Family Planning

Published

  1. For the most flexibility while building a family, which nursing career pathway is best?

    • 2
      Clinical (e.g. staff nurse in acute or primary care)
    • 0
      Management (e.g. Unit manager, project manager, director)
    • 0
      Non-Traditional (e.g. Work from home case manager, blogging, consulting)
    • 0
      Advance Practice (e.g. NP, CNS)
    • 0
      Education (e.g. Staff educator, teacher/professor)

2 members have participated

Specializes in Neurology, geriatrics.

I currently work Per-Diem, which requires me to work a minimum of 4 shift in a 4 week period. It's great. I'd like to pursue a management position, though my husband and I would also like to start a family in about 1-2 years.

My question: Is it best to stay in clinical nursing rather than go into management before leaving work to start a family or pursue a management position in 10 or so years after we've built our family?

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Specializes in ICU.

I don't have kids, so you can take my advice with a grain of salt, but it seems like you have the perfect setup for having kids right now. You can just work the bare minimum and stay employed and not have to pay for day care if you time your 4 days around when your husband is free to watch the kids. If you went into management now, to stay employed you would probably have to spend a lot of money on day care.

Or, of course, you'd have to quit if you wanted to be home with the kids and then try to come back later. Employers seem to like people who are currently working better than people who are currently unemployed, too, so staying employed seems to be infinitely preferable to popping in and out of the workforce these days. There's also the factor that most places I've worked have preferred to promote new management from within rather than hire from outside. Getting management experience right now, then quitting, would lose your spot in your current company and you'd have to bank on finding somewhere that would hire from the outside when you're ready to come back in. It seems like more of a risk.

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I think it really depends on what you want to do after having children. If you want to stay home with them for the most part then the per diem job would be best. If you want to work full-time and have them in daycare then look for a management position.

I have a one year old son and I work part-time (2 days a week). I love that I get to be home with him all day and don't have to spend the money on daycare. I do look forward to my two shifts a week for the adult interaction. I am just starting to pick up more hours at work because he's on a nice schedule and I don't have to be away from him during waking hours.

Good luck in whatever you decide! Being a mother is honestly the hardest job I've ever done but definitely the most rewarding!

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I didn't answer the poll because I think situations vary. Think about daycare. Personally I hate the thought of putting my kids (when I have them-soon) in a daycare facility. I work 3 12s, hubby works 4 10s. I work days, he works nights, so we are pretty much covered, and both of our moms are here and love the idea of babysitting. because of his night shift and our family, any of these scenarios work for me. Others are not as fortunate and you need to balance based on a daycare situation.

I have also thought about working as a school nurse when my future children are old enough to attend school so I would have the same schedule they have. Jury is still out on that for me, but it is an option if you want your schedule to match theirs in a few years.

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