How to Balance a Nursing Career With Motherhood

Being a mother is hard. Completely amazing, but still hard. Sleepless nights, sick kids, cooking, cleaning, and all of the other responsibilities that come with the job never, ever end. Then, you add in the duties and stresses that can come with your job as a nurse. How are you supposed to handle both? Well, finding balance in your life as a nurse and a mother isn’t easy, but it is possible. Here are a few tips on how you can make it work for you.

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1. Stop feeling guilty. Choosing to fill your life with motherhood AND a career outside of your home is a noble thing. Although feeling conflicted about your work situation can be normal, remember that your work outside of the home is just as impactful as your responsibilities as a mom. Everyday that you spend at working as a nurse, caring for the needs of your patients, you have the opportunity to impact their lives in a positive way. As a parent, your responsibility as a nurse sets a positive example for your kids about hard work, providing financially for your family, having compassion for others, and the endless career opportunities that await them when they get older.
   
   
2. 
   Talk to your employer about your family needs. It’s always better to let your boss or HR representative up front what your needs are. Find out if your employer offers family sick days as part of your benefits package. Can you work a specified and consistent schedule every week instead of a swing shift? If you work for a hospital, nursing home, or other 24-hour care facility, you may be able to arrange a schedule where you work longer shifts on fewer days. Once you have determined a schedule that will work well for both you and your employer, you’ll feel a little less stressed about your decision to work out of the home.
   
   
3. Determine your plans for childcare. As a mother, one of your biggest concerns is who will care for your kids while you’re at work. It’s not an easy thing to entrust your children’s care to others. But, if you find a reliable childcare provider that you can trust, the decision to work outside the home can be made a little easier. Hiring a dedicated childcare provider will help relieve your stresses and make your workdays pass a more smoothly. Ask available family members if possible. Find a care provider through a reputable nanny service. Or, you can check references for a local daycare provider. Remember that even though someone else will care for your kids, you are the one who loves them most and comes back to them every day.
   
   
4. Get organized with a family calendar. Organization is key to making sure your days pass by smoothly. As a parent, you understand that chaos seems to come hand-in-hand with childhood. But, you can help to reduce some of the stress that can come with it. Have your calendar in a central location where everyone can see it. Include everything on the calendar from your work schedule to kids sports events, meetings, and other family priorities. Writing everything out can help you to identify busy days and down days and provide you a chance to make the plans you need.
   
   
5. Set boundaries on your non-work days. Do your best to keep your days off focused on spending time with your family and focusing on your home life. Overtime and on-call opportunities can be tempting, but unless you financially need the extra money, try your best not to work on your unscheduled days. They key is to find a balance between your work and home lives. Give your boss and patients 100% of your attention when at work, and commit to giving your family the same attention when at home.
   
   
6. Be sure to take time for yourself. Balancing two demanding responsibilities like parenting and a full-time job can be exhausting. Take some time to rejuvenate yourself and rest your mind. Be honest with yourself and realize that if you want to give your best to those around you, you must take care of yourself. You aren’t Superwoman, so don’t try to be. Take care of yourself; mind, body, and soul. Then you’ll be able to ready to take on even the most difficult of patients on the days your kids make you want to scream.
   
   
7. Don’t forget to ask for help. There is not shame in admitting that you can’t do everything by yourself. Balancing work and home life isn’t easy. Make sure your spouse or partner shares in the child raising responsibilities and housework. If you are a single parent working as a nurse, consider asking friends or family for help in any area needed or hire outside help for housework if possible. This will ease your stress and help you find balance before things become too overwhelming to handle.

Balancing your nursing career with your role as a mother can be hard, but don’t let your dual role rob you of your love of both. You have so much to offer the world and your job as a nurse and your lifelong role as mom allow you to share your gifts with the world.

Athena Career Academy provides career training for Practical Nursing (PN). Our school is located in Toledo, Ohio. Learn more about the different nursing programs Athena Career Academy has to offer by calling (419)329-4075 or filling out our contact form.