as well. We emphasize this to all our ASN degree and BSN degree students, especially those preparing for their first night shifts. But don’t wait until the evening sets in to hit the gym or go for a bike ride.

• Ride your bike to the clinic, hospital, or bus stop.
• Go for a fast-paced walk during a shift break (even a few minutes can add up).
• Take the stairs, not the elevator.
• Get up 20 minutes early and go for a run or brisk walk.

If you do have time for a workout, planking and calf raises are particularly helpful for nurses. Regular exercise may be the very best way to welcome a good night’s rest.

Related resource: These Are Time Management Skills Every New Nurse Needs

3. Watch your diet

Exercise is a no-brainer, but certain foods can also be a recipe for a restless night.��. Pizza (sorry!) is a big offender. The high acidity of tomato sauce can irritate your stomach and keep you up; that goes for orange juice, too. We know sugary cereal is a great late-night snack, but sadly, sugar affects your sleep, with a glucose spike and subsequent crash. Spicy foods like tacos can also disrupt slumber.

If your stomach won’t stop grumbling, try foods that are high in protein like hardboiled eggs. Low-fat dairy like cottage cheese is also a good one to keep on hand. Cherries contain natural serotonin, and avocado has essential magnesium. Like exercise, you’ll want to snack at least an hour before bedtime, since eating anything right before bed can keep you up.

Related Resource: 50 Self-Care Ideas for Nurses to Recharge on Days Off

4. Write it down

Being physically fatigued is one thing, but when your mind is spinning in circles, it can be hard to stop. Anxiety about the day’s events — a tense exchange with a coworker or the dreaded, “Did I forget to do x, y, and z on my rounds?” — can keep your mind abuzz for hours.

Keep a notebook around to . When you write down the things you need to remember, your mind can release them. You can write about things for which you’re grateful, or ideas you just can’t get out of your head, also as a means of release.

5. Lighten up

Light levels affect sleep in many ways. In fact, exposure to light stimulates a nerve pathway from the eye to parts of the brain that control hormones, body temperature, and other functions that make us feel sleepy or awake. Good, . This is true whether you’re working a day or night shift — so you may need to use blackout curtains or put a towel under the door to block out light from other rooms. Even small LEDs put out a lot of light promoting wakefulness, so make sure to cover LED lights like those on a charging cable. And don’t forget to turn off tv, phone, and tablet screens!

Try different combinations of techniques to prepare your body for sleep, and establish a consistent pattern that is unique to your habits and fits your lifestyle. Remember, it takes 21 days to build a habit, so be gentle and give yourself time to adjust. Soon, you’ll be rising bright-eyed and ready to shine!

How do you get the rest you need? Share your sleep hacks and tips on our  page!

1. Download whatever music relaxes you and listen to it as often as possible.
2. Do all gift shopping on the internet to save time, gas, and irritating crowds. Remember, great deals can be found on Cyber Monday.
3. Use gift-bags instead of wrapping gifts.
4. Take food to the family get-togethers and parties that have been purchased from the deli, or pre-made that you can “spice up” with some garnishes to make it look homemade.
5. Listen to Christmas carols while you do your schoolwork or in the car (or refer to #1).
6. Remember that if you get a little bit behind, it is not the end of the world. Just have another Christmas cookie and remember that the holidays only come around once per year.

All joking aside, the holidays can take a lot of time away from other responsibilities such as schoolwork. Never be afraid to ask your faculty for extra time if you need it; the worst consequence for asking is that they may say “no.” Being proactive and requesting extra time sooner rather than later may help. Above all, enjoy the holidays and take time out of your busy schedule to embrace the spirit and magic of this special time of year.

– Dr. Kathy Holloway, Full-Time Faculty, RN to BSN Program

First, allow us to say congratulations on deciding to rise to the challenge of going to school while also raising children. That’s a big undertaking, and we can’t respect you enough for doing it. We want to empower you to help you meet that challenge, so here are seven tips for balancing school, kids, work, and caring for yourself:

1. Reach Out to Those Close to You

Parenting is tough, and we’ll be honest: Adding school to the mix will make it tougher. Reach out to friends or family to help you as you make your way through classes, parenting, and work. Childcare is probably the most obvious area where friends or family can help, but emotional support is also important. Having lunch or dinner with peers you can talk to about your frustrations and joys is just as important to your health. Communicate your needs to those around you. They’ll help in both logistical and emotional ways. You’re not alone.

Related resource: When is the Right Time to Go Back to School?

2. Apply for Financial Aid

Financial aid is mostly associated with younger students, but it’s available to nearly everybody. For a single parent with many obligations, financial aid can be a huge help. Joyce offers many financial aid options to incoming students, and a counselor can work with you to find the type that fits your needs. Help is out there. Just ask!

