single mothers: best area of nursing to go into re: hours and salary?

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I would like to hear from the single mothers who have found an area of nursing that works great for them in regards to being able to be their for their children as well as financially support everyone well. I dont see how 12 hour shifts would work for a single mom w/o family around to take care of their kids, when would you ever see your kids and who would put them on the bus and take them home from school? Im an RN student trying to get a head start of where I apply for jobs when I graduate. Thanks!

I dont realistically see being able to find quality child care to cover nights, weekends or holidays for a hospital job. It just isnt going to happen, especially for holidays.

As for salary, Im not sure where any of the previous posters live but here in NY, RNs that work in the hospitals start @ 80K, so I thought it was completely reasonable to expect 60K out of the hospital.

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I am a new grad as of May. I work in public health...no weekends, no holidays, I work 8-5. I don't make 60K/year though...more like 48K, I am in Wyoming. GREAT job!!

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
I dont realistically see being able to find quality child care to cover nights, weekends or holidays for a hospital job. It just isnt going to happen, especially for holidays.

As for salary, Im not sure where any of the previous posters live but here in NY, RNs that work in the hospitals start @ 80K, so I thought it was completely reasonable to expect 60K out of the hospital.

A good way to start finding quality childcare is to check the state websites and look for licensed childcare providers. The state websites will also let you see if there are any deficiencies or violations against the provider. Type "licensed childcare in New York" into Google and it will pull up a lot of hits. Also, word-of-mouth is good too. Ask your classmates/fellow parents if they have any recommendations. You'd be surprised what you find if you just try looking.

As far as salaries for office nurses, I've been told they range from $18-$30 an hour. Most are on the lower end of that range and keep in mind that as a new grad, you're probably not going to command the $30/hr at the get-go.

Also try looking/posting in the New York Nurses section of the forum if you haven't done so already.

I'm not trying to bring you down; I and the others are just trying to prepare you for the reality of the nursing world once you graduate...because it's not 2007 anymore. Sure, there's the 1% chance as a new grad you will land the perfect job with the perfect hours and perfect salary, but most likely you will have to compromise. Good luck.

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
I dont realistically see being able to find quality child care to cover nights, weekends or holidays for a hospital job. It just isnt going to happen, especially for holidays.

As for salary, Im not sure where any of the previous posters live but here in NY, RNs that work in the hospitals start @ 80K, so I thought it was completely reasonable to expect 60K out of the hospital.

How old are your children? I am a long time nurse and have always had children, I agree it has not been easy over the years to manage both effectively but I have managed it both as a single parent and later on with a husband in the military.

I respect that your children come first but you may need to compromise one or the other-nursing is a very difficult profession if you have no back up support or good child care. You cannot drop everything and run home especially if you have patients to take care of.

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You can get an Au pair or live-in nanny. I know there must be a lot of nannies wanting to move to NY.

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What part of Ny are u in? You said that NO one has childcare night,weekends,and Holidays...I always see ads for 24 hour daycare centers..but more common are centers that open at 5am and will drive your kids to school.Sorry,but it seems like u are making lots of excuses when anyone gives you a suggestion.You can also hire a nanny to watch the kids at 6am while you work a 7-3 shift,then u could pick up the kids from school.

I am not a single mom,but I was in this position a few times because of my husbands working hours.What I did was work 7-3 in a nursing home.I talked to the school principal and joined the PTa and started socializing with the other parents,through all of this I found a Mom who lived close to the school.I ended up dropping the kids off with her around 6:30 and I paid her 50 bucks a week for the 5 days.She made a little extra cash..not really babysitting because they just watched cartoons or studied until school time.Maybe u can talk to some of the other parents and get suggestions..There is a High percentage of single moms in this country so someone should be able to help you.

You could also work 3/12's Nannys are not as expensive as people think.You can find one for 10-12 bucks an hour..do you go to a local church? Usually they have church bulletins where you can post an ad.

And PLEASE focus more on the solution...either way YOU WILL have to line up childcare because Nurses dont always leave on time(I rarely do)..and being on the East coast during the Winter you may have to add extra time to your commute because of the snow.

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loveblossom,

I appreciate your suggestions and others as well. I am def not making excuses. I just know what Im willing and not willing to compromise on. I know that hospital nursing is not an option for me for many reasons. I take being a parent very seriously and being a single parent even more seriously. I am my childs only parent, therefore it is vitally important, in my opinion anyway, to be there for my child for things like holidays, homework, dinner, etc...also, the reality is 12 hour shifts are not really 12 hour shifts after reports are done + commute time. Youre really gone more like 14 hours. Thats alot of time to be away from a child even if it is 3 days a week. and lets not forget if your relief nurse doesnt show up for her shift or is late. Not a good scenario for me and my child.

