When my husband left me with 3 kids aged 6, 3 and 8 weeks, I checked one of those "Jobs of the 2000s" books out of the library and went through it. Based on my interests and skill-sets, I chose nursing. A 2 year Associates degree will take 12-18 months of prerequisites before you can start the 2 year portion of the program. Additionally, there are waiting lists at many community colleges as well as bachelor's programs. (My waitlist was 3 years. Hubby bailed in 2004, I graduated in 2010.) The job market stinks horribly for new grads. In my state (CO), a news station recently showed that out of the 700 available nursing positions, fewer than 10 would accept new graduates. If you are able to relocate to a rural area (3 hours or more from a major metro), then you have a much better chance of getting hired. This doesn't work well for moms of young kids who are trying to stay close to supportive family/childcare. I was incredibly lucky and got a job only 4 months after graduating. Some of my classmates took up to a year and >400 applications before getting positions.
I say all this to clarify the commonly held belief that nursing is a great solution for those who need to get a job quickly. It is nowhere near as quick and in demand as people say. Also, nursing hours do not sync up well with daycare facilities. Most doctor's offices use medical assistants, not nurses and school nursing requires a bachelor's degree. I hope this helps people who are interested in nursing get a clear picture of the current situation. It is sad to hear people who get through nursing school and then learn how things stand.