NEED CAREER ADVICE!

[NurseChristinaB, CNA, LPN]

Hi all! Sorry this is so long, I don't have anyone to brain-dump all of this to, and I'm just looking for advice from someone. No one in my family is in a profession like this and I'm always the one everyone else comes to for advice.

I am currently an LPN and work per diem for a staffing company. I make AMAZING money 15 minutes from home. 12 hour shifts, but as with any agency, you get cancelled and facilities drop contracts without notice, so it is a very unreliable source of income. I can't fully commit to traveling for work because I have a 6 and 4 year old, and no reliable babysitter. I am forced to work around my husbands rotating schedule. He works 12's & 8's days, afternoons, and nights. 

I have completed all of my pre-reqs and applied for the LPN-RN transition course at my local college. My intent was to begin this fall, pending admission to the program. The program is part time 1 day class & 1 day clinical for the most part, near the end I heard it gets a little hairy and clinicals can be added, so you'll be in class up to 5 days a week. 

This past week I have done a lot of brainstorming. Part of my life that is non-negotiable is my children and all that comes with them. If they are in sports, I am either coaching or watching.  I will not miss these moments in their life. I am a mother before I am a nurse. I love my job, but the 12's make it impossible to be there. My son started football and I have just a glimpse of how busy our life will be as they grow up. 

I have decided to either 'take a break' from school, or if I find a job that fits with our lifestyle and allows me to be there for all of my kids extracurricular's forego school all together. I have always wanted to become an RN and hopefully go to NP school but with the challenges of child care and being able to be there for everything, I'm wondering if working an office job as an LPN would be the best fit for me. We make enough to live, and I can pay my own bills with 4 agency shifts a month, but I guess I'm ready to settle into a career at this point. I'm 27, I've been in and out of school since I was 18 years old. Got unexpectedly pregnant 2x and dropped out of the RN program I was in, and completed my LPN. 

The office job would be perfect. 8-4:30 so I can take them to school and be there when they get off of the bus, no holidays, weekends off. It just sounds perfect on paper. I don't want to say I'm 'giving up' on my RN dream but, right now I am so tired of trying to figure out childcare for my shifts, and how we are going to get them from point A to B. I am totally burnt out from trying to manage my life, I think I am just looking for convenience at this point, something steady. Has anyone else been in this situation? Do I sound stupid for doing all of this work to get into the program just to quit?

I know no one can tell me what is best for my life, besides me, but I figure if I can give everyone a little glimpse into it they could just give me opinions.

I've already got 2 interviews because I was tired of wasting time, but nothing is final at this point. One is for a Urology clinic, and the other is a denials analyst for insurance. Both of the hours are amazing, M-F and the insurance job is specifically for an LPN, the urology job is Med Assistant or LPN so I'm sure that pay isn't great. I know I won't make nearly what I am making now but, the hours will be steady. Any urology nurses or denials analysts that could tell me about their jobs? 

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

Possibly unpopular opinion coming, but it ties into a trend I've noticed over the years.

I think the possessive you used "my kid's extracurriculars" is worth noting. THEIR activities. Kids will survive without parents being at every. single. thing. (In fact, they may enjoy the break and sense of independence; maybe not at 4 and 6, but later on...) ?

My brother-in-law's daughter played college field hockey for a big New England college. He and his wife felt the need to show up at every game. One time, they had an important engagement early in the morning the day after a game, but they drove from the Boston area to Syracuse to attend that game- and drove back the same day.

I'm only saying this because you will find any kind of personal/professional development very difficult if you don't allow yourself some dedicated "you" time...

[NurseChristinaB, CNA, LPN]

2 minutes ago, Jedrnurse said:

Possibly unpopular opinion coming, but it ties into a trend I've noticed over the years.

I think the possessive you used "my kid's extracurriculars" is worth noting. THEIR activities. Kids will survive without parents being at every. single. thing. (In fact, they may enjoy the break and sense of independence; maybe not at 4 and 6, but later on...) ?

My brother-in-law's daughter played college field hockey for a big New England college. He and his wife felt the need to show up at every game. One time, they had an important engagement early in the morning the day after a game, but they drove from the Boston area to Syracuse to attend that game- and drove back the same day.

I'm only saying this because you will find any kind of personal/professional development very difficult if you don't allow yourself some dedicated "you" time...