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loveblossom,

I appreciate your suggestions and others as well. I am def not making excuses. I just know what Im willing and not willing to compromise on. I know that hospital nursing is not an option for me for many reasons. I take being a parent very seriously and being a single parent even more seriously. I am my childs only parent, therefore it is vitally important, in my opinion anyway, to be there for my child for things like holidays, homework, dinner, etc...also, the reality is 12 hour shifts are not really 12 hour shifts after reports are done + commute time. Youre really gone more like 14 hours. Thats alot of time to be away from a child even if it is 3 days a week. and lets not forget if your relief nurse doesnt show up for her shift or is late. Not a good scenario for me and my child.

While I understand your commitment to your child, I don't understand why you would choose nursing for a career and run the very high risk of not being able to land a job with all of your criteria right out of school. Maybe you can afford to go months or years, as have others, without a job until one meeting your requirements comes along. If not, there are certainly other careers out there that don't require nights, weekends, and holidays.

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GM2RN,

your acting like hospital nursing is the end all be all for an RN degree. WHY I chose the Nursing profession is really irrelevant to my post. I posted this question bc I am certain there are single mothers in my situation in the field of nursing who could offer alternatives to 12 hour shift work. If you have answers to my question, please post and I greatly appreciate it. thanks

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Specializes in School Nursing.

The problem is that most of those non-bedside jobs require at least some bedside experience, and even if that experience is not required, in this economy you will be competing with other nurses who likely DO have bedside experience...who do you think will land the job?

I think the people who have responded are trying to give you a reality check. You will have a difficult time finding a 9-5 M-F nursing job right out of school. Not to say it can't be done, but you are going to have to struggle. Isn't it best to find this out NOW while you are still a student and can re-evaluate your career options than wait until you are an RN and cannot find work that meets your requirements?

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

OP: I work 8s in psych nursing, so psych may be something worth your consideration. However--as I stated earlier, as a new grad you will probably not start on day shifts since most facilities have waiting lists for them: it took me a year to get from evenings to days. Very few NMs would risk hiring you for days because of the bad blood it'd create among current staff who are waiting for day spots themselves. It's not impossible, but it's not likely to happen.

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You keep saying there is no quality childcare available for situations outside of M-F 8-4. This is totally untrue.

Our hospital has partnered with a childcare provider. They offer hours that are reasonable to *day shift* nursing staff. Right now it is not on-site, but they hope to offer on-site childcare in the future. The current childcare offers before and after school care, as well as holiday and weekend care.

Many hospital systems have positions that are 8 hour nursing positions. In my facility oncology, procedures (like the 'scope labs), radiology, wound healing center, and same day surgery are all 8 hour positions, no holidays, no weekends. The facility also owns most of the physician practices in the area. Downside to that is I don't think they actually hire RNs anymore, just LPNs and MAs. I may be wrong...but I've never seen an opening for an RN in the offices owned by the hospital. IV therapy offers 8, 10, and 12 hour positions, as well (though these will have holidays and weekends).

It's also worth pointing out that not all hospitals work 12 hours shifts. Some systems do have 8 hour floor nursing shifts available. Our ED has 4, 8, 10, and 12 hour shifts, for example. Hospital-wide, we have a very few 8 hour shifts open, mainly for admit/discharge nurses to work during busy times (these are typically something like 10a-6p or so).

The advantage of working in a hospital system (not necessarily the hospital itself, but in a facility or department owned by the hospital) is that your pay is better, and typically so are your benefits. If you transfer within the hospital (say, your son gets older, and you want to go to a different department), you maintain your pay, seniority, and benefits. The disadvantage is that a lot of those M-F positions are typically in high demand, and so the more experienced nurses get them. They often want floor experience, though not always.

Good luck. You have some pretty strict requirements for your position. It's pretty difficult to get a job as a new grad right now; with your criteria, it will be even more difficult. I would suggest you look for those positions, but continue to think outside the box. Many reputable childcare centers do, in fact, offer child care accommodating to a 12 hour shift schedule. Our school district offers extended care (though this would not quite cover your hours, but nearly) from 7am to 6pm every school day. I work with two night shift nurses who offer room and board in their home for a college student, in exchange for child care during the night. They typically hire nursing students, and this has always worked out well for them. One woman I work with always has an au pair. You could also work out a child care exchange. You and the person you are exchanging with work opposite days. You watch their child on their work days, they watch yours on your work days. I did this all through most of nursing school, so I didn't have any child care costs and my kids were well taken care of. You do have a lot of options.

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