Has anyone done a nursing degree with young children?

[AuuYSC]

Hi all,

I've been accepted onto a mental health nursing course and I don't know whether I should accept the offer.

When I start I'll have a one year old and a two year old, they'll be in childminders 8-5 everyday and I have a lot of family help but I appreciate sometimes my placements may cover nightshifts but I can ask a family member or my husband if he's not on placements either (he's doing the same course but in March) but I'm wondering if it's actually doable or am I setting myself up to fail?

I'm thinking about how obviously people including nurses work with young children so where there's a will there must be a way but then I'm thinking maybe not like I'm under no illusion it'll be easy but I'm hoping it's at least possible.

Does anyone have any experience? Also if you don't mind whilst you're commenting please can you tell me what I'd need for uni and placements as I'm doing psychology at the moment and I just take my laptop.

Thank you

It sounds a bit of a tall order two of you studying, managing on student funding, doing placements and looking after two children so young and so close in age.

Thank you

Money isn't am an issue so it's just the course and two small children - I guess I might just let my husband study and take a back seat for a few years if it's impossible.

Why is your husband apparently ‘free’ to take this course, but not you? Why do you feel your career matters less?

Fwiw my parents were both doing full time professional training when I was small. They had no family help (family all on other continents) but took on extra work to be able to pay childminders, etc. They both went on to have long and successful careers - with no resentment because anyone was ‘left behind’.

You and your husband absolutely should be able to work out a routine that works for your whole family.

I've done this course pre children and cannot even begin to imagine how I'd have done it if I'd had them, having had 3 since. It would be extremely difficult, If not impossible, to give both the course and your children full attention and commitment. I'd wait a few years.

@Any1Else - I don’t think her husband should take priority but he has already started the course. Whereas, OP hasn’t yet. Undertaking a Nursing degree isn’t quite the same as say working FT 9-5 in an office (when childcare is readily available).

@AuuYSC As well as attendance on the course the course would involve studying at home and attendance at placements which may or may not be close to home and is likely to be shift working (outside of the hours of usual childcare providers). So maybe best to ask the providers about core attendance hours in lectures per week, travel distance to placements find out expected hours/days/weeks required to be on placement (would the timings likely collide with DH’s placement), ask how much time you would be required to spend on independent study etc then you can make an informed choice. Also look at your finances and outgoings and budgeting etc.

People do study with young children and babies but it isn’t necessarily ideal or easy and having both parents studying, both on placements, reduced earnings/income for both and two young children into the mix.

Thank you @JanuaryBlues2023

Money isn't an issue so that's not a problem, it's the reason we're retraining actually.

The placements are within our area, none of them will be more than 30-40 minutes away.

We do have childminders and family help so we can have family members stay over if we're on nights.

But I'll find out how much studying is required outside of uni - I'm doing psychology at the moment and on my way to a 1:1 but I appreciate that this course is much easier which is why I thought I'd ask - I'll see what can be done. It might be I have to wait a few years.

I work for an RG university. Our nursing placements are deemed accessible in a daily commute if they are within one hour and fifteen minutes travel by public transport. You will have a mixture of placements in the city where the university is located, and outside the city and sometimes county. Students with childcare issues will not be prioritised for local placements unless there are additional circumstances eg sudden break down in childcare, child with additional needs ie extra caring responsibilities placed on parents/carers. I do not think my institution is unusual in this regard.

Additionally placements are in short supply in general so even if you are prioritised you may not get the local placements.

You will be doing shifts 7 am - 7 pm as if you were an employed nurse. When you are university based your timetable will be full.

I would counsel anyone with small children to think very carefully before undertaking nursing or midwifery training.

Some MH teams have 9-5 shifts but most placements are likely to be wards with shifts something like 7am-3pm, 1-9pm and 8.30pm-7.30am, or possibly 7.30-8pm long days, do you have enough reliable family support to make that work and do you want to?

If you want a good grade from an RG uni I'd call it 6 days a week's work - 5 on placement or in lectures plus a days work average on assignments.

I wasn't expecting to be prioritised as it's my choice to do the course, I appreciate the course doesn't work around me.

I appreciate there's shifts that are 7-7 but it's my understanding that these are usually three days a week and lectures at the particular uni is 2/3 times a week but aren't always on set days or times but there is holidays which my childcare covers.

I guess I thought nurses and midwives have children and they manage but if it's not right then it's not right. I'll get as much information as I can and make an informed decision.

Thanks everyone!

I was half way through my nursing degree when I got pregnant, I went back when my son was 6 weeks old as a single mum with no relatives in the country. I used childminders who were prepared to work out of hours.
It was bloody hard work but I did it.
Try it, if its too much then leave the course and go back at a later date.

I did a Nursing degree with a DSD4 however dropped out two years in as I had to try and juggle the degree, full time work, childcare and a dog. This was during the height of COVID though so life was different and my mental health declined rapidly. It's very hard and don't underestimate how tough the placements are. You don't get summer off like the rest of the students. Full time really does mean full time. But I would say if your husband gets to do it, you should be able to also. It's a great degree to have and you will learn an incredible amount.

I am a second year student midwife with a child in reception. It is VERY hard. I am a single parent but have lots of family support, so childcare isn’t an issue. What is the issue, is time in general and juggling life.

im currently on a 9-5 placement, 5 days a week, whilst writing an assignment and revising for an exam. My house is a messy and I don’t feel I get enough time with m son.

on uni blocks or hospital placements, the nights shifts do a similar thing and I’m always shattered the day after 3 long days.

i don’t regret doing it but it’s so much harder than I expected.

two of you training sounds difficult, I must admit.

I have 3 school age DC and am currently in my second year of a radiography degree.

I am lucky that my DH wfh and is able to do the majority of childcare as my placement shifts are often 8-8.

I absolutely have had priority on placement area due to childcare though which has really helped. I wouldn't be able to do it otherwise as the next nearest placement site is almost a 2 hour drive from home.

I definitely couldn't have done this whilst my children were still as small as yours though, it's a lot of work and I'm hardly at home. You can always revisit this in a few years time.

Thank you everyone.

Because my DH starts in march and me September we won't be on placements at the same time - he's be at uni and I'll be on placements and vice versa so I'm hoping that'll help and like say the childcare covers all hours.

Time isn't really on my side so I guess all I can really do is see how it goes.

I trained as a nurse when I was 19 and qualified at 21. It was very intense, even as a single person at university.
Im 26 now and have a 1 year old and I think there's no way I'd be able to train now. Im going back to nursing after maternity but part time 2 shifts a week.
One of the things you need to consider is how considerate some nurses/wards are if you have children. Eg if you need to leave early or your child gets sick etc, some are so inconsiderate to students.
Im not trying to put you off but the placements are ridiculously long hours and you don't get paid for them either.
If you are really determined to do it, I'm sure you'll find a way but would probably much easier when your babies are school age. You will miss so much of them being young doing a nursing degree. There's so much work as well assignments, exams etc.