I get where you are coming from, and as they are older I'm sure they will be on their own at practices, but as far as games, I won't miss those. I grew up needing rides from everyone else's mom and feeling badly asking to join sports due to money/having no family car. I get one chance to raise them and become involved in all they do, and that is why for me, it is non-negotiable. Every family is different, but for us, mom always being there is what works. It's like a double-edged sword. Miss out and continue my education for an amazing career, or settle for a career that I'm sure I will like and be there for everything and not need to worry about arrangements for them.

[TriciaJ, RN]

You could follow your dream of becoming an RN and still be at square one trying to juggle demanding schedules with your childrens' activities.

Or you could take a clinic job, still be practicing nursing, still earning a paycheque and be there for your kids while it's so important.  In a few years needs will change and other opportunities will open up.  You're not copping out; you're being sensible and measured.

I don't know about insurance or case management but I did do inpatient urology and liked it.  You will probably do some hands on procedures in the office which will stand you in good stead when you do eventually go back to school.

If you don't ever go back to school, so what?  Would being an RN give you a richer, fuller life or rob from it?  This forum makes that hard to answer.

[NurseChristinaB, CNA, LPN]

Thank you, I loved how you worded this. ❤️ 

In a world where everyone is obtaining the next degree, it makes it hard to ensure I'm doing the right thing. I always have to remember, I am not them, and I do not have the support system they have as far as a built in grandma who babysits everyday. 

At this point in time, I think going back to school would rob me of happiness and the stability I am looking to create with this change. 

[TriciaJ, RN]

I think you're on the right track.  It's seems to be a modern thought process that happiness is one degree away.  Akin to FOMO.

Children are temporary: they grow up and then they're off on their own.  There will always be schools, jobs and demanding schedules, that in no way resemble "me time".

So enjoy your kids while you can.  The next thing will present itself soon enough.

[NurseChristinaB, CNA, LPN]

Thank you  ❤️

While I was replying to you, the urologist office called me back. The interview was not set in stone because I told them I couldn't start at 730am and I needed a start time of 8am. I thought that would be a deal breaker, but she said "Let me talk to the doctor, I'm sure we can work something out."

She just called me and they are interviewing me tomorrow, they said the 8am start time is something they can work out. I think that is a great sign, that this may be the route for me. 

[Wuzzie]

Just be aware in any office/clinic situation there are a lot, and I mean a lot of days that you will not get out on time.

[NurseChristinaB, CNA, LPN]

1 minute ago, Wuzzie said:

Just be aware in any office/clinic situation there are a lot, and I mean a lot of days that you will not get out on time.

I appreciate your honesty with that. She stated to me on the phone that the current MA doing this position is finished on time everyday and two days a week the MD is out of the office so she catches up on paperwork and things.

I do worry that the position is interchangeable from MA to LPN that the pay will be pretty low.

[Calm and collected]

I followed a similar course as you CNA-LVN-RN. I took a break while my kids were little  ( after working as LVN for 3 years) I went back to get my RN at 36 and that worked just fine. I worked another 20 years as an RN. So being 27, you have lots of time. I would say to follow your heart, take the position that lets you balance your career with parenting and go to school later when they are older. I never regretted it.

[RNperdiem, RN]

Best of luck with the urologist office. A lot of places do use MA and LPN interchangeably. If the hours are convenient and guaranteed, then a slightly lower pay might be worthwhile.

It sounds like you have a lot going on, and your heart is just not in RN school right now. You can always go back when you are ready. But keep an eye on the future. Eventually, you might want a wider range of job opportunities at better pay in the future. Life is unpredictable too.

Also, don't make the childcare issues only your problem. Childcare is a family issue. I worked weekend days since the kids were born, and making sure my husband did real childcare (not babysitting like my own father did), made a real difference in our family.

[NurseChristinaB, CNA, LPN]

9 minutes ago, RNperdiem said:

Best of luck with the urologist office. A lot of places do use MA and LPN interchangeably. If the hours are convenient and guaranteed, then a slightly lower pay might be worthwhile.

It sounds like you have a lot going on, and your heart is just not in RN school right now. You can always go back when you are ready. But keep an eye on the future. Eventually, you might want a wider range of job opportunities at better pay in the future. Life is unpredictable too.

Also, don't make the childcare issues only your problem. Childcare is a family issue. I worked weekend days since the kids were born, and making sure my husband did real childcare (not babysitting like my own father did), made a real difference in our family.

Thank you for input. I actually (although maybe unprofessional) emailed the interviewer for the Denial Analyst job inquiring about salary. She states it is 50,000K a year. I'm sure that will be far more than I would make in the Dr's office. The hours are both the same..I will just go to both interviews I suppose and make a decision after going over everything.