staceyobu Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I worked as a nurse for years before quitting to stay home with kids. I *really* miss working. However, when I was working, I *really* wanted to quit to be home with the kids. We have multiple church commitments as well as caring for kids. I really don't see any way to go back even part time without really turning our current lifestyle upside down. But, the longer I'm out of work, I know it will be that much harder to ever go back. I think I need to just be content with where I'm at now... but I still miss it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjbeach Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I worked as a nurse for years before quitting to stay home with kids. I *really* miss working. However, when I was working, I *really* wanted to quit to be home with the kids. We have multiple church commitments as well as caring for kids. I really don't see any way to go back even part time without really turning our current lifestyle upside down. But, the longer I'm out of work, I know it will be that much harder to ever go back. I think I need to just be content with where I'm at now... but I still miss it... I'm a nurse who has not worked since the birth of my oldest and I *totally* miss it. My hubby has his own biz and is a workaholic so I always said "When things slow down with him." But I've now been out of it for 10 years, so for me now it would mean a lot of work just to brush-up/update my skills...:001_huh: I miss it. I miss having my own pocket money but I miss the patient care the most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I understand. I've been home FT (working from home, but not in my chosen field) 4 years. I LOVE being home. But, I miss my work. I would love to go back parttime, nights, so that I could still be home all the time. But, with us having babies, living where we do, my husband's work schedule, it's just not an option. There is a season for everything. This season will pass and we will have more time than we know what to do with. I hope that you can find patience to enjoy this time and when the time is right, that you find a position that will work for you and your family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalknot Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I've felt the same way. I took a 3 year long leave of absence, and was antsy to get back before the first year was up. Returned to work, and was jonesin' to be back home before about as long. Grass; greener. I'm fortunate that I'm able to work part-time now. It's a bit hectic and crazy, and there are family commitments I sometimes miss as well as work friendships that have slid a bit ... but the compromises all around are working for me. My best friend's mom was a nurse who stayed home after the birth of her final child. She planned to return once her baby started kindergarten. That baby will turn 32 this year and she's still at home LOL. She found that contrary to common belief, she was needed at home more when her kids were older than she was when they were younger! She said it took her some years to get over the ... grief? disappointment? ... of not being in the workforce, and then another few years to go from appreciating being home to LOVING being home and seeing it as "work" she enjoyed as much as she had nursing. ((hugs)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Dup. Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Can you tell me more about what you miss? I am really struggling with the decision to go back to school for nursing. I've completed one year and I'm almost done with my pre-reqs to enter nursing school. I know how much stress it would add to my life and on my family...I'm just not sure it'd be worth it. I've also heard from nurses how catty and stressful the work environment can be, so I'm curious to hear more of your opinion on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristinaBreece Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 When I get to feeling like that, DH reminds me that this is how I wanted things to be. And then it usually helps me to take a look at Philippians 4:11 (.....for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staceyobu Posted April 4, 2011 Author Share Posted April 4, 2011 Can you tell me more about what you miss? I am really struggling with the decision to go back to school for nursing. I've completed one year and I'm almost done with my pre-reqs to enter nursing school. I know how much stress it would add to my life and on my family...I'm just not sure it'd be worth it. I've also heard from nurses how catty and stressful the work environment can be, so I'm curious to hear more of your opinion on this. I think I really miss the patient care. I generally hated dealing with doctors. And there were definitely a million other headaches of having too many patients, too much paperwork, too much drama, etc. But there was something great about being there for people when they were sick and scared or had just had a baby and didn't have a clue how to breastfeed or change a diaper and getting to be a part of that experience. I loved patient teaching. I loved procedures (ivs, catheters, etc). I loved having adult contact and a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Dup. Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Thanks, that makes sense. If you had to do it over again, would you start from scratch and go back to nursing school at this point just to get those things back again? This is a great thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Dup. Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I'm sorry I didn't mean to kill your thread. :confused: Feel free to carry on and just ignore me. :blushing: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I think I really miss the patient care. I generally hated dealing with doctors. And there were definitely a million other headaches of having too many patients, too much paperwork, too much drama, etc. But there was something great about being there for people when they were sick and scared or had just had a baby and didn't have a clue how to breastfeed or change a diaper and getting to be a part of that experience. I loved patient teaching. I loved procedures (ivs, catheters, etc). I loved having adult contact and a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. could you look for part time work as a sitter? It is really hard to find people to sit with elderly/ill people to allow caregivers to even go to the grocery store. Or as a doula type person who could help new mamma's at home? