Can I set myself up for the future?

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Hi all! I am a nursing student, graduating in May 2016. I have a 2 year old and a baby due in a couple of months. After graduation, I plan to work a year or two for experience, and then take time off to raise my family in hopes someone will hire me years later if I should need to go back to work. Has this ever worked for anybody? Will I get hired in, say, 10 years with only two years outdated experience? Trying to make a decision whether to continue on with school or to just stay home with my babies while they're still babies if it's not going to secure a future career anyway. Has anybody done this? I would really love to hear about it if so!!! Thank you!!

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

You may find somebody who was successful with this plan ... but not many ... and not recently. In order to be valued by a prospective employer, you need to keep your nursing knowledge and skills "current." You can't do that from home.

What most people do who want to "stay home with the kids" is continue to work on a very part-time basis. After you have established yourself professionally, then take a "per diem" job that requires only 2 or 3 shifts per month. Those shifts may be an inconvenience for you -- but they will keep your professional skills up-to-date and allow you to resume a greater workload when you are ready.

Working a couple of shifts per month will not make you a bad mother -- and it may even feel good to get out into the adult work-world occasionally. If you ever want to resume your career, you'll be happy you maintained your knowledge and skills -- along with your professional identity, reputation, and contacts.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Totally agree with llg.

As someone who went through this, I can attest to the fact that even the most devoted Moms need some non-baby time once in a while. And the extra $ will come in handy. If nothing else, you could just have it directly deposited into the kiddo's college fund - that should help salve your conscience if you end up looking forward to those work days a bit too much - :whistling:

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