Help with School, new job, and pregnant!!!!!

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Hello everyone, well to start out I am currently pregnant and due towards the end of January of next year. I am also in school for my BSN and MSN in a dual degree program. My dilemma is that I recently took a new job at a local hospital working nights and I feel like I made a terrible decision! I was working in home health, which is a pretty normal 5 day a week job no weekends and really no holidays and I loved it. I switched because I felt that I needed to be in the hospital for school, just due to the fact that I thought this would make it easier with school and that employers would look more highly on my recent hospital experience. Well, now I have a baby in this mix. Doing nights with school next year I feel will be impossible with a baby and feel like I should have stayed with home health to have every weekend and holiday available with my new baby on the way still leaving every night open for homework. So, my question is, has anyone went on to pursue there MSN that did not work in the hospital and was successful with job employment after? Please help, I feel like I am in such a dilemma and the hormones are not helping! Thanks :)

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Specializes in PICU, Sedation/Radiology, PACU.

Personally, I think you're going to find it very difficult to work either position with a newborn, and attend school.

With the hospital job, you'll be gone nights, which means you're likely to be tired in the mornings when you have to care for a baby. Is this a 36 hour, 12 hour shift position or an 11-7, 8 hour shift position? You'll also have to fit in you school work during the day. When are you school courses? Will this job work around your school schedule? Who will take care of the baby while you are working and in school? Daycare centers are usually only open during normal, day time hours M-F.

With the home health job, you'll be gone all day M-F. You'll come home and need to do school work. That doesn't leave much time at all to spend with your baby. Again, you'll need to find daycare or a sitter, which can be very expensive. Will the home health position work around your school and clinical schedule? I'd assume that a lot of your weekend time will have to be dedicated to studying as well. Neither job seems to leave a lot of time for your child.

Sorry to be so honest, but only you know what's best for you and your family. Newborns demand a lot of attention and you don't want to look back on your child's first months of life and regret that you missed so much of it. I'd recommend you so some serious thinking about what you want right now and decide if you can cut back to a part time job or if this is really the best time to be in school.

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Specializes in med-surg.

Amanda,

I can relate to your situation - only my situation is reversed :) --

I'm currently 7 1/2 months pregnant (due at the end of November) with my first child, got a new position as an "informatics nurse" / "clinical analyst" in June that is M-F 8-4, no holidays and no weekends BUT every 3rd week I'm on call for 7 days. The call is not bad, it just involves making a phone call or two maybe 3x a week; but it's unpredictable and annoying. It's like work is always "looming" over me.

Anyway, I switched from a 3-day a week 12-hr night med/surg position that I've held for 3 years in hopes that this new position would further my career, and be better for my family as I've grown tired of working on Christmas and every other weekend --

I'm also currently in school (online) to get my BSN and will graduate in June.

Now I'm wondering - did I do the right thing? This job has been less stress on my pregnant self, but I don't know if the job is going to be good for a new family.

I'm sorry I don't have a good answer to your question. I'm struggling with the same issues, and tossing the idea around of looking for new jobs while I'm on maternity leave..

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Having a job and a newborn is extremely difficult at BEST then to add a double major...BSN/MSN program to that absolutely crazy. Your husband needs to be the helping kind from the first time he heard "I'm pregnant". DAy care/sitters are very expensive, so are diapers and formula. I am curious as to why you chose to change jobs now and how much longer you have for school, is it online? What is its clinical requirement?

Is your family near by? Can they help? The job market is tight everywhere so whether having a hospital position will benefit you when you graduate I have no idea but experience is desirable. With so many changes in your life I'm surprised that you chose to change your job too. I'm sorry honey but I kind of agree with Ashley PICURN that something may have to wait so you can bond with your baby. Like part time work or not work at all, or skipping a semester of school. Your body's is going to need it to deal with the rigors of caring for a newborn and your baby deserves her Mama's attention for those first few weeks of life.

