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Original poster

SAHM who went back to work when your children started school....

25 replies

McDreamy · 09/03/2008 18:29

......did you go back to your old career? Did you retrain to be something else? If so what?

I am a nurse but have had 5 years off to have my children. I am returning to the UK in the summer and am wondering about going back to work. To go back as a nurse I would need to do a return to practice course but I'm not sure I want to. But that's all I know! What else could I do?

OP posts:
posieflump · 09/03/2008 18:31

Would nurses hours fit in with school hours or would you need a childminder?
A lot of people do jobs like cleaning, teacher assistant, dinner lady ect as they are more convenient for school hours and also don't forget the school holidays

foxinsocks · 09/03/2008 18:33

yes, I went back to my old career.

Have a fair few school mum friends who went back to nursing. The hospitals were so keen to have them that they all have quite school friendly shifts (the 2 I know come back for school pick-up, I guess they start very early!).

FranSanDisco · 09/03/2008 18:33

I retrained as a Nursery Nurse (piss poor pay) and am now training further to take this on to tutoring on this subject at the local adult education college.

Original poster
McDreamy · 09/03/2008 18:33

No the hours and the expectations would not be very child friendly. I was a specialist nurse before I left which do have child friendlier hours but it would be very difficult to get a position like that as I have been away so long.

OP posts:
Original poster
McDreamy · 09/03/2008 18:35

I've just got off the phone to my friend I used to work with and she says she can't get child friendly hours. She pays nearly all her wages out on childcare!!

OP posts:
foxinsocks · 09/03/2008 18:35

I am in a London borough - don't know if that makes a difference! THey seem to be crying out for nurses here!

princessosyth · 09/03/2008 18:38

What about part time. I have a friend who is a cancer nurse specialist and she does 2 very long days, the hours are not child friendly but it is only for 2 days a week and because they are both very long days the money is good.

Original poster
McDreamy · 09/03/2008 18:39

I would def want part time work. Yes I guess something like 2 long days would be ok.

OP posts:
Mumcentreplus · 09/03/2008 18:43

I went back to my old career...I was on a Career Break so my job was kept open...would you consider re-training?...how about a practice nurse or School nurse?

Surfermum · 09/03/2008 18:53

You coud do bank nursing, then you could pick and choose the hours.

Original poster
McDreamy · 09/03/2008 18:56

I've done bank nursing before (to supplement my income) and it's really hard. You don't feel part of a team, don't know the patients, etc but as you say I could work when I wanted to.

Had thought of school nursing, could look into that. Just not sure I want to go back to nursing at all but don't know what else I could be!

OP posts:
Mercy · 09/03/2008 19:08

McDreamy, a friend of mine who was a senior nurse returned to work (different circumstances) as a part time practice nurse. She also does insurance type work.

Apparently it's not exactly interesting but it brings the money in and is stress free compared to her previous posts.

VanillaPumpkin · 09/03/2008 19:18

Hi McDreamy. I am in this position except I don't have a career like you to go back to.
I have however decided to do my teacher training when dd2 starts school. I am volunteering at dd1's school at the moment for one morning a week and hope to up that when dd2 starts five nursery sessions in Sep (she currently does two). Hopefully in this way I will have some experience by the time I apply (and maybe someone to write a reference for me????).
Part of me would actually like to get going now, but I do not have the experience to apply yet....And I just know we will get posted if by some miracle I got on a course, so the plan is to wait until we are posted , pray it isn't to Wales, and then apply to the nearest provider.....
I am scared, but excited too.....
Sorry, no real advice there...just wanted to empathise a bit .

Lucycat · 09/03/2008 19:18

Yes I did and yes I returned to teaching - I'd had 7 years away to forget what it was really like

and i had exactly the same thoughts 'what else can i do' - but if you can get something flexible then your past experience should help greatly

Original poster
McDreamy · 09/03/2008 19:21

Good for you VP! I hope it all goes to plan.

OP posts:
VanillaPumpkin · 09/03/2008 19:21

Oh yes...my friend is a practice nurse and works two and a half days 8.30-17.00 and 08.30-1300 I think. She was A&E but hated juggling the shifts and childcare. She now does jab clinics and diabetes clinics smoking cessation etc etc. Worth thinking about???

brimfull · 09/03/2008 19:34

I have just returned to work ,back to nursing but then I've been out of nursing for about 15 yrs!
I have huge age gap and did floristry when dd went to school but didn't want to do that.

I have gone back to doing 2nights a week as HCA and am going to do return to practice course.Need to get it organised though.My friend did it in 3 months and she's been out for 18 yrs!

Original poster
McDreamy · 09/03/2008 19:36

Whereabouts are you doing it ggirl? Are you planning to stick to nights once you get your registration back?

OP posts:
brimfull · 09/03/2008 21:03

dorset pct

don't know about the nights,still getting used to them.
they are the easiest shift to fit around ds atm.I have a 16 yr old dd who can help me out when ds isn't at school.

Original poster
McDreamy · 10/03/2008 07:57

Wondering if it might just be worth doing the return to practice course and then waiting for a "family friendly" job to come up. I could always work for the HPA with my Infection Control qualification as well as in the hospitals.

Or I could sack it and do my NVQs in Preschool/primary school.

OP posts:
brimfull · 10/03/2008 09:57

I did think about doing a TA course ,started helping out in ds' school 2 mornings a week.

Then this job came up and I went for it.
Practice nursing seems to be where most of the jobs are these days.Yes and using your Infection Control you could get a teaching post or similar if you retrained .

DeeRiguer · 10/03/2008 10:27

is there something you really want to do? other than return to your old job?
is this a good time to think about giving it a go?

i cant return to what i did before (hours way too long and not school friendly in least) but am seriously thinking weighing up all options and ideas of work that will fit round school timetable and have about a year to figure something out..

its not a bad thing to do, and my life feels so different now i at least want to examine all ideas might not get another chance like this..

Original poster
McDreamy · 10/03/2008 10:30

That's the thing - what to do? I would love to retrain but I ust can't think what - to many options

OP posts:
luciemule · 10/03/2008 10:34

What about GP surgery nurse, rather than in a hospital as the hours would be a lot better.

I'm going to retrain to be a primary teacher once DS is at school next year and I can't wait, although I'm nervous about doing to something so completely different than I did before I had the kids.

brimfull · 10/03/2008 11:08

trouble is practice nursing hours may soon be changing to incorporate surgeries opening at weekends and evenings to tie in with govt plans.
Also you still need childcare on school holidays.Tis a bloody nightmare trying to work around children.

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