Taking time off...

I know a nurse that was hired after taking 15 years off. She only received 6 weeks of orientation and she struggled her first year but she's doing great now. Be sure you keep up with all your CEs for your license and don't let it expire. It might be harder to find a job when you have been out for a long time but it's not impossible.

How much experience do you have now? It seems to me that years of experience prior to time off seem to matter.

One year would be the max, but it DOES depend on the hiring facility. Pick up a few shifts through an agency to keep yourself active in the field.

I would do part-time or prn just to stay with a nursing job. That will keep you active and there won't be any gaps in employment. Then you can always pick up the minimum hours required and still stay home with baby.

I have 2 years of acute care inpatient, and then 6 months of home hospice roser13, ASN.

I only took 4-5 months off, but quit my full time job in favor of something per diem after that. It really does seem to be the best of both worlds. I keep my foot in the door, but have a very light schedule. I only have to be available six days in an eight week period, and they don't necessarily need me every day that I'm available.

I work with a girl who just "came back" after five years off. She got 1.5 years of experience in before having a few kids and taking the time off.

Thanks! It's reassuring to know if I choose to go that route, that other nurses out there have stayed home for a few years.

My bet, you'll get your hospice job back and you can keep fairly current changes on in the field on your own.

If you were home health, you would also be able to get your job back because there is a shortage of home health nurses and/or prospects with acute care experience. In my experience here in my area.

ETA This is speculation on my part.

When I was precepting, there was a nurse working nights who'd been out of nursing for at least a few years. I'm not sure how long she was out, but she did get hired there.

After each of my three youngest kids I took off 6 months and then worked PT/PRN for longer. With my last I was PRN for four years before going back full time (when she was five). I did stay at the same facility through it all and they never considered me gone..... during the first 6 months, they knew they could call if they were in a pinch on the weekends when hubby was home. So I never had any gaps.

I did quit my last position when I went back to school to do my LPN to RN. So I had a two year gap in nursing employment. I did not have a hard time finding a job as soon as graduation was close.

I would definitely offer to be PRN and find out what the minimum pickup is to retain that status. You could volunteer at a hospice (they are required to have a certain percentage of volunteer hours and most will welcome even a PRN volunteer) and ask to work one case at a time with breaks in-between picking up a new case.

I have 2-year-old twins. I had no plans to quit working after they were born, but between day care costs and health issues with my daughter, working full-time was not an option. Finding a part-time job with benefits was really hard.

I wound up working a per diem job that required 1 shift every 90 days. I ended up leaving because not enough shifts were available. My current job is also per diem, and requires 2-4 shifts per month (including one weekend). I work about 15 hours a week, and could work more if I wanted to. My husband's job provides great benefits.

Leaving nursing entirely would be a bad idea because you can't predict the future. My state also has a practice requirement, so not working can jeopardize your license.