change in nursing career vs stay home mom

ok gang-help me out

relocated to smaller town in midwest from phoenix to be nearer to family. Surgeon husband took job in smaller clinic so he can be home more and is loving it because he is actually able to see his children instead of text messaging them. Both of us are in shock i think. Things are very different and our lifestyle pace has slowed downed. So the thing i wanted most, to be at home with kids, has left me feeling a little lost.

I have been icu rn for 15 rs in large traume center. I only ended up in that area related to the high need, better pay and always had the overtime. i was gone alot to keep us going. in retro i know now that we would of not had the 300 cable channels, we would of drove older cars and lived in apartment and went to the library instead of barnes and noble. we did not have fancy things, but did not cut back like we should have-and probally a little guilt thrown in there.

has anyone left the workforce to be stay home mom?? Did you feel confused in the beginning? Because of decreace in pay in this area and depending on family for childcare
(they would be insulted if we hired someone else) does not really make any financial impact and i know i do not want to go full time. Also any nurses have opinions on going back to school-did it really open up options. Sad to say the rate of pay and different working options in this area is poor. Nurse practioners make a little more but the call hours ect make it not very attractive. thought about hospice, red cross but i am having a hard time letting go. i went on a few interviews but by the time i get home i think no thanks. So is this nurse burnout? relocation stress? post residency trauma syndrome (you all know what i mean or at least you will!!) i always love your feed back

[Ladybug122]

Re: change in nursing career vs stay home mom

Hi there! Well, I have not been a SAHM, so I can't really comment from experience, but I can relate to your situation, but I am a nurse. My background and love is in obstetrics. However, due to DH's training, I took a job as a clinical research nurse. It's a different sort of job, lots of paperwork and administrative stuff. Little patient/family contact, and virtually no use of nursing skills. BUT, it's M-F, (although I do carry a pager), and it allows me to find consistent, safe, and quality child care for my son. Working rotating shifts (which is all they have around here) does not work when you have to find a sitter and you have no family around! I have been in this job abou 15 months now, and it's ok, but after having a job in an area that I truly LOVED, it's hard to accept a job that is just ok...but you do what you gotta do, right?
After about a year in this job, I decided that to make me feel better about having a job I didn't love, I needed to get a per diem job in an area I did love. So, I did. I now work about 3-4 shifts a month as an OB nurse in a local hospital. It's great. There is no time committment, I work when I want, and I enjoy it because I do it cause I want to and not because I have to. So....how about working as an RN per diem in an ICU? Flexible hours, usually better pay. If not, have you thought about teaching? I would like to get my masters (maybe PhD!) one day and teach...a rewarding job and there is a desperate need for nurse educators.
One day, I would like to stay home with my kids (at least I think I do... ), but I think that my job is a big part of who I am and I do truly enjoy nursing, so I think I will always work in some capacity.
There are also specialized jobs out there that would use your ICU background... like being a transplant coordinator, or being a clinical instructor for nursing students, or working in quality improvement. If there's one thing about nursing, it's opportunities, you just have to figure out what interests you. Have you thought about doing something TOTALLY different, like say pediatrics, or ED, or OR?
Whatever you do, give yourself some time to decide (if you can, anyway).
Staying home after working full time for so long is a difficult adjustment, but like any change in life, it takes some getting used to. Good luck!!

[Cumberland]

Re: change in nursing career vs stay home mom

I do work part time teaching and it is probably the best job I have had in nursing, but not the highest paying. I mostly teach at the graduate level where most classes are online. Right now I am a 0.6 FTE (24hrs/week) but actually work out of the home maybe 6-8 hours a week and maybe work 15 hours a week total. Where is that WOOT icon?

I got into teaching when I was working as an ER NP. A colleague taught med-surg clinical at a local CC and they needed another instructor. I did that for a few semesters while also working in the ER, then when we moved for residency started at the U here, and after a semester or two more of undergrad clinical I begged my way into teaching NPs.

Bedside nursing is not my calling, therefore getting a Masters was the absolute best thing I could have done careerwise.

[Flynn]

Re: change in nursing career vs stay home mom

I'd just like to add that being a SAHP takes YEARS of practice.

I don't really feel like it was a fit for me until I had done it for at least 3 years.

I'm NOT pushing the SAH thing, just saying like any "new" career, it might not feel right for a while.

Some of my friends have freaked a bit at being home and took a new job only to be MORE unhappy. Their knee jerk reaction was "I CAN'T STAY HOME" when really it was where they were in their lives.

Just my two cents.

Re: change in nursing career vs stay home mom

I can't comment (yet) re nursing burnout but I"m currently on 26 weeks paid maternity leave so I"m at home with the kids. I was at the school picking DS up yesterday and I'm in 2 minds whether to go back to work in January or take the further 17 weeks upaid maternity leave to give me more time to think about being a stay at home mum. The subject of staying at home with kids came up as we were all waiting for our 3 years olds to come out of school. One of te mom's is due to go back to work and is also in 2 minds, there were 2 other moms who have chosen to be stay at home moms and one of them said something I think will be very true if I choose not to go back to work. 'You will never regret staying at home watching your children grow' Although, for us it will be financial if I go back.


Could you take leave for a few months to see if you staying at home with the kids would suit you? You may find that you do need to go to work to have adult interaction for yourself.