Best RN jobs to have more time for children/family

BrightEyes · Aug 17, 2010

I have three kids also. Over the years I seem to have done the whole gammut of shifts/hours to fit around whatever was needed at that time in their life. We have no family here and I only had to use a home day care for about a year after my third could talk and the oldest was in school, other than that it's just been between me and the husband to work it out between us. When I only had one child, I worked the night shift, 12 hrs, 3 days a week. Worked out better if I did the weekend because then I was home through the week with the baby. Two kids, ended up doing 12 hr days at the weekend with home health covering the case managers, then evenings for a while (this didn't last long-hated it!). Then three kids...did home health, took my own cases, like others have suggested, did this for eight yrs or so, worked out great, worked around kids schedule, paperwork at night or weekends. Did this per diem for a few agencies so that I could pick and choose clients depending on how much time I knew I had available for the week. Per diem was great, didn't have to work 8a til 5p, if I ran out of time in the day and wanted to see someone in the evening and the client agreed then I would schedule for when my husband came home. Agencies for the most part don't care as long as the clients are seen and it's not crucial (eg:IV antibiotics) that they be seen at a certain time. This has worked out really well, home evenings/weekends, able to work around kids activities at school if needed. Paperwork drags you down..but that seems pretty much the norm for nursing anyway! It can be done...just need to get a little creative. I feel lucky that nursing has given me the opportunity to be so flexible, don't think I'd have been so lucky if I'd chosen a different profession!

Best of luck to you! :)

LilRedRN1973 · Aug 17, 2010

I love my hours. I work 7am to 4pm, Monday through Friday. I don't work any holidays, ever (but get paid for them). I get an hour for lunch, don't ever work OT, and of course, have the weekends off. Benefits are great and for the most part, it's a pretty stable work environment. I work in an outpatient psychiatric clinic that is part of our state run mental health services. I am paired up with a psychiatrist and see the client for about 20-30 minutes before they go in with the doctor. During that time, I get vitals and then do a mental assessment exam, plus go over their treatment plan, do what's called a LOCUS (level of care assessment), and teaching, if necessary. I get one-on-one time with my patients and get to teach, which is not something I got while in the ICU environment. I have a 14yr old, an 11yr old, and a 3yr old. This schedule allows me to see them and spend time with them, especially on the weekends. I also don't have to "fight" to have holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas off, which was an issue when working in the hospital. The pay is about equivalent to what I was making in the hospital, especially now that I just got a $6k/year raise :) I will also have a pension, which is not something I had while in the hospital.

HealthyNurse · Aug 17, 2010

Agreed about home health...it is a job that you are never truly "done" with. You may be done seeing patients, but there is charting to do, follow-up calls to make, etc, ect. It is great in many ways, but with documentation requirements being what they are, I don't think I would case manage again. Maybe as an admission nurse for a home health agency, but not as a case manager. I work in home health administration now and LOVE it. I have stable hours 8:30-5pm, weekends and holidays off, plenty of flexibility.

babblingbrook · Aug 18, 2010

I wish I had your job. I currently work at an acute inpatient psychiatric county facility. Pays not great, but thankful to have a job in this economy. What type of exp did you have to get your position. I live in CA where it seems hard to find a state job b/c of the state being so far in the red. Thanks for your info!

OCRN3 · Apr 4, 2013

I know this is an old thread, but I think that I need to vent here. I have been working 3-4 12 hour shifts in the hospital. I work weekends and holidays, my fair share of them too. I have popped out a couple kids since I was 20 and now I feel like even though i can get a lot of days off in between the days I work, it doesn't seem like it is enough time. It is strange that even though I get a lot of full days off it doesn't feel like its enough family time. My husband works a typical 9-5, but very flexible no weekends, no holidays. We don't see each other often. I just took a new job for better hours, M-F 7-3, I am so scared I will not adapt. I have been doing 3-12's for over 15 years now. I just pray I will be ok waking up so early every day. Anyone experience something like this?

