9 Best Nursing Careers for Mothers

Mothers have a different set of challenges they have to deal with as a nurse. But they also offer a much-needed different perspective to the profession. Having experience with children, they are often better adapted to work with children and their parents. They have first-hand experience with childbirth and what it involves. These are just two examples of how mothers often have a leg up over the competition in certain aspects. But there are positions in particular that are tailor-made for mothers, and where their aptitudes could give them an edge. Some nursing careers also allow mothers to better manage both work and family. Here are nine of the best nursing positions for mothers.

Family Nurse Practitioner

This is probably one of the most logical choices when it comes to mothers. As the captain of your own ship, you may already have had to deal with small disasters when one or all of your children decided to get the flu at once, including that oversized one you have to share your bed with.

As a mother, you’re already equipped with much of the skills needed for the job. You have to be able to communicate with people of all ages and remind them of the importance of treatment and adopting sound life habits. You’ll also have to work sometimes as an educator, counselor, and in many ways, you will become part of the families you work with.

Another thing that makes family practice such a good option for mothers is the slower pace and less demanding hours. Family nurses are much less likely to be forced to work longer hours and can also decide to work fewer shifts if needed. This is also a great career choice if you’d rather build a closer relationship with your patients. Interested to study nursing? The RN to BSN degree should be your objective after high school

Legal Nurse Consultant

A legal nurse consultant will serve as an intermediary between the healthcare personnel and various legal professionals. Their job will be to interpret different documents, terminology, medical terms, and also offer them advice, observations, and recommendations on any health-related topic.

One of the main reasons why this is such a good position for mothers is how much flexibility it offers. As a legal nurse consultant, you’ll have the choice to work as long or as little as you want. This is the perfect position if you want to stay on top of your family’s needs. Also, there are few chances that you will get called in the middle of the night or at 4 in the morning to cover shifts. You’ll be able to schedule your hours in advance and actually plan things.

To become a legal nurse consultant, note that you’ll have to first become a registered nurse and then get a bachelor’s degree. If you’re already a registered nurse or thinking of becoming one, know that you can always get your bachelor’s degree online nowadays through prestigious accredited institutions such as Carson Newman University.

The Carson-Newman RN to BSN program allows those with a registered nurse formation to complete their bachelor’s online in as little as 14 months. If you want to lighten the workload, however, you can always stretch it out over a longer period. This is not only a great way to get into legal nurse consulting but a variety of other advanced nursing professions.

School Nurse

This is another place where you can put your maternal skills to use. As a school nurse, you’ll pretty much have to work as a replacement mom when young students are coming down with an illness or one has suffered minor and sometimes major injuries.

Not only is school nursing a natural fit for mothers, but this is another career where you’ll enjoy stable shifts and lots of downtime during the summer. This will give you plenty of time to recharge your batteries and make the most of your time with the kids. You won’t find too many jobs not only in healthcare but in any sector, that will offer you this kind of luxury.

Home Healthcare Nurse

Home healthcare nursing is great not only because of the proximity you’ll get with your patients but for the freedom and flexibility it offers. This is another job where you could either work full-time or limited shifts. Either way, you won’t be asked to work wild shifts like other nursing jobs, and you’ll also only have one patient to take care of at a time. For many mothers, having to work the floor in addition to dealing with the stress at home becomes just too much. This is a great career choice if you’ve been working in a fast-paced high-stress environment and you need to slow things down.

Nurse Educator

Nurse educators are responsible for forming the nurses of tomorrow. They have to stay on top of new procedures, techniques, and technologies and make sure that their students know everything they need to know to do their jobs competently.

A lot of mothers have to deal with multiple personality types and adjust their communication style accordingly. The same applies to nurse education. You’ll have to adapt yourself to the learning styles of your students to make sure each and every one of them gets a chance to succeed.

Since nurse educators will work only during set school hours, you’ll be able to give your family the attention it needs. This is also a great option for nurses who want to work outside of a hospital setting.

Nurse Administrators

Another great career path for experienced nurses who’d like to leave the floor and get a change of air. Nurse administrators will be responsible for coordinating, directing and planning the activities of healthcare facilities. They also have the chance to work in all sorts of work environments, may it be a specialist clinic, family clinic, nursing homes, or group medical practices.

While the job of a nurse administrator is a very important one, they don’t have to deal with the same level of stress nurses have to deal with on the floor. This will allow you to come home happy and stress-free and have time to play with your children instead of coming home with a huge headache. Nurse administrators are also paid very well, which is another plus.

Nurse Blogger

You, as a nurse, will have a wealth of valuable knowledge that will be in high demand. Whether it’s information on new viruses and treatments, prevention, or general health advice, you have the opportunity to share this knowledge and turn it into a full-time income by becoming a nurse blogger.

If you want to get there, you have to be ready to be dedicated and work on your blog for a few years before it takes off. However, it could be a great way to earn some supplemental income without taking too much of your time.

Per Diem Nursing

It’s often a better option for moms who also have to juggle their family duties to slow down and work part-time. You should definitely consider the option if your spouse’s income is enough to cover for your family’s needs.

As the name implies, a per diem nurse will work on temporary shifts and are often called in to deal with sudden shortages. What’s great about working as a per diem nurse is that you can set your own schedule and only work within a set time window. Another reason why a lot of people like working on per diem shift is that it gives them the opportunity to work in different environments. You can also increase your availability if you need more money for a special occasion or if you need the extra income to deal with expenses.

Pharmaceutical Sales

This is a great option not only for nurses who are mothers, but also for any nurse who’d like to do a 180 and use their expertise in a related, but completely different field. What makes pharmaceutical sales so great for nurses is that nurses have to be aware of every latest drug and often have a much more hands-on knowledge of different medication and their effects.

There are few professionals in healthcare who know more about medicine than nurses. And sales is another area where you’ll get to set your hours. You’ll also be able to squeeze family duties between clients or set meetings at times that are more family-friendly.

Your job will primarily be to meet with doctors and sell the benefits of the products you’re selling. However, note that having a lot of freedom could actually play against you, so you’ll have to use those super mom organizational skills to make sure you can get the job done while taking care of your flock.

Conclusion

All these specializations speak to your strengths as a mother and are flexible enough to give you the chance to see your family. All of these deserve a second look if you’re looking for a career that will allow you to live a fulfilled family and professional life.