Yes, I work full time!

BroadwayRN, ASN, RN · Feb 1, 2009

I'm not married so personally I don't have any experience but my co-worker gets that occasionally and she tells them that she went to school to be a nurse and that she plans to make good use of her education. She says beyond that it's nobody's business how many hours she wishes to work.

Otessa, BSN, RN · Feb 1, 2009

What gets me is that I have family members wondering why I work too. They know I went to college to become a nurse and they wonder?

edcunningham · Feb 1, 2009

i say do what you have to do to k:yelclap:eep your family going and financially stable

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Sandwitch883RN · Feb 1, 2009

No matter what you do people will always have something to say about it. When my kids were young people always looked at me funny when I said I didnt work. I was a stay at home mom. I had two young special needs kids and they needed me to be with them. You do what you have to do for the good of your family at that time. Now that the kids are older I work PRN so that I have a flexible schedule. I just recently decided to go full time and start at another hospital. I'll stay PRN also at my current hospital. Don't let anyone make you feel bad for putting the needs of your family first, whether its staying at home or working full time!

allnurses Guide · Feb 1, 2009

I have always had to work full time, my hubbie doesn't earn great money and to keep us with a fairly comfortable life that was one of the choices I made.

I have got comments when my little one was very small, and it was very hard but she's older now and enjoys the lifestyle we are able to provide and appreciates that to keep that we need to work.

Faeriewand, ASN, RN · Feb 1, 2009

Wow are we back in the 50's? Nursing is a great job for moms! I work 3 days a week. It's like I have a part-time job but with full time pay. (well 36 hours worth anyway) And if you work in a clinic you work M-F so have weekends off with your family. I just don't get people who assume just because you are the mom you SHOULD stay home with your kids or just work part-time. I did that myself and have a lot of respect for SAHM's but fer crying out loud, how far have we come?

OK now think about the reverse. Imagine people reacting like this to your husband.

Trauma Columnist · Feb 1, 2009

Gosh - I always thought it was a person decision whether to work or stay home. In this day and age, few of us can stay home and not work.

kythe, LPN · Feb 1, 2009

I'm a single mom and in this day and age I rarely hear anything negative about it. However, I actually have been told that I have no right to complain about my financial situation since I put myself in this situation. Knowing nothing at all about my life, this person's statement seemed based on an assumption that I was better off married, and that I'm irresponsible for "choosing" not to provide a two-parent home for my kids. I know I shouldn't take it personally, but people like this just don't contribute positively to making life easier.

Sometimes I think the area you live can make a difference in whether people are judgmental about working parents. When I lived in low-income housing, almost everyone worked and had kids, and if anything people were seen as irresponsible if they lived off the government so they could stay home with their kids. Now I'm in a middle class neighborhood, but encounter more attitude from people who seem to take their SAHM status for granted and believe it is optional.

The irony is that I was a SAHM for 3 years and do idealize it. Many people don't bother to find out facts about your life before making assumptions about what you "should" be doing and why.

sunray12 · Feb 1, 2009

Interesting. Where I come from every adult works - unless they're unable to. It would never occur to me to think one spouse would not work because the other does ____ (fill in the blank). Didn't anyone else's grandfather say "if you don't work you don't eat"??

Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN · Feb 1, 2009

I think in today's economy we all have to work full time and I would not feel guilty about it. Your kids are almost school age and what are you suppose to do all day?

ajaxgirl · Feb 1, 2009

You would think that with this bad economy people wouldn't be questioning someone (man or woman) working full time. I feel lucky and fortunate to have a job that I love in nursing.
I get the "you're kidding" look more often than not when I say I work full time and I have two 5 year olds and my husband's job takes him out of town.
The nurses I work with aren't surprised-they are my rocks. Why are the teachers, parents at my kids' school, and people at my church so suprised?
My husband is a pilot (that is one reason they think I don't need to work-was told that one straight to my face, lovely!) My response to them:My husband has been laid off twice-each time over a year-could happen again. (plus I love being a nurse)
What are your thoughts? Has this happened to any of you?
otessa

I think people think it's odd because you have young kids. Most people want to work as little as poss when their kids are little. You have the rest of your life to work fulltime.