Is working in the NHS and being a mum too much?

[Winecurestiredness]

Hello

I've just started an access to nursing/allied health course at college which I am loving. Lots of mums in there too. But I am worried about some of things the tutors have being saying about how hard it is, especially when you have other responsibilities. I just want anyone on here who works in the NHS to be honest. I am young, 29, but I am also a cancer survivor with a child who has special needs (autism, adhd etc) and younger child who is 5.

Will I regret this? Will a career in the NHS be too stressful for a person like me? What is your own situation like and how do you find it?
Thanks

It is tough when you’re a parent and trying to study but not impossible! You just need to be organised and if you have a good support system even better! You don’t have to work in the nhs when you qualify, there are other areas of practice. Shift work is hard when you have a family and can’t be avoided when you’re a student so you kinda need to make peace with the fact you are going to miss some events and suffer the number guilt. But you will gain a career that while yes it can be incredibly hard at times it is also the best job in the world and I wouldn’t want to do anything else. Good luck

Mum guilt not number guilt!!!

I work in the NHS but not a clinical role, but my job is a very stressful job and I'm a single parent to my daughter. I too, am starting an access course in January and worried about juggling stuff. I would've loved to have done nursing but I don't have childcare help, especially for night shift placement. You sound very driven and determined. I think you will manage it if you're very organised. You have help with childcare too?

The beauty of nursing is there are all sorts of roles to suit. I found the private sector was much better for me once I had my children.

For the record I'm now a single mum of 3 (9, 5 and 3) and I'm a deputy manager of a nursing home pulling in a much better wage then when I was in the NHS. And I pick my hours to suit mostly!

Hello - lecturer on nursing programme here. Yes it's a tough programme and you need to be flexible to manage 12 hour shifts, be ready to start at 7am, finish gone 9pm, night shifts and weekends when you're on placement- which is 50% of the course over 3 years. The doablilty depends on what sort of support at home you have for children and getting time to study etc. I've seen students with incredibly difficult stressors rise to the challenge and complete the course because they are absolutely focused on the end game

Once you get through the programme and have your registration - at that point employers will be begging you to join them - NHS/non NHS full/part time - you can find something that suits you better

Allied health professions might suit more than nursing as there’s lots that work 8-4 Mon-Fri rather than having to juggle shifts and childcare.

Stress is unavoidable though, by the very nature of working in the NHS, which is squeezed as tight as it can be

I actually wanted to do Speech and Language therapy but it's so competitive and I couldn't find anywhere suitable that did it part time to fit around other life commitments. I'd absolutely love to retrain as a SALT. I work with our lead for AHP in our trust and they said its a very rewarding career choice but hugely competitive.

DH is disabled and works part time, I have 2 DC (toddler and baby). I have 2 people who can support with childcare when needed. Worked shifts for years before children. Pre children it was great, and the flexibility of shift life (12.5hrs so 3 shifts most weeks, 4 shifts every 4th week) can be good with kids. You need a good support network for child care and to be very organised. I find it really hard that I don't see my DC on work days but when I work nights and see DC more I'm knackered. Its hard missing things, you can't always get days off for family events and have to plan AL very carefully. Its physically and mentally gruelling at times so if home is tough it's hard to cope with. Staff burn out rates are high due to stress. Low level bullying is rife.

I have loved my job, I care so much about my patients it was most of my life before children. Now I have more responsibility and I want to be with my family as much as possible. I'm on mat leave and honestly I feel so much better with a newborn and a bouncy toddler than when working shifts (although this baby does sleep quite well!).

If I could leave the NHS now I would. I never thought I would feel that way. I can't afford to leave but I will be looking for a sideways move after mat leave to get away from the grind of shift life and the ridiculous work load.

We have longer term plans to pay off the mortgage early, staying in our smallish home so that if I need to get out of the NHS I can. I was mentored by someone who had worked in the NHS for 35 years and was incredibly skilled, most of that generation of staff have now retired. I cannot see that level of experienced staff returning under current pressures. People tend to leave between year 4 and 7.

If you really love the job you find a way and it depends enormously on your support network and the stress level of your role.