[Crystal]

HI,I am 23 years old and the mother of 2 year old twins. My question is, I always been told nurses have set hours usually between 7am and 3pm or 3pm and 11pm, Is that true? What do nurses do that have young children? How do you work those type of hours and have young children? or is it depend on the hospital and if they are willing to have flexible hours. This is very important, to a life career decision. I have always wanted to be a nurse but this is really got me wondering, if this career is best for me?

PLEASE HELP ME.
I CURRENTLY ATTENDING NURSING SCHOOL

[mercynurse]

Crystal,
That is absolutely WRONG! There are many advantages as well as disadvantages to nursing. Differing hours and days can be an advantage.
Having been a nurse for 27 years and worked on the east coast as well as the mid-west, I can tell you there are LOTS of shifts, hours and days avalialbe. I worked 7pm-7am for 15 years while my sone was growing up....he never came home to an empty house and I was room mother EVERY year (including junior high) as I was one of the only mothers home.
Many hospitals now have 12 hour shifts. 7am-7pm or
7pm-7am. But 3 days/week is full-tme. Weekend plans are also avalable (if you have a spouse who is always off the weekend, you wouldn't even need a babysitter). ERs have varing shifts. Drs office, industrial or school nursing are probably the few places that have 7am-3pm shifts only.

Working PRN or agency affords you control of shifts and times that you will work. You typically make more money/hour but do not get benifits.

Does any of this help? If you'd like more info please feel free to contact me directly, I'd be glad to help further if I can. We need smart dedicated caring people in the profession.
Hope this helps, Bonnie

[medi]

Hi Crystal & Bonnie,
A lot of hospitals now have their own on-site day care facilities. When you start looking around for the place you want to work after you graduate you could check into that aspect as well. Where there's a will there's a way! Best wishes for your success in school!

Sara

[Kryss88]

I am a mother of 2. I love the verisitility nursing offers. I first became a nurse when my daughter was in kindergarten. I worked 6p-6a, so I got to take her and pick her up. I worked 3 days plus one call day a week. Self scheduling allowed me to work weekends so I really didnt miss out on much. Now I have 2 children, and my daughter goes to school full time, but my son is 2. The hospital had a day care that is open from 6a-8p, and only charges me for the time he is there. So, I work 6a-6p. I have missed a few of my daughters softball games, but I havent missed anything that was seriously important due to the flexibility of nursing. We choose the days we work, and as long as we have everything covered, we get what we want. So far it hasnt been a problem. I work with a lot of moms, and so far, they seem to like the verisitility also.

There is also the 7a-3p shift, and is great for mothers if you have good daycare coverage.