The nurse role is one of the important roles in the entire healthcare profession.  Healthcare can’t work without nurses.  A Nurse is the heart of healthcare, performing the essential role.  There are more than 5 million nurses in the USA, according to ANA.  It seems a lot, but it is not.  There has been a nursing shortage for a long time. I you are questioning if you should become a nurse, make your decision after reading this article from a nurse.

I am a nurse and a mother of three boys.  I became a nurse well before my children were born.  I chose the nursing profession when I was in high school. I took nursing classes before college to get myself acquainted with the nursing profession.  I wanted to be a good nurse and a good mother at the same time. Becoming a nurse was an important milestone for me.  I always wanted to become one.  

“Tell me about the nursing program being hard.”  I know how difficult it is.  I have been there.  Much time is spent controlling anxiety in nursing school rather than learning and absorbing the content. It seemed that the program itself is not humanly possible, but it is.  You are not alone.  My fellow registered nurses have graduated from the program and are practicing and earning good bucks. So,  you should as well. 

Happy Mother’s Day and Happy Nurses Week – all belong to nurse moms as well!

My first nursing job was at a long term care facility – nursing home.  It included rotating holidays and weekends.  Basically all working shifts in the world. The pay was not as great. This was my hardest job.

Then I got a home care job.  It was better, but not ideal. I couldn’t relay on my income. Patients decided not to open a day some day. No visit, no payment. Long millage on the car.  The only good thing, I can think of home care is hour flexibility. You make your own schedule.

I wanted to work in a clinic. Dreamed of an office-type job 8-5 with no weekends and holidays. In my current role, my schedule is a lot better.   I got exactly what I wanted. I often feel like an office worker. I don’t have much patient contact though. I am in front of a computer all day. There are positions within my clinic with more patient interaction.

Nurse that work in direct patient care, have the ability to keep up with their skills. Moreover, a day goes by faster that way. Clinic is where people come to be seen with upper respiratory infections. Front line nurses are prone to bringing it home especially if work in urgent care.

Benefits Of Being A Nurse

Knowledge

Nursing school and my nursing experience prepared me to care for my own children.  When I became a first-time mother, I knew what to do when my children were sick.  I knew when I should watch at home and when they should be seen. 

I strongly feel that a nursing career prepared me to be a better person, a better friend.  At first glance, I know how the person feels.  I can give emotional support when talking to someone for just a few minutes. When a family member is in distress, it is not the time for “lets talk.” I wait for that person to get back to baseline to talk about anything important.

Schedule Flexibility

After I was a first-time mom, I started working DIEM at the clinic. I wanted to raise my kids on my own. So, I made my own hours and never had a full-time job.  My per Diem position gives me the choice to accommodate my own children’s school schedule. In the morning, I put my kids on the bus and then go to work due to flexible hours.  

I wanted to become a good mother and then a good nurse and not vise versa.  I wanted to manage to make a decent living working part time and still give for my family.

Flexible Career Choices

I chose the nursing field for the wide job opportunities to balance family life.  I knew that I didn’t want to work night shift, holidays, and weekends after I had my own children.  The best way for me to have schedule flexibility was to become a nurse. Under nursing umbrella, many things are hidden.  Not all nurses are even aware how registered nursing license can be implemented.  With young children, a nurse-mom can even work at school.  School nurse has a privileged to share work schedule with their kids and have all summers off as bonuses.  My son dreams of me becoming a school nurse.  I am still thinking of that opportunity.

Financial Freedom 

I chose nursing as a career because it allows me to work part-time. I can still make a good living because nurses are paid more than in other careers. 

I was always a working parent. When my own child were little, I didn’t work as much. I was promising myself that I will be picking up more shifts when my kids are older. As my kids have gotten older, they want me to spend more time with them. They need me more now than when they were little. After school activities, and many other activities demanding on my schedule are retrieving me on picking more shifts. And that’s fine. I am capable to do that financially. For this reason, I am very grateful that I picked the right career. 

Challenges

Burnout 

I was always a working parent.  My family couldn’t afford for me to stay home past maternity leave. Although, I didn’t work full time.

For burnout prevention, I assign home tasks to other family members.  As my children have grown, I engage them in vacuuming, laundry, picking up things, etc. My children know that mommy can’t do it all.  Mom is not a maid. Mommy needs help with chores. This assistance allows her to go to work the next day. She needs to manage to supply for them.  

Medical Knowledge

When it comes to my own children, I feel that I know too much.  Nurses are the worst when visiting their child’s healthcare professionals.  I feel like I know too much and am too dictatorial about what needs to be done after what.  I constantly remind myself that I am not in a leading position at the moment.  Medical terminology knowledge can help me and can hurt me at the same time.  I start asking too many questions while offering a treatment plan for my own kids. I like to visit the physician who knows a lot more than I do.  It creates trust in healthcare professionals.  I often advocate for my own kids. Still, I would rather have a healthcare provider who knows exactly what to do.

I constantly assess and diagnose everybody outside of work at the same time. This one has diabetes.  This one is struggling with high blood pressure.  Oh, this woman has thyroid issues.  The other fellow has depression and anxiety issues. Acquired training assessment from nursing school will never leave me.

With acquired knowledge over the years working in the pediatric clinic, I share knowledge with new moms.

Advice for a new grad nurse:

Be careful for burnout.  You can finally make the big bucks.  You can’t earn all the money in the world.  Burnout comes suddenly.  Leave some energy for your young child and your spouse.  Don’t forget what the most important things are for you. Don’t sell yourself for money.  Work the least and you will be happier that way.