Single mom wanting to do nursing!!

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hello everyone....

i am a single mom of a 3 year old little boy and i want a better future for my son and i so i have chosen to go back to school. i'm currently doing pre reqs at a junior college. so i am trying to make a decision on wether i want to do nursing or dental hygiene. i have picked dental hygiene because of the hours that would work well with me being a single mom since i have no one else to turn to but only the times he's in school (which is preschool for right now). but my heart is more into doing the rn program but i'm just scared it will be a waist of my time because obviiously i wont be able to work nights as long as i'm a single mom since i dont have a sitter during those times. does anyone have any advice on what i should do? are there jobs out there that you can get during the day for starting out rn's or is it pretty much 100% night shifts? i look forward to everyone's advice and thank you so much for reading!!:)

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Specializes in labor & delivery.

Well, there are really no jobs for new grads on any shift right now. That could change by the time you graduate, though. I have friends that did get jobs on days. It just depends. Most of my classmates that have gotten jobs are on nights. Good luck!!

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No, I would not do nursing. Even most day shift jobs in hospitals are from 7:00-7:30 pm. That does not work for kids in school who are on the young side. Yes, you could possibly get a job in a doctors office. Dental hygiene offers the more family friendly schedule of the two.

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Mommy2babyb,

Nursing school is HARD!! Its hard if your married, single, mom to 1 or 5, working or unemployed, its just plain hard. But is you have a passion for nursing, then follow your heart! I started Nursing school (the actual program) as a single mom of an almost 3 yr old. Yes, its hard, but there are resources. I attend MCC and their childcare center is AMAZING! Totally flexible with my schedule, and helped me with grants to cover the cost and scholarships for school. By the time you're done with pre-reqs, the waitlist, and the program, your son will well be into school (like 1st or 2nd grade). The new grad job market sucks right now, but should be better by the time you enter it, plus who knows what your life will look like at that time..... And new grads aren't always subjected to endless night shifts. There's even some schools of thought that new RN's need the support of a day shift instead of flying solo on nights..... I guess my point is, FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS!!!

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma.

i would, and i am- with 2 kids. there are endless options in terms of child care. there are many good young people going through school themselves who nanny for a reasonable price- this includes getting your kids ready in the morning, taking them to school, picking them up, and entertaining them until you get home, if you end up working 12 hour shifts, night shifts, whatever. if it's your dream you can make it work.

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Maybe you can do dental hygiene now and when your child is older you can go for nursing school if it's still in your heart to do that. My kids are older and it's a bit easier because they understand why I need to study. The little ones need more of your time and energy.

BTW there are lots of nursing jobs outside of AZ.

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i am in the exact same boat with you! im a single mommy to 1 1/2 year old...and man just doing the pre-reqs seems hard!!! i think you should just follow your dreams and like the other posters said...by the time you actually attend nursing school you might be in a different position...anything can happen between that time! :D

i would so do it..thats why im currently finishing my pre-reqs and hopefully by the time we graduate the job market will be alot better!

good luck! :)

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I'm not a mom, so take my thoughts with the grain of salt they're worth... but...

You're probably looking at 2 - 3 years by the time that you graduate with an ADN. Your son will be 5 - 6 by then. While you'd likely be working 12 hour days if you don't work in a LTC environment, you could work nights and hire an overnight sitter. (I was an overnight sitter and charged $30 a night since I was only actually working for a few hours and the rest of the time I could sleep, study, watch TV, etc. It was an easy $90 a week for me and didn't cut into my day.) While you would miss out on several waking hours three days a week, you would have 4 whole days off every week.

Nursing school is difficult, and I can only imagine that being a single mom makes it more challenging. I'm currently the only one working in my household, which means that I'm working 40+ hours a week. It's tough, but it's possible. As a single mom, you'd likely be eligible for more than I am in the way of grants, so there's a good chance that you wouldn't have to work that much.

If it were me, I would make the push and pursue nursing. It'll be tough, but I think it's better than spending two years of your life in a dental hygiene program only to be unhappy with that career and have to go back to school for another two years for nursing.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

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Specializes in Endoscopy/MICU/SICU.

If you could get into OR, those nurses at my hospital work 6:30am - 3pm Monday through Friday. They love it because they get off in time to get their kids from school. If you could just find someone to take him early in the morning and to school, you'd be fine. Just a thought. There are also office jobs you could get from 8 to 5, such as pediatric Dr. offices. Pay isn't great, but you wouldn't have childcare issues. Good luck, hope it all works out.

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