I have been researching so much regarding becoming a nurse and finally had a plan and was soo excited!! I was so hesitant if at 39 I should start studying a try to acheive becoming a RN someday even by milestones to achieve an income sooner in the field. But......am I ready for this??? Do I really deserve to be a nurse??????? The reason I had thought of working towards a career and a respectable one as a nurse is for my family..........Of course I want to study a career that would provide my job securtiy by a demand and of course a respectable income. At the moment I am a realtor and an entreupeneur. ( I've had 2 businesses) Anyhow, like I mentioned the main reason is for my family and we would all sacrafice $ and time away from me as I study in school and at home! Of course I would feel very proud of myself and accomplished but my family mainly my 3 kids........ages 20,15 and 5 (next month 21,16 and 5) a much better life and them feeling proud of me as well. But..............I had never thought of a silly thing for many........... HOLIDAYS.... I can't imagine not spending Christmas with my children or counting down the new year without them.  I feel I would be taking away such precious times and memories they can never get again. I make sure that their holidays are very memorable and that they never lose the spirit so they can always have these childhood memories. I know its silly and my eldest son is studying polital science but is now a certified firefighter awaiting to finish EMT class will probably begin working as a firefighter next year and thats one less to miss me because believe it or not Ive never spent a holiday away from him and I had him at 18. Well...............I know this is silly to many or most but I hadn't really thought about how demanding hospital hours are!! 24 hours a day 365 days a year patients are there! I know I can work in a Dr. office but the top positions and top pay would be a hospital. I am sooooo down now!! What else can I do in the healthcare industry because I really like it!? Is this dumb or selfish...my eldest thought I was nuts worrying about this but.........how can I not think about every detail before I commit to school and all it entails.....? Any comments would be appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for reading .........   ; )

From what I've researched, and from reading the forums here on Nursing Link, hours are very flexible.  Some people choose to work only 3 days a week and do double shifts.  I don't think becoming a nurse will affect spending holidays with your children.  There are plenty of young single nurses entering the field who would probably scoop up those shifts quickly, so I really wouldn't worry about it.  Just think about the positive aspects of your new endeavor.  You will be applying yourself in a field where you are in demand.  You'll be helping people everyday and will learn skills that might even help you become a better mother to your youngest.  I too have had some second thoughts on nursing, but just try and focus on the positive, and you will soon realize especially once you start volunteering that this job is a rewarding one - not only monetarily.  I wish you the best, and hope you stay on track!  Just keep your head up and work hard at what you want. 

Hey there! I am also working towards becoming a nurse and have kids. I've thought about the holidays but it doesn't bother me too much. Mainly because even though we may have to work some holidays, it's probably not ALL holidays. I'm sure there's a rotation and like tasha said, I'm sure there are people who actually want those shifts for the extra overtime. Also, my husband is a firefighter and his schedule is 24hrs on, 48 hrs off, on a constant rotation. So he does have to work some holidays. We just celebrate our holidays on different days when that happens. Like this year he has to work Christmas. So we're going to celebrate Christmas and have the kids open their presents on xmas eve morning just like it was xmas morning. They won't know any different and we'll still be celebrating it together and enjoying it just the same. Last year we did thanksgiving dinner on Friday the day after instead of on thursday. It worked out great. So even if you have to work a holiday it's not the end of the world. You just adjust your life and make the holidays when you need them to be.

You go for it!  I am 53, my husband has been an RN for decades and is burnt out but hey, he's a guy and hates to work with women....I am applying for the nursing program here by the Sept. deadline.  I already have an AS degree in Health Information Technology which is fancy for charts and electronic records, HIPAA, rules and regs. etc.  I even sat for the credential and can write RHIT after my name.  But, no one wants you without 3 yrs experience or start over in the game as a file clerk until they trust you to start coding ICD-9, CPT etc.  Basiclly, DX and procedures.  So I have all the prereqs,  my classes are so old I had to test out of A+P and passed!  Amazing since it's over 7 yrs. old.  By the way, I have 8 kids ranging from 33-17 and it took me 7 yrs off and on to get that stupid 2yr degrees.  The good thing is it's a stepping stone to becoming an RN and believe you me, I am going to do it.  I have worked full time in a call center for credit cards the past 8+ yrs. going to school off and on.  I would get so frustraded doing the calc. when I figured my 40 hr wrk wk compared to my husbands 36 hrs and sometimes 24 depending on when he felt like working.  He has not had a real job in ages.  He works agency so he comes and goes when he pleases.  lHe actually had 7 employers last year.  But back to the math, 36 hrs per 52 wks in a year is 1872 hours divide that into a 40 hr wrk wk and you bet 46.8 weeks worked per yr. Lets say 47 wks for round numbers. That means my husband working 36 hr wks( which is full time in a hospital) would actuallly have 5 wks extra time off.  Now when you consider the starting pay for RNs here is $23 an hour or so x 1872 hrs you make 43k/ yr with 5 wks off.  Try to spend some of that time with your kids!  I also have 6 grand kids in 3 different states so I don't get to see them unless we travel.  But my youngest if off to the Naval Academy in about 8 weeks, which I am super proud of.  He got there with a 790 out of 800 on the math SAT score!  So, now my time is mine.  He was the only one home.  His next brother is 3 states away ast UW  Seattle, brother in town moved in with girlfriend and bought a house.  Only see him when he needs something.  Oldest son moveing back to Portland.  Oldest dau. in Portland area, her apt. just burned down with all their belongings, 3 kids, no ins. and she is taking A+P right now to become a phlebotomist.  That's where I started 10 yrs ago.  It was fun, no pay.   This happened 2 wks ago while we were in TX attending another dau. graduation from PA (physicain asst.) program.  She did 99 credits for a BS in one year.!!! That's fast track US Army style and one more year has a masters in PA.  She is also an Iraqi war vet and her husband is in Afgahnistan.  Another dau. is married with new baby and grads with a Bach. this fall.  Another dau. is going back to school after a yr. off having her 2nd baby.  So.... bottom line is we're all busy and life goes on while you are trying to do other things. But you can do it! 

Remember there are three kinds of people in the world- one that makes things happen, one that watches what happens and one that wonders "What Happened?"

Go make something happen!  That's what I tell my family all the time and they are doing it!

Good luck to you!