3. Develop a Routine

Routines can be a great source of comfort. Uncertainty, having to make decisions, and constantly altering your daily plans on the fly is immensely stressful. A routine relieves you of all that. Your classes will have a fairly set schedule, and that’s something you can build a routine around. Hopefully you’ll be able to work with your employer to develop a work routine that meets both of your needs.

But you’ll also need a routine for your child. It’s important that they comprehend and be comfortable with their own daily plans, whether it’s going to daycare or knowing that on certain days they’ll be getting rides with certain friends or relatives. That schedule can also include times when they know they’ll be with you, and you’ll be focused on them. Blocking out times for activities will remind them that they’re still your number one priority, even in the face of all of your academic and professional obligations.

4. Talk to Your Children 51cg Your Plan

Kids are often smarter than we give them credit for, and how you talk to your children can provide a host of benefits. If your children see you studying and ask what you’re reading, tell them. They might not understand the precise or technical details of what you’re reading, but they can grasp what a nurse is and the very basics of what they do. You’ll give them something to be proud of. They’ll be able to look up to and understand that their parent is someone who helps other people. That love and pride can make the whole experience all the more rewarding.

5. When Possible, Study Online

We know a lot of our students have jobs, families, lives, and obligations. That’s a big reason why all of Joyce’s general education courses are offered online. Online classes offer many benefits, including flexibility with your schedule. You can still be there for your kids while you’re studying, and you can have the added benefit of being in your own space while you learn. You might still have to be on campus for some classes, but not all of them.

Related resource: 10 Best Study Space Tips

6. Make Time for Yourself

Given all the demands on a single parent’s time, this might feel like an impossible task, but it’s deeply necessary. Healthcare workers devote an immense amount of time and effort to their patients, and parents to their children, but you are also a human being, and you must be cared for as well. Even taking twenty minutes out of each day to read a book, take a bath, or just sit quietly in meditation can improve your wellbeing. By being recharged and refreshed, you’ll be better equipped to carry out your responsibilities. Self-care isn’t selfish: It’s necessary.

Related resource: How to Succeed in Nursing School

7. Remember Your Goal

Being in school as an adult and a parent is a unique experience. You’ll have your studies, your children, and your job all making demands on your time. Remember, though: This is temporary. Eventually you will complete your studies and get a job in a field you love. Likewise, as kids get older they become more independent. This hectic time in your life is just less than two years where you’re buckling down and doing the hard work to make a difference for yourself. Remember, there’s a payoff.

Remember, this hectic time in your life is just a stepping stone to making a difference for yourself and your family. At 51cg, whether you’re beginning your healthcare journey with our ASN program, pursuing a 3 year BSN degree or accelerated BSN program, advancing through our RN to BSN program, or reaching higher with an MSN degree, we’ll support you in balancing your education with single parenthood. Discover which nursing program aligns with your family’s future by exploring our nursing school.

Any way you swing it, she’s right. With nearly 3 million registered nurses in America alone, they constitute the largest portion of the healthcare workforce and can be found wherever there’s a doctor—and often in places where there’s not. Still, the illusion persists that nurses only work in hospitals, or maybe for a college’s health services department. It may be that many registered nurses find their first jobs in those traditional clinical setting, but the reality is that myriad alternative nursing careers exist, especially for nurses who have earned their BSN degree.

Even if you enjoy working as a clinical nurse, we’ve identified a few reasons you should at least consider earning your BSN to qualify for more alternative nursing jobs.

Normal Working Hours

While some hospitals offer 8-hour day shifts, it’s very common to work three 12-hour shifts a week, or four 10s, or overnight, or some other hybrid schedule that can limit the amount of “normal” time you have to see friends and family. Many alternative nursing jobs, like visiting communities and schools as a public health nurse, allow you to work a more typical schedule. If you’re a working parent, or if you just crave evening hours to relax or meet up with friends, alternative nursing jobs can offer a more regular schedule. While three 12-hour shifts appeal to many nurses, if you’re coordinating with a baby sitter, or have other responsibilities that require your daily attention, normal working hours can alleviate a lot of stress.

(Potential) Increase in Pay

Monster.com created a list of alternative nursing careers, listing the average and range of salaries for each position. The averages for quite a few of them, like a Nurse Manager’s $80,181 figure, are impressive, but the upper ranges can be a bigger incentive to leave the hospital behind. Of course, most of them require at least a BSN, since the positions expect these nurses to possess a breadth of knowledge and experience. Nurse educators, for example, coordinate continuing education programs and opportunities—and quite often teach themselves. This requires firm knowledge not just of nursing in general but specialties and unique approaches in particular. It, like many alternative nursing jobs, entails a lot of administrative duties, so having at least a few years of working as an RN under your belt is valuable.

