Reading Time: 5 minutes Why You Should Go Back to Nursing After a Career Break
This is a collaborative post by Ana with information about going back to nursing after a break.
Many women (and men) put their nursing careers on hold in order to have children and stay home to care for them when they are little. If you are one of these people, and you always promised yourself that you would return to nursing as soon as you were able to, you aren’t the only one; this is exactly the same as thousands of other people up and down the country. Interestingly, though, not all of those people do eventually return to nursing; some choose different careers, and some become stay at home parents.
However, if you really do feel that nursing is where you belong and what makes you happy, then you should certainly go back to it after a career break. This can be a hard decision, particularly if you have been out of the working environment for a number of years. Often it can just feel easier to stay doing what you are doing, but if you’re going to have regrets, then this is clearly not the best thing for you, even if it might be ideal for someone else. In order to help you make up your mind, here are some reasons why you should return to nursing after a career break.
Why You Should Go Back to Nursing After a Career Break
Money
As much as we might not like to acknowledge it, money does become a factor in a great many decisions in our lives. If the household needs more money to pay bills, or even to be able to have some additional money for vacations or fun things like gifts and treats, then a parent who isn’t currently working and who then goes back to work can make all the difference and bring a great deal of help and happiness into the family home.
Although you might not equate nursing with making a lot of money because there is a stigma attached to this career that makes many people think it is low paid, this is only partly correct. Some nurses are paid poorly, but others, those with experience and more qualifications, will be paid much more. Plus, if you weren’t bringing in a salary before, and then you go back to nursing and you are suddenly earning money, even a small amount is going to be useful, and you can advance in your career so that eventually you are earning much more.
Extra Qualifications
Another reason to go back to nursing after taking a career break is that you are able to work towards gaining the extra qualifications as mentioned above. Doing this is a great way to jump start your career again, and will prove to you that you do know more than you think you do, which can be a reason why many people shy away from going back to a career they love – a lack of confidence is a terrible thing.
If you already have a nursing degree, you can enhance it on a DNP executive leadership program so that you can re-enter the workplace at a higher level than when you left it. At the very least, you will be able to give yourself a boost when it comes to your own abilities, and that is just as crucial. Remember, the more qualifications you have, the higher salary you can command, so it could be worth holding back to work at an online degree, which you can study for around your other commitments, before looking for work. Even if it takes an extra year, you will enter in a better position than you otherwise would have done, and be ahead in real terms.
Your Benefits
Money and success aren’t the only things you will receive when you go back to nursing. There will be other benefits too, and although this will depend on who you work for and in what capacity, there are going to be some additional perks that you will find very useful. These could be:
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- 401(k) contributions
- Health insurance
- Bonuses
- Paid vacation days
- Help with childcare
Even if you choose to go back to work on a flexible or part time basis, some of these benefits can still be yours. Discuss the options with your new employer and see what help you can get when you return to work.
Your Social Life
As wonderful as being a parent is, do you sometimes feel as though you would like to reconnect with other adults, rather than spending all your time with kids? This is only natural; you will of course love your children, but a real, grownup conversation with other adults (other than your family) can be extremely beneficial, and when you re-enter the world of work, you will find that you can do this. Your social life will expand, and you will make new friends (especially if you are a nurse since there will be deep bonds formed because everyone relies on everyone else so much).
If you ever get lonely or just wish that you had a friend to talk to, or that you could go out once in a while and really let your hair down, going back to work will give you this. Although it shouldn’t be the only reason to get back into nursing, it is certainly a bonus that you might not have considered but that will improve your life dramatically.
You’ve Planned for it
When you stopped working in order to have your children and take care of them, there would have been a plan in place. If that plan was to go back to nursing at a certain point, then you will, ideally, have been working towards making that idea happen. In other words, you should go back to nursing after a career break because you have spent time planning for that exact thing, meaning you are absolutely ready to do it.
The more you plan, you more ready you will be. You will have gained any additional qualifications you need, you will have created an excellent resume, you will have worked out the timings of getting back into the workplace, and you will have taken care of any childcare issues. By planning well in advance and preparing yourself and your family for when the time comes, going back to nursing will be much easier than you ever imagined.
Rachel is an Austin blogger, educator, mom, wife, young breast cancer survivor writing about health, saving money, and living a happy life in Austin, Texas.
Rachel has written for HuffPost and Hometalk and has been featured on KXAN, Studio 512, Fox 7 Austin, and CBS Austin.