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I understand too. When I worked, I wanted to be home, and vice versa. I found a comfortable medium by going back to school. My passion is teaching very young children and I'm back in school for a Montessori degree. I get to learn lots about these fascinating little people and I get to spend time with them, but I'm not out of the house full-time. It's not easy, but it's workable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 :grouphug: I miss working too (accountant). Considering going back part-time, just to have grown up interactions again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvasMom Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I worked as a nurse for years before quitting to stay home with kids. I *really* miss working. However, when I was working, I *really* wanted to quit to be home with the kids. We have multiple church commitments as well as caring for kids. I really don't see any way to go back even part time without really turning our current lifestyle upside down. But, the longer I'm out of work, I know it will be that much harder to ever go back. I think I need to just be content with where I'm at now... but I still miss it... Me too. :( I take solace in the fact that nursing is in a lull right now. It's incredibly difficult for even experienced nurses to find a job. So I figure I might as well be content staying home. It will pick back up soon and then my kids will be more independent and I can work. Hopefully the timing will be such that I'm ready to look when the jobs are ready to be filled. :) It won't be too hard to go back. Take a refresher course and it all comes back. I was at home for 11 years between working as an LPN and going back for my BSN. It all came back really fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyFourSons Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I miss working as well. But I was a teacher, so I still have an outlet in that area. I stayed at home, worked, and am back at home now, and I agree that I miss whatever I am not doing at the time. I also tell myself that I have the rest of my life to work, but this time with my children is fleeting and I need to enjoy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amirah Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 my mom was a nurse when my sister and i was born she stopped working we are both 25 years old( were 10 monthes apart) and she just went back to work as a nurse this past year and she is making amazing money and all she had to do was a quick training course and cpr. she loves working but loved she stayed home all those yrs with us. she says there is a season for everything ya know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I'm a nurse, and sometimes I really don't want to work anymore. But I am really blessed in that I work PRN, and, for me, that means 3-4 shifts per month. It's nice to get out of the house, it pays for the mortgage and the girls' extracurricular activities, and I love working with brand new babies! Is PRN/per diem something you could look into? At the hospital I work for, PRN nurses can choose as little as two 8 hour shifts per month. Just a thought. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocelotmom Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I'm a nurse too. Sorta. I still feel awkward about saying that because I've never been employed as a nurse. I graduated a bit under a year ago, and between moving out of state, our dear little oops, a weird mixup with the fingerprints for transferring my license, and the economy in general, I'm having a rather hard time finding a job. I'm definitely torn on wanting to go back, especially with the baby still a baby. But I really enjoyed school overall, and do want to work in nursing. I'm sick of being broke constantly. I suspect our homeschooling will survive just fine, and possibly even improve, as DH works from home and will be able to cut back on that to teach the kids. And I don't want to feel that my family and I put in all that time and effort and sacrifice for nothing, you know? But I do feel I'm needed here, as well, and don't want to miss my kids' childhoods, especially if I end up having to take a non-local job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 (edited) I very often miss work. I can't totally blame hsing...my oldest dd could easily supervise her little sister some of the time: they are both mature and self-motivated. (My nephew is another issue altogether, but I am sure we could work something else out. :)) My dh's schedule is insane, and has been for several years. I'd have to be able to cherry -pick my hours and my days. Sometimes I get a little weepy over this, so I have done some volunteer work. This doesn't help with college bills, nor does it put food on the table, but it does help me feel useful. Edited April 9, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Go back PT. Shelve the church commitments -- it can be someone else's turn, really, truly. Nursing is a great field, and in most places it is pretty flexible for PTers. Check out your options. Put out some resumes, look in the job listings. Your kids are young; you have many years left at home with them. If you are an RN and in the right kind of area, you can likely earn enough $ working a few hours a week to easily pay for a really great housekeeper once or twice a week to handle some of those yucky cleaning jobs noone loves. So, you can get your work in, and you'll ALL be happier. Wouldn't you rather work 8 hrs/wk and let someone else clean for 8 hrs a week. . . and have some spare $$ in your pocket, a foot in the door for more work in the future when/if you need/want it, your CE and licensing paid for. . . It NEVER hurts to check out your options. If you aren't tempted enough to dive in, then you have more info w/ which to either feel at peace w/ your choice or plan your future career when the kids are older and/or other aspects of your life change. Just my 2c. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staceyobu Posted April 4, 2011 Author Share Posted April 4, 2011 Thanks for all the thoughts. It's good to know I'm not alone even if there isn't a magic answer. Thanks, that makes sense. If you had to do it over again, would you start from scratch and go back to nursing school at this point just to get those things back again? This is a great thread. Ha. I don't think you killed it... I just went to bed! At this point, I don't know that I would go to nursing school if I hadn't already done it. Partly because it wouldn't be worth putting up with all the crap that comes with nursing school if I don't have time to work much. However, I would recommend nursing school for other people needing a career that makes decent money. could you look for part time work as a sitter? It is really hard to find people to sit with elderly/ill people to allow caregivers to even go to the grocery store. Or as a doula type person who could help new mamma's at home? I could probably find something like this... but I don't know that it would really give me back the things I miss the most. I miss the fast pace of the