Becoming a nurse & Childcare concerns. Please help

financialfreedomxo

So I have a law degree that I haven’t used (haven’t been able to land a job in the field). I’ve got 2 kids (2 & 4), and I’m thinking of retraining to become a nurse for two reasons:
1) Employability 
2) I am generally a caring person and have always thought that nursing would suit me. 

3) Tired of struggling for money due to being underemployed or unemployed. 

4) Currently unemployed and I don’t get benefits. So literally what my husband gives me and what I make on eBay or Etsy is ALL I get and it’s not much. 

My main concern is childcare while I am studying/doing placements. 

Anyone else studied nursing with such young kids? How was it for you? Do you recommend it? Is it a good idea? What did you do for childcare?  

Simon11

Would it be worth doing a part time role in a care home or hospital to see if nursing is the career for you? They may even provide extra training that helps in a role as nursing.
Then when the children are older, it is easier to commit to a nursing course?

JamoLew

It also depends on how good and flexible your support/childcare network is.

Make sure you have all eventualities considered - its not easy finding childcare at very short notice especially for unsociable hours

74jax

I don't know the nursing program but is it set shifts at hospital /uni? 
Remember it's not just you who needs to sort childcare, your husband should be thinking he's at work too so how will he sort childcare too. Together you can come up with a plan.
Maybe he sorts one day and you do the next etc. If you have a full time job /study plus all responsibility of getting the kids to/from nursery then you'll be run ragged. 
I volunteer in a hospital and it's a great way to see what goes on, hats off to you as it appears so incredibly stressful but so rewarding. 

comeandgo

My family are nurses and as they work 12 hour shifts, some times day, sometimes nights, childcare is a nightmare for them.  It is the grannies who supply childcare as no nurseries available at the hours needed.  I presume training is still three years and during training the trainee nurses could be doing 9 to 5 in college or working in wards in an area of 50 miles radius from their home on 12 week rota.  

wilfred30

If you are serious about becoming a nurse, I suggest you revisit your reasons for doing so.  To me, they don't look like the sort of attributes the NHS are looking for when taking on trainees.  

I'm pretty sure that 3 of your 4 reasons wouldn't fit their criteria, at least, I certainly hope they wouldn't.  I wouldn't want to be looked after by someone who was literally only in it for the money.

flea72

Most nurses work on a rota system, so days and shifts vary week to week.  You need good childcare to cover this, especially for after night shifts, when you will want to sleep during the day.  Student nurses follow the same shifts, its not 9-5 when you are on clinical placement.

if childcare outside of nursery hours would be difficult for you, then there are many other professions within the nhs that may be more suitable.  Anything thats outpatient based, so OT, dietician, podiatrist, mammographer.  Look at nhscareers for more advice

weeblesim

I'm replying from the child's perspective i.e. my mum trained as a nurse when I was young as my parents were getting divorced.

It was really hard for her, whilst my siblings and I were growing up she mainly did night shifts, and weekends in order to make childcare work. It was never guaranteed that I would see her over Christmas and New Year etc. It's not a family-friendly path to choose. My mum relied a lot on family members to have us stay over the weekend. As an adult who is now also a clinician in the NHS, work pattern was a real priority and consideration for me. Therefore, I've actively chosen a clinical career path that has more typical office hours. 

If you really want to work in healthcare and have good job prospects, have you considered graduate entry medicine? It sounds like you would have the academic aptitude if you've completed a law degree. It would be a 4-year degree rather than the usual 5. This would also have a much quicker salary progression and likely give you the potential to work part-time and thus more family-friendly. 

AskAsk

nursing requires odd shifts, so with two young kids, it may be difficult.  i read on the news that there is a huge amount of applications for nurse training at the moment because covid has got people interested, which is great news for the future of the NHS as nursing had been dying as a profession in the UK.

could you not use your law degree to give you a foot in the door and apply for an admin or managerial role within the NHS or the public sector if you are looking for security?

t0rt0ise

Don't let people put you off. Unis and hospitals usually have nurseries for their students/workers. And some unis do what tend to be called blended courses where the theory is done online, so can do it from home. When qualified there are plenty of jobs with family friendly hours, outpatient clinics, schools, GPs etc. Go for it.

Apintplease

Ok so its been a while since I worked for the NHS in a training hospital, but we had an on site creche . I remember one nurse coming back from maternity saying she was working a year FOC as her wages covered the creche but she need to be working to keep up with her studies to progress

You have a law degree, you dont need to be a Nurse to get a good job within the NHS, and there are plenty of roles within local government - neither needing shift work, and as a junior nurse, it will be shifts and you will also be doing a shed load of overtime