RN no experience raising kids

Sour Lemon · Jan 27, 2021

5 minutes ago, lterrones1123 said:

Hi everyone , I need some advice please! I graduated in May 2019 with two kids and 4 months pregnant. I passed my NCLEX on oct 2019.. I wanted to have my third baby and get a job a few months later but then covid started , schools closed, my husband got back surgery and therapy for almost a year and I’m here now, with no experience at all. I will start on February my BSN classes and I’m thinking of whatever it takes to keep myself updated... question is I don’t know what to do ... I don’t want to leave my family since the kids practice sports and the little one doesn’t go to school yet ... I was thinking getting a job but that will interfere with me taking the kids to activities... also my husband got a job as a truck driver and he’s not going to come home everyday .. I feel alone and frustrated... we don’t need the money desperately but I need to gain experience ... what do u guys recommend ? Getting a weekend job? I don’t think I can work overnight because there’s no school and I’ll be super tired ... I don’t know what to do because I don’t wanna leave kids and I don’t want to pause my career that hasn’t even started yet ... help with advice please

Most jobs for new nurses will be full time. You might be able to find a per diem position after you gain 1-2 years of experience, though. Per diem allows me to stay home with my kids most of the time, but with a foot in the door and my experience current. We don't need the money either, but with two small children, I'm always thinking of the worst case scenario. I want to be able to jump in as the sole financial provider if the need unfortunately arises.

Definitely read up on your BON's renewal requirements. Some may require a specified number of work hours or a refresher class if too much time passes. Beyond that, just figure out what your priorities are and make some hard decisions. A BSN is great, but I'm not sure it would make sense for you to invest more time and more money when you're not sure you want to work as a nurse anytime soon.

JBMmom, MSN, NP · Jan 28, 2021

Everyone makes sacrifices in their lives based on their needs and priorities. While you may not need the job right now, you don't want to give up long term stability and employment for what seem like short term gains. Kids are resilient.

As far as finding a job, I agree that should probably take priority over schooling at this time. You need experience more than continued schooling. Fortunately, in the time of COVID, many nurses have experienced delays or gaps in employment. There will likely be places willing to work with newer nurses that need experience. You could contact local new graduate programs and see whether you are still able to apply for and enroll.

Good luck!

momnurse4 · Apr 9, 2021

Curious if you decided to go to work? My situation is very similar and would love to know if you were able to work anything out.

Nurse Pompom · Apr 11, 2021

On 1/27/2021 at 6:18 PM, lterrones1123 said:

Hi everyone , I need some advice please! I graduated in May 2019 with two kids and 4 months pregnant. I passed my NCLEX on oct 2019.. I wanted to have my third baby and get a job a few months later but then covid started , schools closed, my husband got back surgery and therapy for almost a year and I’m here now, with no experience at all. I will start on February my BSN classes and I’m thinking of whatever it takes to keep myself updated... question is I don’t know what to do ... I don’t want to leave my family since the kids practice sports and the little one doesn’t go to school yet ... I was thinking getting a job but that will interfere with me taking the kids to activities... also my husband got a job as a truck driver and he’s not going to come home everyday .. I feel alone and frustrated... we don’t need the money desperately but I need to gain experience ... what do u guys recommend ? Getting a weekend job? I don’t think I can work overnight because there’s no school and I’ll be super tired ... I don’t know what to do because I don’t wanna leave kids and I don’t want to pause my career that hasn’t even started yet ... help with advice please

You can find part time jobs. Just look on the hospital websites. As for having kids, make a choice. You want to be a nurse or a stay at home mom. I would try and look for a part time job (like 24 hours a week).

SarHat17, ASN, RN · Apr 12, 2021

IMO, I agree with waiting on further schooling for now. It sounds like you are interested in working, just trying to figure out how to juggle family activities and childcare with a job. Depending on how long your husband is away with his job, you will be "single-parenting" during that time.

1. Look at childcare options. (Not necessarily putting the kids in school/daycare fulltime, but who will be available consistently to keep them when you are working.) If you have a friend/family/situation available MWF, for example, then that opens up your availability to MWF for a job.

Also- working overnights is not an "easy" solution to childcare, etc. You MUST prioritize quality sleep periods during the day to compensate for no sleep at night, for the health and safety of all of you, AND to keep that job! You wouldn't want to jeopardize your license and the lives of your patients because you aren't sleeping and are making dangerous decisions.

I had a former coworker try this, and would find her 3yo had been into/done unsafe things while she just "rested her eyes" on the couch. You would need to consider some sort of "childcare" for 6-8 hours during the day, just so YOU can sleep. Looking at it that way, is an overnight position really a solution?

2. If you are adamant about not using outside childcare, then you could consider a work-from-home position. This might be difficult when you don't have experience yet, but there could be a lot of options when you start looking! Also consider that most work-from-home positions do expect and require periods of undivided attention to get your work done; will having the kids at home/balancing their needs really allow you to be successful in your work position? If you have to hire in-home help with childcare, while you are "away" at your job in the other room, is that really meeting your desire to stay home with the kids?

3. I would not invest in further schooling until you have a real direction to head. I've been considering/researching whether to go back to school for my MSN vs BSN, and looking at finances and my "real-life activities (like family life, kids, etc)," it is looking like the most realistic and smart choice is to get my BSN while continuing to work my full-time job (3 12s). I also can take advantage of educational reimbursement through my employer and I have flexibility with time due to only working 3 days a week and kids are in school/daycare (both will be in elementary this fall and I plan to start the BSN program then). Something to consider!

Good luck! You are balancing a lot already with husbands new job changing the home-life rhythms; don't forget to give all of you time to adjust and find what works well for you.