Student nursing

[HumptyDumpty2]

Has anyone juggled full time nurse training and family life?

I'm thinking of doing mental health nursing and would love to hear someone's success etc story!

I trained before I had a family, but I think if you can work around the shift systems with childcare it is absolutely doable. Don't forget you will get long-ish holidays too. I currently work 30 hours a week as a community psychiatric nurse and I'm completing 2 modules of postgraduate study at the moment, as well as juggling a family. Its hard to fit it all in sometimes, but it is absolutely worth it.

I'd encourage anyone who wants to join the ranks.....its the best job ever!

i'm a community mental health nurse but trained before having children. i have however mentored many student nurses whilst they were on placement who appear to juggled family life and training well. agree it is worth so if you can i say go for it!

thanks!

That's eased my mind lots. DH will only be working part time too so dd won't need to go full time cc which is good.

(runs off to research courses...)

Hi Humpty, how did the research go? I really want to do childrens nursing but have 3 very young children, been a sahm mum for 4yrs, dh works very long hours over an hour away and I don't think I'll ever be able to do it. I know I can if I really want to but need some success stories to prove I can!

Hi

I didn't have kids when I did my nurse training (qualified in 2009), but a lot of my friends on the course did. In fact, probably half the people on the course were mature students with kids. There will be a lot of Mums and Dads in the same boat. You CAN do it but it will be difficult, especially if you have to do a lot of travelling for placements. Placements will be full time and you often have assignments and studying to do at the same time. I found that hard even without children! The parents I studied with are almost all still nurses and they are doing great.

A lot of people did drop off the course because the juggling was too much. I'm not saying that to put you off though. Just being honest. I think some people just weren't prepared for how hard it would be. It won't be ideal for family life, you will miss your kids but It it will be worth it in the end!

If you have supportive partner and family it will help a lot.

Have a look at the Student nurse forum this should help. You'll hear lots of success stories too:
www.studentnurse.org.uk/