To give up my full time job to become a childrens nurse?

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Just that really. I am in a reasonably well paid job but I know this isnt where I want to be forever. I have 2 DC's (primary age) and I put off the dream because I felt that childcare was too impossible whilst they were babies.

I am now, I think, having a midlife crisis and feel like if I dont get on with this it will never happen.

Firstly - how the hell do mature students survive? Can anyone give me an example of what you get each year to see if its doable?

Also, how easy is it with kids? When on placement are you able to "book time off" for kids events i.e nativity plays etc?

I need a realistic view on this or am I being unreasonable to consider this at this stage in life?

I was a HCP in a former life, worked alongside nurses and my training had similar demands in terms of placements. IME if you're going to do a nursing degree with DC you need a very good support network and flexible childcare. You will be expected to work a full range of shifts while you are on placement and you will also need time to study and write assignments. In terms of booking time off, you could request that you have certain days off but it will be at the disrectikn

Sorry posted too soon, the discretion of the person doing the rota and some placements are more accommodating than others.

Ok thats useful thank you. Do you get the school holidays off? I just thought that might make things easier childcare wise

Oh dear OP, you don't seem to have much of an idea of the reality. It's my understanding that you get a similar amount of holiday time to a full-time job. It's not the 3 months summers and 1 month Christmas break of a 'normal' uni course. Unless you had a very understanding Charge Nurse/mentor it's very unlikely you'd be able to book time off for a nativity play... Have you made any enquiries with the uni you'd consider applying to? I think you'd really benefit from trying to arrange some shadowing on a ward too.

I've just put my UCAS in for child nursing next year. My DC will be starting reception and 18mo this respectively. I'm probably mad and I'm sure 100 people will be along to tell me not to but like you I think if I don't do it I'll regret it for ever.

In terms of funding you can get £7k a year from NHS learning support fund and then a student loan - you can use the online estimator on the student finance website to get an idea of how much you'd be entitled to as it will depend on any income of a partner/other sources. Also if you're getting any free childcare hours or tax free childcare you won't be entitled to this unless you're also still working an average of 16hrs at nmw a week.

You're not entitled to book time off for kids events but some nurses in charge of rostas will be more lenient/flexible than others. Shifts will often be long so a shit hot support network is essential. You won't get school holidays but you get about 5/6 ( I think!) Weeks leave a year and some of that will coincide with holidays (you'll probably get an overlap at Christmas and in the summer for a couple of weeks but not necessarily half terms or Easter.

Good luck if you decide to go for it!! ☺️

We had some of the school holidays off during my training, but definitely not as much as the schools would get. As others said you will have to work a variety of shifts. Also as others have said it would be up to the nurse in charge if you can have time off etc. But if you do long days then yiu would have 4 days off a week, so you could request if there was something really important you needed time off for. My work place is quite accommodating. I did my training when I was 19, but we had lots of mature students on our course. I think the key is being organised. I have recently done a specialist practice qualification and managed fine, with two young dc, but I did have a husband and two sets of grandparents. What support do you have?

Honestly don't do it, during placement you work full time and a mixture of days/nights/ weekends. You get a mentor and generally follow their shifts. The odd day here and there they may accommodate but there is no requirement for them to. Healthcare is fucked, with more and more paperwork added each day that the actual nursing part of it reducing. If you are going to retrain I would pick something else.....

Have you ever thought of being an AHP? I used to be an OT and the hours are much more family friendly.

I'm a student nurse and happy to answer any questions. We get 2 weeks off over Xmas and all of August. We don't get half terms off but get a week at Easter. My maintenance loan is around £9400 a year, and a parents grant of £1550 a year. These are split into 3 payments over September, January and April. You can also get childcare grants that cover things like breakfast and afterschool club too. There is also the NHS learning fund which is £5000 a year, plus an extra £2000 parents allowance payment, also all split into 3 payments. I'm on old style tax credits which aren't effected by the loans, however as a new claimant you would receive universal credit which is effected. A friend on my course receives around £500 in uc and has 2 children which may indicate the sort of help you would get. If you are struggling and can prove it, University also has grants they can give you on top of this. You can't really book time off during placement but if you can't do a shift then you have to make the time up in August when you are meant to be off.

Also, the majority of students on my course are mature students. It is hard with children, but it is manageable.

'I think you'd really benefit from trying to arrange some shadowing on a ward too.'

Very good advice. I don't know what sort of research you've done so far, but the reality of many healthcare jobs is a world away from what people imagine them to be. I'm a former AHP, and 20 years ago on my first day in the job, a senior colleague told me that 50% of the job was paperwork. I would say now it's more like 80%.

Nursing is a massively important but hugely undervalued career. If you haven't already, please do spend some time shadowing nurses in a range of settings

I just want to say I think you’re amazing, what we need right now is thousands more nurses. Good luck with what you decide

Hi student nurse 👋 I am 34 with a DD in Y1 , partner works full time. I am currently preg expecting in January so had to suspend this September to next September as placements can’t accommodate pregnant students past 28 weeks (apparently) but I have pelvic girdle pain so can barely walk.

my uni is different to another nearby uni, my uni does all placement in term time so all summer of which works out perfect for childcare . The other uni does not, they cram 4 placements into one year different lengths so 8 weeks, 12 weeks . Mine does 12 week runs of placements so last year was January to end of March with a week of for half term, then short one June - end of July . So worth checking the uni you are applying to.

