Nursing Careers for Students Balancing Nursing and Raising Children

Juggling between being a nurse and a mom or dad is draining. You want to be productive at work, but not at the expense of being present for your family. There is also the need to connect with people, make friends and participate in learning opportunities. It is estimated that around 70 percent of mothers struggle to achieve a balance between their career and parental responsibilities. The good news is that if you are a registered nurse, you are in luck! The nursing field offers a flexible and diverse career option. Nurses can enjoy a fulfilling career, make good earnings and still enjoy quality time with their family. Here are nursing career options that are well-suited for parenthood.

School Nurse
Being a school nurse is often overlooked when it comes to career options. School nurses serve students in elementary school, high school and university. The duties and responsibilities of school nurses include, administering medicine and assessing illnesses among students. School nurses can also teach first aid to children.

School nurses enjoy great flexibility. If you have young ones you can enroll them in the school where you work. This way you can keep a closer watch on them. It is also a great opportunity to interact with your kids teachers for the welfare of your kids. The other great incentive is that you get the weekends off. You can unwind and enjoy more time with your children. Another benefit is that the school environment is not as hectic as working in a hospital. You don’t deal with nursing emergencies on a daily basis. By the time you get off, you are relaxed and can do more.  

Home Nurse
Home healthcare nurses are usually on high demand and this trend is expected to continue. Homecare nurses are placed in homes and work directly with the patients. These nurses are mainly sought to care for patients who have been diagnosed with complex medical problems such as disability. These patients need round the clock surveillance to help them manage medications and treat wounds. Becoming a home healthcare nurse gives you great flexibility and you can choose your work hours. You also get the liberty to leave at least by 3 p.m. and pick your kids from school.

This job is particularly ideal for parents. As a home nurse, you have the freedom to set your appointments depending on the needs of your patient. You also get to take breaks and make it to your kids’ school for various events.

A per diem nurse
When raising kids, sometimes it is best if one of parent works part-time, especially when the kids are still at a tender age. If your economic situation allows it, then this is a great option. Per diem nurses enjoy flexible working environments, higher pay than regular nurses and work freedom. The greatest benefit for a parent is flexibility.

If your kids have not started pre-school, then being a per diem nurse is a great option. This is because, you get to set working hours based on your availability. You can even choose to work on weekends only, or on a particular day of the week. You can tailor make your job to fit in your family’s schedule. A great consideration for becoming a per diem nurse is your family’s financial stability.

These three options offer great flexibility to nurses who have demanding parental responsibilities. It can also be a great way to transition to a new career or new job profile. If being a nurse in hospital is too demanding, you can always switch to any of these three options.

To learn more about a career as a Practical Nurse, and whether it’s the right fit for you, schedule an appointment with Athena Career Academy today. One meeting with our Admissions counselors could help put you on the path to a successful new career that could change your life for the better. 

Athena Career Academy is located at:
5203 Airport Highway
Toledo, Ohio 43615
Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30AM to 4:30PM
Phone: (419) 329-4075