Income as part time RN

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Hello,

I am currently working as a full time RN (3 12 hours shifts a week) and my net income is about $3,600/month after taxes, retirement, health insurance, etc. My hourly wage is $33.30.

However, I will be having a baby soon and I would really like to go part time after my maternity leave. I am unsure if I will be able to support my family on that income. My husband is starting a doctorate program and will no longer be working. I have a goal to provide for all expenses other than tuition (So I would like to make enough for our mortgage, groceries, day care, costs of living.) Our mortgage is $890/month.

What do you think my income will be if I were to work 2 shift/week. Or even just 1-2 shifts/week? I know that premiums for health insurance are higher for part time employees, right? Are any of you in a similar circumstance, and how do you make it work? Are any of you able to live off a part time income?? My family consists of me, my husband, and a new baby soon.

Its almost sounding impossible, but I just am torn between raising my own child and being as debt free as possible through my husbands program.

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Specializes in ER OR LTC Code Blue Trauma Dog.

It sounds like your primary objective is to be at home with the new child as much as possible.

In that situation you might consider supplementing your part time income with a "stay at home" job that you can do over the internet.

One such job is called a Virtual Assistant.

Rather than describe it in this post, you can read about it here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_assistant_(occupation)

If you search the job boards for "Virtual Assistant" you will find all kinds of opportunities.

Hey good luck with the new arrival and I hope that helps. ?

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatrics, Wound Care.

It could be rough, but some places offer weekend shifts that would pay more. The benefits are you could be home all week, and the weekends your partner could care for the baby. It is rough, since it is most weekends. Some may offer benefits and good pay.

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Per diem nursing would give you the chance to work around your family needs. When my first child was born, I worked weekend shifts. That way I didn't have to pay for childcare since my husband worked M-F, and the weekend differential paid much more money.

Benefits might be a problem. My husband's job carried the health, dental and retirement benefits. Part time might come with benefits, but hospitals seem to hire few part time positions, preferring non-benefit positions like per diem instead.

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Are you on babycenter? They have an excellent "Family Finances" group that will help you figure this out. There is a budget template where you can figure out how much you need to make.

A weekend Baylor shift, where you work 24 but get paid for 36, would be better, as you already have fairly low take home pay.

You say you are due soon? The best thing would be to figure out what your take home pay would be, and start living on that now to see if you can do it.

Your husband cannot work at all? Will he receive a living stipend for his program? He cannot watch the baby at all to avoid daycare?

The Family FInances group on babycenter can help you better than we can.

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

Perhaps you could do phone triage?

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