juggling motherhood and nursing

racing-mom4, BSN, RN · Nov 14, 2008

I work a baylor shift. Every weekend 12 hours both days so I work 24 hours but get paid for 36. But I am off Mon-Fri.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Nov 14, 2008

no advice as mine were grown when I started nursing. But I want to say I admire and appreciate your hard work.

allnurses Guide · Nov 14, 2008

I work one day a week and every other weekend on call for hospice. On purpose. To be available for my son.

He stays at my inlaws' ranch after school if I need to see a patient after he gets home from school or I take him with me.

I'm not a fan of day care. I love that he gets to spend time with his grandparents doing "farm stuff".

steph

doc.smith · Nov 14, 2008

Take it one day at a time. Try 5 kids, Full time job, going to school for master program and in the Navy Reserve. Yes, I have time with my kids and husband.:bugeyes:

uscstu4lfe · Nov 15, 2008

good for you for switching to part time so you can take your son out of daycare! that is awesome. you'll be so glad you did that later on in life. he's learning and changing every single day, and needs the people that matter most around him during that time. awesome, awesome, awesome!

angel337, MSN, RN · Nov 15, 2008

you do the best you can according to your family needs. if money isn't a big issue, i think part time or casual work is the best. alot of nurses i work with do baylor, so that they don't have to worry about who is going to take the kids to and from school. yes you give up the weekends, but for some mothers its worth it.

RNKPCE · Nov 15, 2008

Despite weekends and holidays nursing is a lot more flexible than other profession. Most professions that pay well it is full time or nothing.

Ever since I had kids I worked the evening shift. I started 3 shifts a week and gradually cut down. Once the kids got heavy into homework and after school activities I worked every other weekend and one evening a week. Fortunate to have a mother in law who watched my kids the 1-2 afternoons a week til my husband got home. Now they are both teens and I still just work 1-2 evening a week but per diem. I set my schedule.

galenight, BSN, RN · Nov 15, 2008

I started nursing school when my children were 3 and 7. It wasn't easy. I did have a husband at that time and for a couple years while I worked, but always had to work full time. The key to juggling both being a mom and a nurse, is to make the time you spend with your kids quality time. Yeah.. that sounds very Dr. Phil, but it's true. Be grateful that you can work just part time and also know that you are showing your son that work is important and necessary and valuable to you as a person. Kids adapt. They are incredibly resiliant little things. I've been divorced now for years and have done the juggling thing totally alone. My kids have not suffered for my career. They are great teens who understand work happens and that work is important for us to live and for mom to be sane. When I started nursing, my facility was still working 8 hour shifts and I worked afternoons. Once we went to 12 hour shifts it was much better. Even if I picked up an extra day now and then I still usually had 4 days a week at home. So my advice is this...if it works for you, work a job that is 12 hours so you are home more full days. Don't feel guilty for having your child in day care, it is often necessary, just pick a good one and be vigilant. And finally take time for yourself as well.. that is the best gift you can give your son and the best way you can be a good mom.

tryingtohaveitall · Nov 15, 2008

Kudos to you for wanting to be home with your son as much as you can. Like a PP, I have 5 kids, I work part-time in a PICU, I'm working on my PNP and I homeschool my middle 3 kids. (the youngest is 3) Nursing is the greatest profession in the world for mothers because of its flexibility! My friends are often envious that I can work a day or two a week and make such good $$.

There are so many different ways you can make it work. The weekend option is one thing, currently I do 3-11p shifts during the week and day shifts when it's my weekend. I've worked night shifts and tried to stay awake with them (don't do that, I think that's pure insanity). At one point, I was even a manager of our PICU working 30 hrs/week thanks to a very understanding director who was willing to let me be flexible.

It's not always easy, but I think it's definitely worth it to get to be home with the kids as much as possible and still have a very rewarding career. GL to you!

rockstarn · Nov 15, 2008

I have two young children myself. I was working night shift full time and going to grad school when I had both of them. It was hard...and it still is. You have to do what is best for your family. That's why I love nursing so very much. It's really flexible.

I don't know your nursing specialty/background, but there are numerous flexible nursing positions that may prove good choices for you. There are more and more telecommuting nursing jobs now (where you work from home) such as call center/e-nurse (online healthcare support services), insurance case manager, etc. Just some thoughts.

NCphoenix · Aug 10, 2009

Kudos to you for wanting to be home with your son as much as you can. Like a PP, I have 5 kids, I work part-time in a PICU, I'm working on my PNP and I homeschool my middle 3 kids. (the youngest is 3) Nursing is the greatest profession in the world for mothers because of its flexibility! My friends are often envious that I can work a day or two a week and make such good $$.
There are so many different ways you can make it work. The weekend option is one thing, currently I do 3-11p shifts during the week and day shifts when it's my weekend. I've worked night shifts and tried to stay awake with them (don't do that, I think that's pure insanity). At one point, I was even a manager of our PICU working 30 hrs/week thanks to a very understanding director who was willing to let me be flexible.
It's not always easy, but I think it's definitely worth it to get to be home with the kids as much as possible and still have a very rewarding career. GL to you!

I'm still trying to decide if nursing is the right career for me. I currently have a flexible job that pays well but is not fulfilling. I'm still here because it pays well and I have the flexibility to take care of my kids (1 and 16) but we're planning on having one more so I need to make sure my new career maintains both flexibility and salary. I want to be there for my kids, for sports, homework, afterschool activities, weekends. I'm willing to work hard as needed as long as I can take the time to be in their lives as needed as well. Can you give me an idea of a typical day/week? Also, when you're home do you feel like you've brought work home with you? Did you get your PNP?

I'm also interested in becoming an FNP but have heard from some nurses that other doctors and nurses don't give it the same respect as they would to a doctor because it doesn't have the same prestige as being a doctor, is that true?