Being the mom and the nurse you want to be.....

[leighgwin]

I have been an LPN for seven years and will be starting my last year of school in January to complete my RN. I have a 3 year old daughter who is just my favorite thing in the world. Since I had her I have only worked in a part-time, non clinical role to accommodate my class schedule and allow me to have as much time with her as possible. As I get nearer the beginning of RN school and clinicals and all that entails, I'm feeling so nervous about how to be a mom and a full time RN student! On top of that, I'm just missing working as a "real" nurse. I want to go be with patients and do everything a nurse does, but not as much as I want to be with my little one on holidays and weekends. I feel like I've lost a ton of nursing skills in the last 3 years and I'm so nervous I won't be able to hack it in nursing school or out on the floor as an RN! I've always said that I'll work in a very flexible, no holidays, no weekends, no 12 hour shift type of job until my child is older but will I even be able to go back into a hospital setting at that point? Can you tell my mind is racing?! So my question is, can you have both? A career that fulfills you and not feel like you're missing your child's life at the same time? How do you all deal with this? Thanks in advance!

[chrisrn24]

Count me in on the 'go for night shifts' bunch. When I worked Hubby did 'mornings' and got them off to school or day care. I slept till early afternoon & retrieved from day care/ picked up from school. It worked out very well for me. I accidentally discovered my girls didn't even realize I worked until DD #1 (age 7) told teacher "my mom doesn't work - she just likes to sleep late sometimes" Srsly! So, I guess they didn't feel deprived - LOL.[/quote']

Too cute!!

Growing up my dad works days and my mom worked a modified evening/night shift. I loved it. We never had babysitters and we never went to day care. There was always a parent to go to school events with us, whether night or day.

[OCRN3]

Count me in on the 'go for night shifts' bunch. When I worked Hubby did 'mornings' and got them off to school or day care. I slept till early afternoon & retrieved from day care/ picked up from school. It worked out very well for me. I accidentally discovered my girls didn't even realize I worked until DD #1 (age 7) told teacher "my mom doesn't work - she just likes to sleep late sometimes" Srsly! So, I guess they didn't feel deprived - LOL.[/quote']

I love this! It is sooo great your babies never knew! This is the best thing for kids!

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[Dranger]

As a new RN (more so in a union facility) you will work 12s, holidays and weekends. That's acute care, either go with it or move to outpatient.

[Dranger]

Need to maintain that FTE

[microkate]

Can you afford to just work PT? I opted for 24 hours a week, and it's working well. Right now it's 3 8s, but I'd like to change to 2 12s. If you have a spouse around, that makes things much easier. Mine is gone a lot of the time (Navy), so childcare is hard. On the other hand, we have military benefits, so I don't have to work FT to make sure we have health insurance.

I know a lot of our nurses with school-age kids work nights so they go home, get kids off to school, then sleep. We also have a couple where one works day, one works evening. The kids are in daycare for a half day.

[JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP]

When I went back to nursing school I kind of had the idea it would be easier because you could do night shift and be home with them when they come home from school and when they wake up in the morning.

As it happens I do not work in a hospital, I work in an office, and I have just about the worst schedule possible for a working mother since I work 3 late evenings a week, plus Sunday mornings. I try to make up for it by being available for them every moment on the nights and days that I am home.

Question to Esme -- I've always wondered this. How do you take care of kids during the day and go to work that night without sleep? How is that safe for you, your children or your patients?

[hardworkinmama]

Question to Esme -- I've always wondered this. How do you take care of kids during the day and go to work that night without sleep? How is that safe for you, your children or your patients?

That was always my concern. Especially if you work 2 or 3 shifts in a row. I don't know that I'd be in a functional state. I'm interested to hear how these nurses do it! I understand when the kids go to school, but what about little ones?

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

Most of my weekend and night coworkers have kids. We make it work because kids usually have 2 parents.

Ouch! Not everyone....

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

I had my son while in college....20 y/o....not the plan, but the reality. When I started working he was 18 mos, that worked for about 18 mos and then separation for almost a year (family was huge help as I worked nights for part of that), together again for 8 months then widowed with family 4+ hours away...always fulltime and also partime....you do what you gotta do.

He is all grown up with a family of his own now......life is good!

[sistrmoon, BSN, RN]

I work weekend nights so when my babies are little little, Daddy cares for them while mommy sleeps after a shift. He brings them to me to nurse. When they are 1 or so, they go to one day of daycare a week. I'm currently working Thursday/Friday/Saturday shifts. They go to daycare on Fridays and their dad takes care of them the rest of the weekend. I get about 5-6 hours of sleep after a shift then a couple more after the kids are in bed before I leave for the next shift. I could personally not care for my kids, drive, or function on no sleep. I'm part-time so these are 8 hour shifts. You could do 3 12s with this schedule and be considered full time at my hospital( if they'll let you, that's another post.)

[leighgwin]

Ha! You're daughter's comment made me laugh! :)