Single moms

Angela Mac · Jul 15, 2004

I am not a single mom, but I don't think nursing is easy for anyone, especially those with children. Every time my kids were sick, my husband would have to leave his job to go and pick them up from daycare or school. I could NOT leave my unit, unless I found someone to replace me. Nursing is demanding- it is a 24/7 job- be prepared to work when the daycare centers are closed- many facilities freeze their nurses into working 12 & sometimes 16 hour shifts. Then all (except in MD offices) have to work every other weekend and their fair share of holidays.

I do not mean to scare you, nursing is a very rewarding career. But it also puts alot of pressure on the family unit, and would be especially difficult for single mothers.

RNPATL, DNP, RN · Jul 16, 2004

In my class I counted at least 10 students out of 36 who are single moms.
They worked,paid bills,studied at night and even took care of the kid?
Nursing is attracting them as it has flexible schedule with good money.
Is it true that it would be an easy job for single moms?

We must not forget about single dads too! I am a single dad raising 3 kids alone. I went to RN school, finished, all while working, paying the bills and taking care of my kids. Many single moms (am perhaps dads too) get into nursing because of the flexibility it offers. You do not have to work in the hospital and keep those hours. There are plenty of opportunites for RN's out there that allow for decent hours at a good, livable wage. Ultimately, the choice of becoming a nurse as a single parent is one that may be necessitated based on the availablity of work as well as a job that can offer flexibility. However, if your plan is to work at a hospital or other health care facility and do shift work, you need to be prepared with child care options. Like the previous poster said, nursing in these jobs can be very demanding and you need to have plan B for when your child(ren) get sick or if you are forced to work overtime for whatever reason.

My kids are all teenagers now .... whew .... it is nice to be able to work the hours that I need to work, but they still require a great deal of my time and that supervision that teenagers need. Regardless, I stand by my decision to finish my RN as being a nurse has afforded me opportunities I would have otherwise not had. For me, and my kids, it was the right decision. Good luck in your decision.

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 16, 2004

No nursing is NOT necessarily easy for single parents. NOT at all. Often you have to find unique daycare hours and good luck on that. If you do not have onsite daycare/afterschool care, you are gonna scramble, unless you got some really good family or friends to help you out. Remember, may hospitals and clinics have hours requiring you to work well past 5:30 or 6, when most daycares are closed. And if you intend to go into hospital nursing, plan on trying to find a place that is open before 6 a.m.? Good luck there too. Plan ahead, as in all things.

jesl · Jul 20, 2004

I was married when I was in nursing school----which by the way i went through the eve./weekend division which took me 5 yrs to graduate. I worked two jobs raised children, had an alcoholic husband but graduated with honors. It was vey hard but I was driven. We started with 51 students 5 yrs later graduated 13 and 12 passed boards and are working still. I am now a travel nurse and love it. YOu need family support to make it work but what a job. With the shortages and understaffing one of my assignments when I arrived the hospital was 25% travelers and when I finished my contrct 13 weeks later they were 75% travele :) rs!!!!!!!!!! Nurses were quitting quicker then they could hier new ones. Good luck people.

Dixielee, BSN, RN · Jul 20, 2004

I agree with most of the above. I raised my kids as a single parent nurse. While it is not "easy" by any stretch to be a nurse OR a single parent, nursing afforded us the flexibility of schedule and a decent salary and a good living. I worked weekend option most of their early years and had a sitter come to the house so their schedule was not interrupted. I had lots of flexibility and could work friday nights, sunday nights so I could be available for ball games, church, etc, and still have time to be room mother, den mother, cookie chairman, etc. It was great. As they got in school, I found a week day job in dialysis or PACU. The flexibility of schedule, areas of interest to work, etc is endless. I am thankful I was already a nurse when my hubby and I split, so my kids did not suffer like so many whose parents were gone all the time.They are both grown now and have families of their own. They are wonderful people who are productive, well adjusted adults who love their mama! :rotfl:

veteranRN · Jul 20, 2004

I was a single mom in nursing school and for 5 years after graduation. Personally, I don't think any job is easy for singl moms. It is so difficult to manage any job, juggle appointments, sick kids, etc. The amount of stress was just incredible. But then again, being married with small kids and working full time sometimes seems impossible also.I will say, the money as a nurse was good being a single mother. Maybe that is what attracts them. It is what attracted me.