Considering starting a nursing degree while TTC?

[Sparkle2020]

Hi all. Cycle 16 ttc and have been working in hospitality for the last 6 years. It’s been very up and down and recently lost my job as “it’s January so we don’t need you” (great). I’ve been doing some thinking since then and have always been interested in doing nursing. I studied a year of adult nursing a few years ago but had to leave due to medical reasons (nothing that will happen again), anyway, I’m thinking maybe id like to go back? But would that be a stupid move when ttc?

A nursing degree is full on and horrible hours, tough to do when you have kids at all. I'd do it before I had kids (and I did) I see so many students dropping out due to childcare, or not doing as well as they could as they have so many responsibilities.

I am a nurse and I would strongly advise you not to do this. It is just so stressful, badly-paid and full-on.

Madness. Not impossible of course but why would you want to put yourself under so much pressure?

Yes it would be silly. The training is hard enough, when you actual start working, you won't want yo have a new born to juggle aswell.

How old are you?

Yeah I just feel like I don’t know where to go from here? Like hospitality was something I was happy in but it’s just way too unreliable.

Definitely don't try to conceive while doing the degree, maybe have a baby then do the degree? It's hard going with a child at times but doable and easier before they are in school as they can go to nursery all day

Is it something you really want to do? You don't sound that interested tbh.
I'm a nurse and it is tough with long hours for very little pay.
I wouldn't do both at the same time

Its a hard one. I know the world of putting things of for ttc. We've been at it for 2 years now. But on the other hand, If you go for it, you are looking at 3 years before you pull a wage at all. Longer before you are entitled to maternity pay. I'm a nurse, and one of the things we have worried about with starting a family is childcare expenses with crazy shift patterns. Not sure how that would work as a student nurse, knowing how little money and free time I had as a student. I've been qualified 10 years now and am lucky enough to be a band 7 and I only now feel that puts me in a good position financially to go for it.
It's a tough career, but I do love it. Its mentally tough too though, especially when ttc (I work in paeds)

I don't understand why anyone is strongly advising you not to do it 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

I'm embarking on my third year of my nursing degree having just had time off to have a baby. My third baby.

I did my first degree with DC1 was 6 months old so I can juggle it.
The only difference is the added shifts but you can work it out if you have good childcare and support.

And I tell you now, it's easier to have a baby during a degree then when you're working.
I got to have a say in my return placement which helped with me continuing to breastfeed and it meant no nights (he still wakes a lot). You can't opt out of nights and weekends when you return to a paid job.

Also, given that it's a heavily female environment, shit loads of us popped our babies during the degree.

Definitely don't try to conceive while doing the degree, maybe have a baby then do the degree?

I'm sure it's unintentional, but this is a really hurtful thing to say when the OP specifies this is her 16th cycle trying to get pregnant - she's obviously worried it's not happening very quickly and there may be an issue, which will change her perspective.

FWIW OP I don't know how the stress might affect your TTC and think that's a fair consideration, but if you're feeling worried you'd mess people around if you started and then conceived (as I know some people are bothered by this), I would say don't take that into account.

Well when I did the year I really loved it, so would definitely be something I enjoy. I just feel very drained with the whole putting things off for this potential baby that doesn’t seem to be happening.

Like I do it all the time. My sister wants me to visit family with her in America at the end of august because that’s when she has time off, I won’t book it until months down the line because there’s always that ‘what if I’m heavily pregnant by then’ Etc. Like I’m putting off so much for this potential pregnancy and I don’t even know if it’ll happen. But I also don’t want to stop ttc.

I really would think twice about this
Nursing has awful hours, stress and low pay.
Would you consider training for other NHS roles - maybe OT, physio etc?

I did! Admittedly I'm in Scotland so we still have a bursary (certainly lower than it is now though). I got pregnant at the end of first year, had a year out then went back and completed the other half of my degree. Was pregnant at the end of the course too.
If you are not in Scotland and don't get support financially it would be pretty tough. I also had a flexible nursery space as shifts change constantly when you are on placement. I got bursary on my year out as maternity pay too.

It wasn't the ideal way to do it, but I had just been told that conceiving naturally would not happen and we decided not to go assisted conception route. So realistically I was 23 and in a job that I didnt love but had a great maternity package and I knew that I wanted to be a nurse. I will go back after my latest gap and nurse for the next 30 odd years so I don't feel my training has been wasted.

@beseen19 I am in Scotland! But have only been here a year so I don’t know if I qualify for the bursary or if it’s for people who’ve lived here longer? Did you have a lot of people to help you with childcare, if you don’t mind me asking?

I got pregnant just before starting my nursing degree and already had one child

I started the course then finished when I was 8 months pg

I joined the next cohort a year later

I had a very supportive childminder and godparents who would take ds1 out when I needed to work

It all worked out ok
I left with a 2:1 and have since gone on to do a pg dip and MSc

Only you know if you can cope

Im a nurse. I had a two friends who had babies during the degree, but both had to take a year out of the course. Obviously unpaid, but both had partners/families near by. So I think its do-able IF you have a good support system.

Definitely don't try to conceive while doing the degree, maybe have a baby then do the degree?
Genuine question - how does that make any difference whatsoever?

In fact, that would hinder her. If it takes another 16 months to conceive that would be 16 months of degree under her belt. Either way you would be juggling a degree and a baby, so why have the baby first? Makes no sense at all.

Thank you all! I’ve applied anyway as deadline for Ucas is on Wednesday so will just see how it goes.

Can I ask if anyone knows much about student finance? I have 18 months of uni in the past, so am I likely to still get the 3 years of funding? And how does it work if you take a year out?

I think you would be crazy to do this. Why put the additional stress on yourself??

@misspiggy19 so I have a future outside of hospitality

DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou Because she will fall behind her peers and be less likely to complete it, I have seen it happen several times and it's a shame

You can't opt out of nights and weekends when you return to a paid job.

Not in the NHS around here, and from talking to other nurses, they couldn't either.
I took my last NHS position after a long chat with the manager about how nights make my migraines worse. She gave me 5 months of days before rotating me week or so of days then two weeks of nightsI also only got a full weekend off rarely. I mentioned it to her, Her answer everyone has nights. Except they didn't, her buddies never did them. Shifts suck. I moved to private, Days only with dedicated night staff.

Just be aware, OP, that your previous funding might have counted as two years, depending on when you left in the cycle, rather than 18 months.

Either way, you are likely to have to fund at least some of the fees yourself as a result, so look into this with SFE.