hospital environment. I'm a nurse, and sometimes I really don't want to work anymore. But I am really blessed in that I work PRN, and, for me, that means 3-4 shifts per month. It's nice to get out of the house, it pays for the mortgage and the girls' extracurricular activities, and I love working with brand new babies! Is PRN/per diem something you could look into? At the hospital I work for, PRN nurses can choose as little as two 8 hour shifts per month. Just a thought. :grouphug: I find it hard to get a PRN position from nothing. It seems like hospitals get most of their PRN people from those who used to work full or part time and want to drop down. I wonder if I could even figure out how to do everything again if I'm only going to be there a couple of days a month after being out for several years. The flip side is in order to not put the kids in childcare, I'd have to work weekends. So, is it worth going back if I have to give up two weekends per month? Which is the only time I get with DH? Sigh. Maybe I should look at this option again. I was working PRN previously (I could basically go in when I wanted... it was a super sweet deal). Then we moved. I just feel like if I call a hospital and say "Hey, could I work one friday a month and wednesday evenings" that they would laugh. But maybe they wouldn't. Maybe they need someone on wednesdays and fridays! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staceyobu Posted April 4, 2011 Author Share Posted April 4, 2011 Go back PT. Shelve the church commitments -- it can be someone else's turn, really, truly. Nursing is a great field, and in most places it is pretty flexible for PTers. Check out your options. Put out some resumes, look in the job listings. Your kids are young; you have many years left at home with them. If you are an RN and in the right kind of area, you can likely earn enough $ working a few hours a week to easily pay for a really great housekeeper once or twice a week to handle some of those yucky cleaning jobs noone loves. So, you can get your work in, and you'll ALL be happier. Wouldn't you rather work 8 hrs/wk and let someone else clean for 8 hrs a week. . . and have some spare $$ in your pocket, a foot in the door for more work in the future when/if you need/want it, your CE and licensing paid for. . . It NEVER hurts to check out your options. If you aren't tempted enough to dive in, then you have more info w/ which to either feel at peace w/ your choice or plan your future career when the kids are older and/or other aspects of your life change. Just my 2c. I think we were posting at the same time. Thanks. I'm going to dwell on this for awhile. And maybe talk to DH.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in AL Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 I just went back into nursing, I was forced to due to personal circumstances, but I LOVE it! I didn't realize how not being around adults and working as a team had effected me. I realize now I would have been healthier emotionalyy if I would have gone back earlier (not that I was unhealthy). I went back after being out 15 yrs!!! My resume wasn't that horrible since I did some consulting work in 2004-2006 (management) and then worked in a peds clinic paart time from 2008-2011, most of that was just medical transcription though. I love my job. It is killer hard, physically and mentally. The pt acuity is much higher than I worked before and it is very physically demanding, but I love the challenge. It just occured to me today that I probably got the job because it's so hard, they've lost a lot of nurses over the past yr due to difficulty. I can identify with you for missing it. I work 1 12's on the weekend, which takes away time from my husband. In a couple weeks I'm switching to weekdays, but my kids can school on there own a lot since they're older and in a lot of online classes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristin in NE Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 When we drove by the school I used to teach at, dh asked what percentage of me missed it, and I joyfully replied, "0%!" I love what I do at home (most days)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0mmaBuck Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 I worked as a nurse for years before quitting to stay home with kids. I *really* miss working. However, when I was working, I *really* wanted to quit to be home with the kids. We have multiple church commitments as well as caring for kids. I really don't see any way to go back even part time without really turning our current lifestyle upside down. But, the longer I'm out of work, I know it will be that much harder to ever go back. I think I need to just be content with where I'm at now... but I still miss it... I'm a physical therapist and I miss working fulltime. I miss the patients and the sense of fulfilment I got from work. I miss the sense of self-worth I derived from my job, and I don't get that at home. At home I feel like a maid, cook, chauffeur, laundry service.... Not someone who's knowledge and education has intrinsic value. I work a few hours per diem here and there do my continuing education hours to keep my license (so I don't have to retake my boards in the future). It's not enough, but it's what I have. I think I really miss the patient care. I generally hated dealing with doctors. And there were definitely a million other headaches of having too many patients, too much paperwork, too much drama, etc. But there was something great about being there for people when they were sick and scared or had just had a baby and didn't have a clue how to breastfeed or change a diaper and getting to be a part of that experience. I loved patient teaching. I loved procedures (ivs, catheters, etc). I loved having adult contact and a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. Yes! Me too! I'm a nurse, and sometimes I really don't want to work anymore. But I am really blessed in that I work PRN, and, for me, that means 3-4 shifts per month. It's nice to get out of the house, it pays for the mortgage and the girls' extracurricular activities, and I love working with brand new babies! Is PRN/per diem something you could look into? At the hospital I work for, PRN nurses can choose as little as two 8 hour shifts per month. Just a thought. :grouphug: This is what I do only in physical therapy. I fill in for other therapists on their vacation days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in AL Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 I was very active in church too, but had to give that up when I went back to work. Now I see myself as serving at work. I work on an oncology floor. Each time I work I am able to comfort someone or help them to cope with new diagnosis, pain, and loss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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