For years, I hesitated to make the jump from social work to nursing. I’d thought about making the transition, but I couldn’t get past all of the stories I’d heard from friends and colleagues about the challenges of nursingthe stress, the burnout, the demanding hours.
I became a social worker to help people, and nursing offered a more direct way to do it. But how long would I sustain a career where I had to prioritize demanding work over my family’s needs constantly? That’s what kept me from pursuing nursing. Until a few years ago, I couldn’t imagine a world where I could be a nurse and walk the thin line between passion and profession.
As a social worker in the Bronx, I mentored kids struggling with family or school issues. I worked in courthouses, schools, group homes, and hospitals. I saw firsthand how meaningful it could be to meet people where they are, connect with them, and help them move forward.
During my hospital visits, I often worked alongside nurses. They inspired me in ways I didn’t expect. They were calm, compassionate, and hyper-focused on helping peoplenot just with their immediate health needs, but with things like emotions, nutrition, and health insurance. I’d assumed all nurses were bound to deliver care at the bedside. But these nurses were more like case managers; we’d work side-by-side, me handling the social work side of a case and them managing the medical and insurance side. Together, we helped a lot of people. The longer I worked beside them, the stronger the pull I felt toward nursing.
Then, a few years ago, I decided to take a leap of faith. I enrolled in an accelerated nursing program and dove headfirst into a career that would change my life and my relationships with my children and family.
A Better Way to Nurse
Like many nurses, I love what I do, but the profession can be incredibly demanding. Long hours, unpredictable schedules, and high-pressure environments make it hard to strike a balance between work and home lifeespecially when you have a family to support. I learned this lesson immediately after landing my first full-time job as a staff nurse.
I’m a mom to two teenagers. I fell in love with nursing quickly, but in order to continue doing it, I needed a way to pursue my career while still being there for my kids.
It didn’t take long for me to transition to per diem nursingspecifically with hospitals and health systems that use on-demand nursing platforms, like Bergen New Bridge Medical Center. As an on-demand nurse, I can schedule shifts when and where it works best for me. I don’t have to build my life around rigid schedules or worry about being penalized for prioritizing my family’s needs. If my kids have a last-minute event (as kids so often do) or need me to make time to help with something, I can adjust my work schedule to make it happen. With siblings spanning New York, Michigan, and Canada, I can drop everything to be there for them when they need me without worrying if I’ll have a job when I return.
That level of flexibility and independence was a blessing when my brother was in hospice care. It allowed me to be with him during his final days without feeling guilty about taking time off. That’s not something I could have done as a social worker or as a staff nurse. As an on-demand nurse, I can still pursue my passion for helping people without sacrificing my personal life. I can be a nurse on my terms.
With so much autonomy and control over my schedule, I can show up emotionally prepared for every shift I book, fully prepared and ready to give it my all. My decision to pursue nursing pays off every time a patient tells me how much they appreciate my care. It pays off every week when I can schedule work around family obligations, spend quality time with my kids, or even make spur-of-the-moment travel plans.
Looking back on my journey, I’m proud of my choices. From my early days as a social worker to my current role as an on-demand nurse, every step has been about helping peopleand finding ways to do it that work for me.