It's not just hormones, it is a dilemma but one only you can decide. If you are asking if it were me? If I had to work, I would go part time just because of the newborn and I would work nights for the shift diff and to save on child care. I (just my opinion) would skip the semester of school and start back in the fall. If money isn't an issue...... quit working for a few months and just take care of the baby and school until summer or seek a per-diem position. Your baby won't be here for these holidays and as a nurse some holidays are a necessary evil that we all deal with......MD's and even CRNA's have holiday call.

:hug: Your baby will only be a newborn once and they will grow so fast (even though it seems like they are a newborn forever and will never sleep at night). In a blink it's over. School however will be there when you are able to focus your attention and do it right. I wish your a wonderful pregnancy, an uneventful delivery, a beautiful baby and all the sucess your are looking for.....peace

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Thank you all for your opinions and comments, they truly do help settle a persons mind. I recently chose to switch jobs because of school and felt that it would be easer to deal with school working only three days a week. I was taking classes prior to becoming pregnant, they are so far all online but will eventually be classroom based. Unfortunately money is an issue in my case and I do have to work the 3 days a week at my current hospital. I feel that maybe switching to days next year may be beneficial so my husband is not home all night alone with a newborn. I will be staying home for the first 6 weeks so hopefully that will help. I've also been thinking that switching to the hospital was a good idea because when I finally have to take those classroom based classes I have the flexibility. I found it hard having a hospital even wanting to hire me back because I had been out of the hospital for over a year and I think this also pushed my decision to leave. Has anyone worked 3 12 hour shifts at the hospital with a new baby, if so any advice?

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Thank you all for your opinions and comments, they truly do help settle a persons mind. I recently chose to switch jobs because of school and felt that it would be easer to deal with school working only three days a week. I was taking classes prior to becoming pregnant, they are so far all online but will eventually be classroom based. Unfortunately money is an issue in my case and I do have to work the 3 days a week at my current hospital. I feel that maybe switching to days next year may be beneficial so my husband is not home all night alone with a newborn. I will be staying home for the first 6 weeks so hopefully that will help. I've also been thinking that switching to the hospital was a good idea because when I finally have to take those classroom based classes I have the flexibility. I found it hard having a hospital even wanting to hire me back because I had been out of the hospital for over a year and I think this also pushed my decision to leave. Has anyone worked 3 12 hour shifts at the hospital with a new baby, if so any advice?

Oh honey, there are no two ways about it.....you are going to be tired, stressed, exhausted, and overwhelmed.:hug: It will shock you how such a small package will change your life. My husband and I only saw each other in passing for the first few years. I tried to only work weekends so I could sleep some during the day I had twins so everything was louder....they cried in stereo (no fertility, just an older primip). You are going to need lots of help, especially if you plan on doing it all......school, work and new baby. My one BIG advice.....SLEEP WHEN THE BABY SLEEPS!......THE DIRT WILL BE THERE WHEN YOU GET UP. SLEEP! and work weekends when your husband is home for you sanity's sake if you continue school!!

Why not leave your husband all night with a new baby.....he leaves you all day, doesn't he? Take it from one who knows........I strongly recommend you skip one semester of take a much lighter schedule whether or not it's online.....you're going to need it. I'd rather see you take a brake than get really poor grades or flunk out because you are a new mommy trying to do too much. Or miss out with your new baby when they are still so young and that bonding is so very important.....:redpinkhe Let us know how you're doing....PM me if you like.

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Specializes in ICU, Public Health.
honey, there are no two ways about it.....you are going to be tired, stressed, exhausted, and overwhelmed. It will shock you how such a small package will change your life. ........ Take it from one who knows........I strongly recommend you skip one semester of take a much lighter schedule whether or not it's online.....you're going to need it. I'd rather see you take a brake than get really poor grades or flunk out because you are a new mommy trying to do too much. Or miss out with your new baby when they are still so young and that bonding is so very important.....:redpinkhe Let us know how you're doing....PM me if you like.

I second that!!!

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