Change of Pace

One of the many draws of a nursing career is its potential for change and new experiences.��Want to travel? Become a nurse. Want a change of pace without starting a new career? Become a nurse. Nursing is so ubiquitous you can even find positions in the fossil fuel industry. (Not many, but they’re there.) Alternative nursing jobs offer a change of pace to nurses who feel bored or worn out in their current roles. While most careers would require you to start at the bottom of another industry, with alternative nursing jobs you can find yourself in a radically different line of work without radical life changes.

Potential for Autonomy

Nursing is often a communal career, requiring you to work not just alongside other nurses, but doctors, orderlies, medical assistants, and the rest of a clinical staff. It’s enriching work for that very reason, but some personalities are naturally drawn toward more autonomy, and alternative nursing jobs can provide that outlet. This doesn’t mean you can be a recluse. Whether they’re seeing patients directly, managing a clinic, or educating the public, all nurses still work with people and should appreciate that aspect of their jobs. Alternative careers, though, can offer more opportunities to work independently, or at least more authority to lead, rather than be led.

If you’re interested in expanding your career choices as a nurse, learn more about earning your BSN degree.

To help you prioritize healthy living, we’ve put together seven easy lifestyle hacks you can work into your own daily routine to keep thriving!

1. Get everything ready the night before

How many times have you pulled out of the driveway and realized you forgot your phone charger, or your lunch, or your work shoes? Worse, how many times have you gotten all the way to your workplace and realized you forgot something crucial? Avoid these late-making habits by getting everything ready the night before and place your things beside the door. If you need to keep something in the refrigerator until the last minute, leave yourself a note or place something colorful or unusual by the door to jog your memory.

2. Lunch smarter, not harder

Bringing a lunch to work is a great way to save money and time. Shop for and pack all the healthy things you want your future self to eat, especially high energy foods like fruits, nuts, beans, and whole grains.

One great way to prepare in advance for lunchtime is to double the recipe of every meal you make at home. Make small portions and freeze them in lunch-ready containers. So when it’s late or you’re tired and you still need to get ready for the next day (see step 1), you’ll have a lunch portion ready and have one less thing to worry about.

Related resource: How to Create a Healthy Work Environment in Nursing

3. Bike to work

Yes, it takes a little more preparation, but biking to work might become one of the best parts of your day. In addition to being a great, low-impact form of regular exercise, riding your bike gets you out of traffic and makes your daily routine more interesting … all great stress relievers. You’ll also get to meet different people and see different parts of the city. Bonus: You’ll save so much money on gas!

4. Politely remove yourself

We’ve all been there: on the receiving end of a long conversation that we don’t have time for but just can’t seem to pull ourselves away. If you work in healthcare, this uncomfortable interaction can take up significant time that you need for your work. It can be very liberating to cultivate a A good place to start: “I enjoyed our conversation, but I have to go and take care of another patient. I’m not far if you need me.”

5. Watch and workout as you watch TV

Any sane medical professional knows that to have a life while raising a family or going to school, you have to multitask. So make a rule for yourself: If the TV is on and you’re watching it, you’re also doing something productive. This may be yoga stretches, folding laundry, or fixing that shirt that’s been missing a button for months. It won’t take long to make this habit stick. You’ll be amazed at the amount of laundry that can get sorted during a single episode of “Game of Thrones.”

Related resource: How to Balance Nursing School With Work and Family Life

6. Healthy feet, healthy head

Nurses, medical assistants, and other healthcare workers, you must take care of your feet! You’re on them all day, and you only have two. In fact, A few basics to keep in rotation:

• Wear good shoes. Yes, they’re expensive, but so is a hip replacement.
• Stretch. All. The. Time. Here are
• Elevate, massage, and use cold packs when you’re at home.
• Soak your feet. Epsom salts work wonders; salt absorbs water and reduces swelling.
• Use orthotics; they are your friends.
• Take NSAIDs to prevent short-term swelling.

Related Resource: Foot Care for Nurses

7. Power down at night

There are many reasons to turn off your phone two hours before bedtime. Whether you’re checking the status of a patient or cramming for a test the following day, it can be hard to appreciate the quiet stillness that precedes sleep. But the light of a phone screen delays your body’s release of sleep-inducing melatonin, and electronic communication also stimulates cognitive brain waves that prevent sleep. So turn that screen off, and pick up a book if you’re still not quite ready to catch some zzz’s.

Related resource: 10 Tips for Better Sleep During Nursing School

Despite the stress that many vigilant medical professionals experience during the regular course of their jobs, it’s important to take a few steps to achieve a healthy balance in a demanding field.

At 51cg, we take a holistic approach to healthcare education, so making sure our students stay healthy is a priority for us. Whether you’re beginning your healthcare journey with our ASN program, pursuing a 3 year BSN degree or accelerated BSN program, advancing through our RN to BSN program, or reaching higher with an MSN degree, we’ll help you develop healthy habits that last throughout your career. Discover which nursing program aligns with your wellness goals by exploring our nursing school.