Question for current nurse's about job hours and flexibility

[mnitsch]

I'm a single mom, with 2 kids. I have a 26 month old in daycare, max 10 hours a day Mon-Fri. I have a son who's in school BUT special needs with autism, bipolar and epilepsy. The brunt of the issues is the bipolar whether manic side or depressant. At times I get calls in the day, may have to pick him up in times of crises as well as be home for him when he arrives at 3pm. So.. I really need to be home when he gets the bus at 7:40 in the morning as well as 3pm when he gets off.

Another issue is when schools are out, whether winter break, spring break, as well as summer - mind you he does go to school over the summer as well but has 2 weeks off in June and then 3 weeks in August. He is in the 8th grade this year.

Are there any nursing jobs that can meet those hours, full time or part time. I don't know what the future holds or how he will be as time goes on, but I am currently taking pre-req and second guessing if I should continue in this career. Any advice would be great.

[GeneralJinjur]

Nursing is very inflexible. If your school calls, you may not be able to leave and pick your son up. I work 8 hour shifts. I am at work by 7:00 and get out after 3:30. It's close to my kids' school day, but not a perfect match. If you are the primary caregiver and do not have a reliable someone to pick up your kids and prep them for school or get them when there is an emergency, I would not recommend nursing. It's simply not a good fit for you at this time.

On another note, my 14yo has autism and I raise my kids alone, so I can relate somewhat. Knowing that nursing is an inherently stress-filled career, you might want to pick something that's a little less crazy-making. There are stress-filled mornings at home followed by different kind of stressful days at work, with kid issues to push me over the edge when I get home. This doesn't happen every day (except for the last 2 weeks!), but it happens just enough that I would caution another special needs mom to consider it before going into nursing. I hope you find something that fits your aptitude and needs.

[mclennan, BSN, RN]

Nursing is about helping other people. It is not a field that easily accommodates your needs first. If you have such an entitled attitude this early on, I strongly suggest you re-think your career choice altogether.....or educate yourself on various philosophic approaches to nursing that will help you understand the concepts of stewardship that have informed nursing since its invention.

Really, no employer in any field I know would bend over backwards to accommodate any inexperienced newbie's demanding, exact demands such as this. You have a special needs kid & a baby & you're a single mom.....so are thousands of others. Find a different school, find a different daycare, figure out a more realistic way to create balance for you and your kids than coming into a human service career with your needs in mind first, because that's a setup for failure. I have seen many nurses fail, quit and get canned because they couldn't balance parenthood & personal problems with a job. Employers don't want high maintenance people. Simple as that.

[mnitsch]

What you say certainly makes sense. I think I just need to read what others are saying to help myself clarify my own thoughts as well. I can totally understand how some mornings go or afternoons and how a days work may possible go.. and all that stress from each. And.. being one person. I don't have many fullbacks family is few and no one really can "watch" my son as they are afraid to handle him which makes it tough.

I have been doing web-site design and development from home and its worked out well.. I am thinking this may just be my best option for life/future.

[RNperdiem, RN]

Nursing hours are incompatible with many typical forms of childcare. Most of my coworkers with kids use family members to help with the childcare. Do you live near grandparents or siblings?

[mnitsch]

I do... but although they are great don't get me wrong, they have alot of concern when watching my son and during those "unstable" times they are more afraid to watch him... which of course happen alot. I can totally understand where they are coming from, no one can handle him like mommy can and I do just fine. But of course it makes it rough when trying to work on a new career- especially when I may get called upon or may be emergency situations. Sometimes we have a hospital visit every year (inpatient) so.. I need flexibility which is why I've been doing website design work from home. The pay honestly is quite the same, and flexible, but no benefits or other things that come with a typical job. I've always had that passion for a nursing career but it may seem like my passion needs to be altered.. or delayed for quite some time.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

I've always had that passion for a nursing career but it may seem like my passion needs to be altered.. or delayed for quite some time.

I suspect that your "passion for nursing" can be easily changed to focus on another career that will not mangle your family and will fulfill your needs. To be brutally honest, nursing is about the LAST thing you should be considering, given your family's unique needs. Forget about finding a job that will make the accommodations you need: you won't get through nursing school.

I wish you the best in your search; I'm sure there is something out there more compatible with your family requirements.