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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.
Discuss this and other topics with your
colleagues at www.nurseweek.com/rnvillage.
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