RN_BSN09, RN · Apr 4, 2013

I didn't realize that this thread was old till you mentioned it! ha. Well, I currently work 3 12hr night shifts per week... and I agree, even tho it's only 3 shifts, it feels like your days off are short because you spend so much time "catching" up. The days/nights you work a 12hr shift there is literally no time after the commute, eating, showering, etc to do anything other than sleep in between shifts.

I plan on switching to part-time (two 12hr night shifts) per week once we have kids. My husband works 24hr hour shifts, so we'll have to have opposite schedules. The benefit tho will be no day care to pay for. Good luck with your new job OCRN3!

OCRN3 · Apr 6, 2013

I tried part time but it wasn't enough money. Wish I could just do 2, 12s. Sometimes I pick up a 4th day for the extra money and that makes things even harder. In just glad that I'm getting a chance to try out a normal schedule. I guess if I can't adapt ill go back to 12s. Most people I know get jealous with my 12 hour shift schedule, but they don't understand.

RN_BSN09, RN · Apr 6, 2013

OCRN3 said:
Most people I know get jealous with my 12 hour shift schedule, but they don't understand.

I hear ya with that one... they think "oh that's great you get 4 days off" but they don't realize you have absolutely no time between shifts to do anything, and your days off you're tired

jujubeee · Apr 6, 2013

Telephone triage nursing! I don't have a husband or kids but my co-workers and I work from 8-5 triaging over the phone for a family clinic. Weekends and holidays off. We love it!

Heavenly4505 · Apr 19, 2013

I have the same problem. I'm a LPN, and my first job when I passed my NCLEX was at a LTC facility working 12 hour night shifts (7P-7A). The scheduling wasn't too bad. I worked 2 in a row, then had 3 days off in a row. Then I would work 2, have the weekend off. It was a repeating pattern every week basically. But 3rd shift took a toll on my health. Now, I currently work in a different LTC facility. I needed full-time because I have to carry the benefits for my family. My husband works at Kroger, but the benefits are sooooo expensive that it would be his whole check pretty much! My current schedule I HATE! I had to agree to work a combination of both day shift and 2nd shift in order to be full-time. In order to get every other weekend off, I have to do 16-hour double shifts on my weekends that I work! Basically I work every other Tuesday day shift (7A-3P), every Wednesday 2nd shift (3P-11P), and then the double shifts every other weekend. I have 2 children, 8 and 7. On my days off, I'm so worn out from the double shifts that all I want to do is sleep. I get 2 days off in a row after I work the doubles, and then I get a 3-day weekend when it's my weekend off. Still, it does not seem like enough time with my children because I do not see them at ALL on the days I work the doubles (not even for 5 minutes), and every Wednesday when I do the evening shift, I see them for a half hour in the mornings before they go to school. That's it. I can't really afford to drop down to part-time because of the benefits, but I HATE HATE HATE my schedule and the fact that I never see my babies. I feel trapped.....

IrishIzCPNP, MSN, RN, APRN, NP · Apr 19, 2013

\ said:
Thanks! I'd thought of school nursing but with all the budget cuts here in California there rarely seem to be jobs in the schools. Appreciate the advice though! I've thought of becoming a Lactation Consultant in order to work per diem and possibly be able to schedule around my own schedule. That would mean some more schooling though.[/quote']
Don't so the LC thing. Seriously it's a lot of work to become an IBCLC. If you are not working with breastfeeding moms right now it will take you quote a while to get it. Plus...it can be very hard to make money. Sure some do it but it is not an easy money job at all.

jk82 · May 31, 2013

I currently have a job that is M-F 8-2, no weekends or holidays..However, I have a toddler and baby #2 on the way and I'm trying to decide if I should go back to working 12hour shifts.. I can work per diem since I don't need benefits and make a little more money only working 2-3days a week. The trade off is some weekends and holidays (although I can pick my schedule) along with the chaos and stress of floor nursing! I really don't know what's best for my family?! I get home by 3pm now and have most of the afternoon at home, but would it be better to have more days off?? Each have their pros and cons and I need daycare either way.... It's stressing me out! Any advice?! What do you prefer as a mom?