any nurse moms?? i have a question (this is VERY Long)

i will appoligize in advance for the lenght of this post. please bare with me if you can:

i was a new nurse working full time when i got pregnant. only worked for about 3 months before i got my BFP then i had an awful pregnancy and was put on bedrest at 24 weeks. so i was out of work for the rest of my pregnancy and on my due date i was sent a letter stating that if i could not return back to work then my job was being posted. and obviously i was unable to return to work. i was not planning on returning there as it was way too far from home and we were unable to work out day care for dd. So dh and i made a conscious decision that i would be a SAHM and i was thrilled beyond belief its what i really wanted as well as DH. Well now DD is 7 months old i will be out of work a year come april. and i feel like im losing my silk more and more as the days pass. im worried that i will completely lose it if i dont return and will feel like i completely wasted my $ for my education. Im and LPN and know my options are VERY limited. i dont mind then nursing homes thats where ive been and have enjoyed it for the most part. i do plan to return to school evenutally (once im done with having children)

We are currently in the process of buying a home and we need a new car so it would be worth it for more then a few resons for me to get a per diem job to keep up my skill as well as make a little extra cash. my parents as well as my il's are willing to rotate some time watching dd.

i know absolutely NOTHING about a per diem position so i was wondering if any one could educate me on this type of position so i dont sound stupid when applying,... am i dreaming when i say i want to work 1 day a week possible 2 someweeks mostly on fri sat or sunday?

If you read all of that.. THANK YOU... and any info you can give me i would greatly appreciate!

Re: any nurse moms?? i have a question (this is VERY Long)

ok.. well i'm not an LPN, i'm an RN and i work in an all RN hospital so maybe this will apply to LPNs or maybe not..

to get a per diem position you USUALLY have to have a year or more experience as a nurse. But if you can get a place to hire you with the 3 month experience then all those things you mentioned are very possible.
the usual requirement for per diem is 2 shifts per MONTH. Offering to work weekends is your selling point. Most of the time per diems are used on the weekends. and mostly at night.. in my experience. You are likely going to get a job at a nursing home and not a hospital since you still only have a little bit of experience.

I would definitly suggest going back to school part time. If you don't need the money and are only worrying about losing your skills you will get them back in nursing school..
I went to LPN school first.. never worked as an LPN at all and went on to get my RN. It was a great move for me. FM me if you have ANY questions! :)

Re: any nurse moms?? i have a question (this is VERY Long)

Hey...
I am a RN as well. I am actually as a CNS but currently working as staff in a Per diem position.

My pregnancy was very similar to yours as I was out on Bedrest from 18 weeks on. I did not return to my position I was in bc I worked in the city, had an awful commute and didnt want to be that far from my little girl. In addition I did not want to work Full Time

I have a PD position now as an outpatient nurse and if you were able to get hired as a PD nurse the schedule you are looking for is VERY possible.

Basically for me I give them the days i am available for a schedule cycle. I am not a "classic" PD in which they call me for sick calls, instead I fill the gaps in their schedule so I am always aware of what my schedule is ahead of time.
I usually work 1 weekday and 1 sat or 2 weekdays and no Saturday or sometimes 2 weekdays and 1 sat. it depends.



If you have any more questions let me know.

Re: any nurse moms?? i have a question (this is VERY Long)

thank you both so much! i would ove to do school now but unfortuantelly its impossible right now due to my $$ and my schedule. but its nice to know a little bit about PD. i didnt know if there was a required amount of work per month. because some months are harder then others. my DH works in westchester we live in suffolk. and he is gone about 14 hrs a day 6 days a week. so its hard to work out babysitting and whatnot. but if the requierments are only about 2 days amonth i can easily do that!

thanks so much i really appreciate it and i will keep you in mind if i have any more ?'s!