Returning to Nursing: A Guide for Stay-at-Home Parent Nurses

Maternity is one of the top reasons women leave or put their careers on pause. When it comes to the nursing profession, the statistics are no different. Nurses stepping away from their career because of a parental leave that prolongs itself or other family reasons are not uncommon. As the job vacancy in the nursing profession is expected to persist at 30% according to the American Hospital Association, some nurses after few years away from the profession, consider nonetheless a comeback. That said, re-entry remains a challenge especially in the highly skilled healthcare field. In this article, we will provide some actionable steps for stay-at-home parents who are nurses eager to return to the nursing profession to fulfill their calling and give back to their communities.

Check your credentials.

Depending on how long you have been out of the workforce, your nursing license may be inactive or on hold and you may need to reactivate it.   Check with your state board of nursing as the rules are not the same in all states. In certain states like Indiana, you are required to pass the NCLEX again after being inactive for more than eight years. Anything less than that only required a license renewal. 

To maintain your license active, the state board of nursing requires that the nurse continues her/his continuing education to stay up to date with best practices. Most employers offer continuing education unit eligible classes or contact hours,  which is very helpful in updating your professional skills and knowledge allowing you to stay relevant in the field and compliant with the state board of nursing.

You also need to make sure you have a valid Basic Life Support (BLS) certification as it only has a 2 years validity. If your certificate is expired, check online for course providers around your area that offer the American Heart Association (AHA) BLS for Healthcare Providers and sign up to take the class.

Some nurses also choose to enroll in a refresher course which allows a gentle reintroduction to the basic nursing knowledge like pharmacology and the clinical setting. Those refresher courses are not required by the state board of nursing but can be a valid option to help ease  any feelings of  intimidation and assure you are job ready, to care for patients safely.

Make a game plan for your childcare needs.

Lack of childcare is one of the most popular reasons for calls off in the healthcare industry. Studies show that healthcare workers experiencing childcare stress are 80% more likely to leave their position or experience burn out.

If you have small children who may not be of school age yet or you are exploring shifts at later hours, chances are this question has already popped in your mind: who is going to take care of your little ones while you are working?

Here are some ideas to help with your childcare needs:

• Enrolling your children in a daycare you trust. Daycares usually have long waiting lists so it is a good idea to start securing a spot as early as you can.
• Online resources like www.care.com or www.sitter.com are a good start point. Their mission is to connect families with quality local caregivers. You can even request their services last minute and they will do their best to deliver! Perfect solution if anything unexpected happens.
• Friends and family: Ask in your inner circle for anyone available to babysit your children in case of need. This may be a great option if you are looking at picking up a few shifts here and there via flexible work options.
• Choose to work around your children or partner schedule: this is actually a good way to be gone without having the feeling you are missing too much of your kids' lives. When they are off to school or daycare, you are off to work. You can be there in time to do school work, eat a snack or cook dinner together just like before you started working again. Another configuration could be working shorter night shifts and being gone only when your children are sleeping.

Set clear goals of what you want to accomplish.

Having clear in mind what you expect from going back to your nursing career can help your job fit into your life and not the other way around. Think about it: If you don’t exactly define your needs, how can an employer help you accommodate them? For example, how many hours per shift or days per week do you think will suit you best?

Consider that you don’t have to go back to do exactly what you were doing before your career break as your options are plenty. The profession is changing and one its main features is the extreme flexibility in terms of schedule. Some nurses prefer to work part time or PRN instead of committing to 36 hours per week or more.

A very interesting option to consider are nursing gig apps like Litehouse (think Uber but for nurses) through which you could decide to work according to your own schedule and will. It’s as easy as ordering food at your favorite restaurant: pick a shift available near you and go to work! Those apps  are useful when you want to work in different settings either because you don’t want to settle for one employer or prefer to work in places with different acuity levels and types of patients,  but mostly because you want the flexibility of zero commitment!

Acknowledge your feelings and embrace the change.

Be honest with yourself: this is not going to be a cake walk from the start. You might deal with a sense of guilt in the beginning. After all, stay at home parents are often the pillar of their houses. During your career break, your family may find itself relying heavily on you. Thus, resuming your career might seem like a huge disruption for your loved ones and yourself. Face and acknowledge those feelings: changes are a normal part of life and can make for unexpected growth. You might be surprised by the sudden interest of your family in what mommy does and the sense of pride when one of your children asks you about your daily tasks and responsibilities. Also, it will certainly help if you take the time to enjoy your new found childfree time and the perks that come with it, such as adults-only conversations or enjoying your favorite cup of tea while it’s still steaming.

Another consideration to make is the fact that the rhythms of a house are totally different from those of a working environment. Your body and mind will need a moment to adapt and switch back to your professional self. And that’s normal. Don’t feel overwhelmed or discouraged. After all, if you are capable of managing a household with multiple schedules, handling a load of patients and co-workers interaction is absolutely doable. Remember: you got this!

Resuming a career after a prolonged break is challenging especially when working in healthcare given its ever evolving nature. Planning ahead and following these key steps are a helpful start in taking the leap and stepping out of your comfort zone to continue your rewarding career in nursing.