Super Nurse. Super Mom. These words were used in a 1962 Milwaukee Journal article "Multi-Purpose Woman." The story generated letters that could be labeled hate mail and placed shame on a woman who taught natural childbirth in the evenings while being an at-home mom with four children younger than 5.

She had earned her master's degree in one year with a 3-year-old, 1½-year-old and a newborn, for whom she cared with a nanny who helped while she was going to classes, and a husband who traveled as a salesman Monday through Friday. Her home school, Marquette University College of Nursing, offered her a government traineeship for her master's degree. So she went to school, completed her master's degree and taught at Marquette for one semester before giving birth to her fourth child, then tried to stay home with the family. Financially, her family needed more. At the same time, nursing instructors also were sorely needed, so she taught ob/gyn nursing at Milwaukee County Hospital School of Nursing and hired day care in the home.

Some of the children were now in school and she did it all. She even ran for the school board. A fifth child was born and then a sixth two years later, totaling four sons and two daughters in less than 10 years. Continuous teaching and being an active mom in school and extracurricular activities were demanding, and this nurse wanted to be at home with her two youngest sons, now 1 and 3, so she went back to school with another government grant in pursuit of her doctorate in administration. All classes were in the evening, so she could stay at home caring for the youngest, study, prepare meals, do household necessities and get ready for classes.

The funding eventually ran out, so night supervision at the hospital provided the financial resources to continue. By working nights, this nurse could be at home with her children. Sleep was minimal, but she was ready for school in the fall; the second year passed and comprehensive exams were finished. Now came the dissertation and a financially supported residency in hospital administration. None of this would have been possible without the family support of a loving mother-in-law and the eldest daughter, who bore the brunt of helping to care for the family.

Yes, I am the nurse who worked continuously and went to school for two degrees while raising my family. But those years took their toll. It is not healthy to overdo it, and I certainly did, creating stress for my family and myself.

Now, as I see younger generations of nurses living more balanced lives and limiting what it takes from the family, I think we are better as a profession for those nurses who want support for their families. As a nurse executive for two of the original Magnet hospitals, I was able to initiate day care for children and job sharing to support the need for a more balanced lifestyle.

In the NURSEWEEK/AONE survey, 42 percent of nurses said management did not recognize the importance of family and personal life. If we do not take care of the caregivers, how can we expect the nurse to care for patients? Nurses, male or female, can burn out quickly if the work environment does not support them so they can reduce stress and have energy left for their families.

As I reflect on my career of almost 50 years, I wish I could have had more time for my family, but the economic situation of raising a large family required that both parents work just to meet basic needs. My heart and thoughts are with every hardworking parent-especially nurses-as I know what a challenge it is to have a career and a family.

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