NHS dictates placements so there rule is you are placed within a 4 hour commute. That helps to know as my uni is an hour away but they do the distance from uni not your home address, again may be dif for each uni. Shifts usually comprise of a nursing shift , 12 hours 7-7:30 as you have a hour for lunch. Unless on community or doctors then it’s shorter but you would need to make the hours up. You have to reach a set amount of hours each placement , to pass at the end of the 3 years. Lunch breaks aren’t included in the time so it’s usually 10/11 hours or 7 hours.

my finances, NHS bursary is usually around £2,600 every 4 months, three payments per academic year . Mine comprises of childcare , specialist subject and the standard allowance.

studnet finance based on your partners income if you have one, but usually the previous years earnings . Can’t remember if it’s before or after tax. However I meet the full amount of £11,000 as it has the childcare element in as well. Then full tuition which is paid directly to uni. If you claim universal credit they take your student finance into account as an income (even though it’s a loan 🤦‍♀️ From the gov, and if a ball ache to sort out with UC). You can also apply for further hardship from uni, NHS bursary and student finance but can be a lengthy process .

some placements are nice depending who your mentor is, usually it’s assigned for you and some shifts you can say ‘I can only work until so and so time’ for childcare but they don’t like it but they can’t force you as long as your willing to learn and show your keen to gain knowledge and experience.

happy to answer questions

No you work every holiday, seriously research everything.

Not nursing but I recently retrained as a social worker via a 2 year masters. I was 38 when I started and my twins were 6. It's been tough going but I managed it, got a merit and was offered a job by one of my placements so had no trouble finding employment afterwards. As pps have said, I think vocational courses have lots of mature students and career changes...I was worried I'd be the ancient one on campus...I wasn't by a long stretch. All my uni days were 9:30-2:30/3ish so I could manage round school placements were harder but ours where where we had say 120 days to do a 100 day placement so i used the 20 days for some of hols, school events etc which did mean that i finished later than some of the other people on my course but made zero difference over all. People will say you are crackers...they definitely thought i was but do it if it's your ambition!

I’m a mature student mental health nurse. I’m 37 and my kids are 10 and 7. I can only speak for my own course and university obviously, but I have found it seriously tough (and I am
career changing from children’s social work, if that gives you an idea). I don’t say this to put you off (god knows we need enthusiastic and motivated nurses!) but just to be realistic.

I’m on an MSc course and we get two weeks at Christmas and two weeks at Easter off. Last year I had two unexpected reading weeks but these were a last minute result of a timetable change. My placements run through August so no summer off. As for time off on placements, it completely depends on your placement and your placement supervisor - I had one community placement who had no issue at all with me seeing my children’s Xmas play one afternoon, and I’ve had other placements where if working a 7-8 shift where they would have considered letting me leave at 7:59pm generous.

Finances - I get 10k student loan and NHS bursary of about 7k (5k minimum, 1k parent payment and 1k for doing MH nursing). Lots of people are entitled to help with childcare, but my husband’s wage means that we are not entitled to this (he is on 31k so hardly rolling in it), and so an awful lot of my payments are taken up by breakfast, after school and holiday clubs.

Would I do it again knowing what I know now? Yes but only because I’m older, have had a career and have the maturity to realise the course is a means to an end. Had I started aged 18 I would have dropped out within a few months.

Feel free to PM me with any more questions :)

You do not work every holiday at all.

Not sure where in the UK you live but have you considered becoming a School Nurse? I am a student nurse at the moment with a primary aged daughter so a term-time role would be perfect for me. I saw an advert for a College Nurse in Kensington London, it's paying £34-37K per year and that's the full annual salary they're not pro-rating it!! If you're interested take a look, there are also other roles on this job site but I live in London: www.fejobs.com/job/college-nurse-1285496?lang=en-GB&frmsrh=Y

I think you are having a midlife crisis OP to be considering children's nursing yes.

NHS is very non child friendly you will work Christmas day never mind miss your kids nativity play! The salary also would it be less than you are on now?

It's long hours from 7am to 8pm, a half shift is 7am till 3 in nursing. I would work at a HCA in a hospital before taking up any training.

Agree with others.

Ypu need an iron clad supportive network who will be there for your kids overnight when you have to do night shifts and then in the day to do drop offs and pick ups.
Someone to cover the weekends that you work, long days, typically 7am until 8pm…. IF you get off on time.
These shifts can be back to back as well.
Expect to be working bank holidays, Christmas, new year, prepare to miss parents evenings, school events and kids birthdays.

I missed bed times, sometimes went days without seeing my kids or family.

I have missed SO much of my kids growing up, family weddings, big family events, social events, it makes me so sad as I cannot recall what I did on the shifts that took me away from all of those precious times, but I know I would remember every minute of the special event had I been there.

It’s real REALLY not all that it’s cracked up to be.

Not unreasonable at all. But my DP is a children's nurse and it's seriously hard work with punishing shifts. The academic side can be quite challenging and depending on where you want to go with your career it doesn't stop. My parents were also nurses and one of them was always working Christmas etc. My job is much easier and better paid...

My daughter’s BF’s mum started her nurse training at 45 but waited until both her children were in Secondary school. She has a husband who works full time but is home every evening.

She had a 5 week community placement in Shetland!