[mukhorty]

Good morning! I have a question I'd like to run by this community. The short version is, I'd like the summers off for the next five years while my kids are still young, but want to begin to pursue nursing, should I go for an associate RN on a part time schedule I've planned out that will take about five years with summers off, or could I become a CNA and somehow ask for summers off?

To further explain.....
I've been a stay-at-home mom/homeschooling mom for over ten years, but now my kids are in school. In fact, I got married straight out of high school and have mostly been home since! I have very little work experience, my part time job now is working for family. My husband supports us well so I am free to take summers off with the kids and want to utilize that. If I were to go to school for an associates I could control my schedule, but a friend also suggested that becoming a CNA may be a good way to start - a little less of a commitment and an earlier entrance into the workforce. But, again, I don't want to work summers until my kids are perhaps teens. Is it at all possible to ask for summers off as a CNA? Or should I take the other route of part time school, in which case I wouldn't begin work until my youngest is about 14?

Thanks for feedback!
Jessica

[swee2000]

I don't mean to offend you, but good luck in finding a CNA job that will allow you entire summers off. You'd have better luck asking & being granted to work less hours than no hours. Mainly for 2 reasons:
1)The part-time staff who are also in school will be looking to earn more money in the summer by picking up hours at work, especially if they don't have any classes; 2)Summertime is when everyone wants to take vacations. Therefore, your availability to work may be needed to help cover those who are gone.

[Aprilhere]

I disagree with swee2000. CNA's are so badly needed in LTC...that I think you could easily take off summers. Not that you could expect to keep the same hours, and you may need to find a new job..but you could prabably find work every fall without difficulty.

Or...have you considered finding a job as a CNA that pays for schooling? Many facilities will. You'd have to work year round then..but maybe you could work part time...or on call in the summers.

[swee2000]

Originally Posted by Aprilhere

I disagree with swee2000. CNA's are so badly needed in LTC...that I think you could easily take off summers. Not that you could expect to keep the same hours, and you may need to find a new job..but you could prabably find work every fall without difficulty.

Or...have you considered finding a job as a CNA that pays for schooling? Many facilities will. You'd have to work year round then..but maybe you could work part time...or on call in the summers.

I'm confused by your 1st paragraph. Did you say that the OP could have every summer off, but it would mean quitting the job she's at and having to look for a new one in the fall?

If that is what you meant, then I agree that the OP would have little problem getting what she wants. But your comments also beg me to ask this question: Do you honestly think that, regardless of how desperate they are, LTC facilities would train someone who has been up-front in saying the job is only a temporary situation? Another words, wouldn't it be more cost-effective for the facility if they spent the $$ on someone who appears to have long-term intentions?

Or maybe I'm too naive when it comes to working in LTC.....

[Tanzanite]

I'm a new Rn & mom of 3, (just graduated in May)...I've accepted a PRN position (they call me and ask if I can work) so that way I have my summers, vacations, holidays and week-ends off if I choose. I think you should go to school, you will get plenty clinical experience in school. Once you become a nurse, CNA experience does not usually matter.

[Spidey's mom]

Originally Posted by Tanzanite

I'm a new Rn & mom of 3, (just graduated in May)...I've accepted a PRN position (they call me and ask if I can work) so that way I have my summers, vacations, holidays and week-ends off if I choose. I think you should go to school, you will get plenty clinical experience in school. Once you become a nurse, CNA experience does not usually matter.

I think this is great advice and agree wholeheartedly.

Best of luck.

steph

[jjjoy]

First off, I'd suggest taking a CNA course just to see how you feel working hands on with patients. If you dislike it, you can direct your energies elsewhere. If it interests you, it may give you more motivation to work towards a degree in nursing. You can decide how you feel about working as a CNA after completing the training.

I think it would be unlikely to be able to formally take summers off. While I don't advocate misrepresenting oneself, I don't see that you would need to tell a potential employer that you hope to take summers off - at least not if the summer is a long way off. It might turn out that you decide you want to work some during the summer. And even if you were committed to working all summer, things happen, plans change. So when summer gets close, you can offer to be on-call certain days or work just one day a week or the like and if they won't work with you, then reluctantly quit, letting them know that you'll be available when school starts again.

I don't know what the job market is like where you are, but where I am, CNAs are hard to hold on to and good CNAs are even harder to hold on to. There's a lot of turnover among CNAs here so quitting after several months wouldn't even seem odd. It's different in different places, though.

And being a CNA is different than being a nurse. And it's often quite hard work. But if you feel you might like some exposure to the working world and gain some confidence in your interpersonal skills and future career direction, it might be a good experience to try the CNA route.

[2blackcats]

Honestly? From a friend's experience, I don't think that at least here in the IL (northern) area it would be possible. I have a friend who was a CNA for 6 years, and an RN for 3 years, and throughout both of her careers she was never able to find summers off which she DESPERATELY wanted as she has a son with a mild disability...and daycare is very hard to find for him...so she's been trying essentiall for the past 9 years!!! She did find one RN on call position... just remember to maintain ur working certification you need x number of hours and such....she couldnt accept it becasue it would require her to re-test (I'm not sure how often)
So good luck to you...I HATE being the bearer of bad news....unless you can maybe find a CNA you can "co work" with? Propose that idea...maybe a college student who will work summers...and you can work while they are in school? It's worth the shot!
Good luck...let us know if you find anything!

[HM2Viking]

Originally Posted by mukhorty

Good morning! I have a question I'd like to run by this community. The short version is, I'd like the summers off for the next five years while my kids are still young, but want to begin to pursue nursing, should I go for an associate RN on a part time schedule I've planned out that will take about five years with summers off, or could I become a CNA and somehow ask for summers off?

To further explain.....
I've been a stay-at-home mom/homeschooling mom for over ten years, but now my kids are in school. In fact, I got married straight out of high school and have mostly been home since! I have very little work experience, my part time job now is working for family. My husband supports us well so I am free to take summers off with the kids and want to utilize that. If I were to go to school for an associates I could control my schedule, but a friend also suggested that becoming a CNA may be a good way to start - a little less of a commitment and an earlier entrance into the workforce. But, again, I don't want to work summers until my kids are perhaps teens. Is it at all possible to ask for summers off as a CNA? Or should I take the other route of part time school, in which case I wouldn't begin work until my youngest is about 14?

Thanks for feedback!
Jessica

Go to school. Becoming a nurse will give you much more flexibility for scheduling. Your long term career trajectory will be better taking the school route.

[jlsRN]

I think you should go for your RN, it pays way better in the long run. You will have to make a compromise somewhere, I warn you, and probably won't always have your absolute ideal, however nursing is fairly flexible. You can get your CNA along the way, I would recommend pursueing that, many nursing homes offer a free course. It will help you in your goal.

May I also suggest that it won't hurt your children to see you work for a goal, that is a life lesson for them. Your family can learn to back you up for the benefit of all. As your children mature they will take pride in their mother having the status of being an RN, take it from me this is a good thing for their self esteem to have productive parents who are respected in the community for being a nurse.