Guess I am NOT going to shelve my license after all.

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I thought I was going to have to spend around $150 or more to get the 30 CEUs required on my next license renewal. Since I haven't worked in a while and in all probability will never work as a nurse again I thought I would just shelve my license when it came up for renewal in October. To my delight, in recent weeks a plethora of reasonably priced CEU offers started showing up in my mail box. Pennsylvania just started requiring CEUs and does not require a person to have recent work experience to renew license so my lack of current experience is not a problem. Under the circumstances I think I will just do the one of these courses and keep my license for another two years because you just never know what life will throw at you. Now I am wondering about keeping my or not.

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Specializes in AA&I, research,peds, radiation oncology.

That's great that you were able to find reasonable CEU's and keep your license. If the insurance is reasonable as well, you may want want to do some part time or per diem work, then you'll be set. I just don't like to burn bridges, esp. if they were hard to come by or expensive!:)

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Specializes in med-surg, teaching, cardiac, priv. duty.
I thought I was going to have to spend around $150 or more to get the 30 CEUs required on my next license renewal. Since I haven't worked in a while and in all probability will never work as a nurse again I thought I would just shelve my license when it came up for renewal in October. To my delight, in recent weeks a plethora of reasonably priced CEU offers started showing up in my mail box. Pennsylvania just started requiring CEUs and does not require a person to have recent work experience to renew license so my lack of current experience is not a problem. Under the circumstances I think I will just do the one of these courses and keep my license for another two years because you just never know what life will throw at you. Now I am wondering about keeping my Malpractice Insurance or not.

I'm in a similar position. I quit my nursing job in August, and have no desire to work as a nurse again. (total burn out after almost 20 yrs!) My license needs to be renewed this spring, and I have been debating what to do. My "heart" wants to burn my license and throw a party that I will never work as a nurse again. However, my common sense (and husband - haha) tells me I should renew it atleast one more time, because you never know what will happen. My state does not technically require CEUs, but they do random audits. And if you are audited - you either have to have CEUs or have a form signed by your employer that you are working and competent. I'm not working, so I'd need CEU's if I was audited. What's the chance I'd be audited? Pretty slim!!! But if I was....

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I would advise any nurse to keep her credentials alive unless doing so is horrendously difficult or so expensive that it would break the bank. Why? Because as several of you have said, you just don't know what's going to come your way.

The two things we're discussing here--renewing a nursing license and keeping insurance--make a good contrast.

Insurance is inexpensive and takes maybe a couple of hours, tops, to figure out which policy you want and then call, click or send a check. The license represents years of investment in time, money and effort, not to mention the mental and emotional gymnastics and sacrifices that most of us went through to achieve this goal.

If your insurance lapses, you send money, and it's all better. Once relinquished, a license could be difficult--or maybe even impossible--to regain.

Insurance is a tightly-defined commodity with a specific application. A nursing license is tightly defined, all right, but the application aspect is wide open. That license is the key to many doors, an invitation to a panorama of opportunities, a ticket to places that aren't open to just anybody.

You may be burned out on the kind of nursing you did or the treatment you got from your employers, but do you really want to light the match that will torch the entire menu of choices down the road?

The first thing that comes to most of our minds is probably the "dire circumstances" scenario. What if I had to return to nursing financially? That's something to consider, and having that license can certainly be a hedge against having to accept a job with similar stressors for a much smaller paycheck. You can think of that as trying to avoid something negative. But what about keeping your license alive so you don't miss out on something positive?

There are lots of nurses out there who--if they don't depend on a large paycheck--have found themselves in community centers, on mission trips, at camps for all ages, even on cruise ships, doing something they love without all the corporate hoo-ha that tends to rain on the parade. Others have found jobs that are compatible with life--some without even looking--that they could only take with a license in hand.

Even if you never work as a nurse again, that license gives you credibility for other options. Your degree (or diploma) says that you had what it took to achieve your goal and maintain the standards that followed.

I left nursing a while back, so burned out by personal and professional demands that I just wanted to walk away. Wise counsel urged me to keep the license alive, and I'm glad I did. After a lengthy recuperation, I ended up taking a refresher course and am now coming up on five years of working with moms and babies in a job I love. I'd love to do a mission trip someday. And the cruise ship idea, who knows?

Your license is the real insurance here. Some states do not require current experience or CEUs to renew. Others have options for inactive nurses. Still others take volunteer work as a nurse into consideration.

Contact your BON and find out what's available in your state.

I hope you keep your options open.

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Specializes in NICU.

I'm thinking about retirement, I'll still have my license, and also my BLS and NRP will still be good. Even at my age I'm keeping my options open. I've been wondering about my , and whether it's a good idea to keep that active for a while. Anyone have any idea about this?

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

I left nursing after my first child was born-- never to return!! Every time the renewal fees came due, I seriously considered just hanging it up for good. A little nagging voice stopped me, and I kept that going for 17 years!! Eventually, circumstances did result in the possible reason for that little nagging voice. And here I am!

My state has an "inactive" option. You don't need CEUs for that. Just pay the fee. When I got back into the job market, I needed to take the CEUs to activate again, and voila! No need to retake N-CLEX! Thank God! That's why my experience is 18 yrs instead of 30+ years.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

With the economy as bad as it is, I will keep my license active till they pry it from my old, brittle hands - lol.

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I would advise any nurse to keep her credentials alive unless doing so is horrendously difficult or so expensive that it would break the bank. Why? Because as several of you have said, you just don't know what's going to come your way.

The two things we're discussing here--renewing a nursing license and keeping insurance--make a good contrast.

Insurance is inexpensive and takes maybe a couple of hours, tops, to figure out which policy you want and then call, click or send a check. The license represents years of investment in time, money and effort, not to mention the mental and emotional gymnastics and sacrifices that most of us went through to achieve this goal.

If your insurance lapses, you send money, and it's all better. Once relinquished, a license could be difficult--or maybe even impossible--to regain.

Insurance is a tightly-defined commodity with a specific application. A nursing license is tightly defined, all right, but the application aspect is wide open. That license is the key to many doors, an invitation to a panorama of opportunities, a ticket to places that aren't open to just anybody.

You may be burned out on the kind of nursing you did or the treatment you got from your employers, but do you really want to light the match that will torch the entire menu of choices down the road?

The first thing that comes to most of our minds is probably the "dire circumstances" scenario. What if I had to return to nursing financially? That's something to consider, and having that license can certainly be a hedge against having to accept a job with similar stressors for a much smaller paycheck. You can think of that as trying to avoid something negative. But what about keeping your license alive so you don't miss out on something positive?

There are lots of nurses out there who--if they don't depend on a large paycheck--have found themselves in community centers, on mission trips, at camps for all ages, even on cruise ships, doing something they love without all the corporate hoo-ha that tends to rain on the parade. Others have found jobs that are compatible with life--some without even looking--that they could only take with a license in hand.

Even if you never work as a nurse again, that license gives you credibility for other options. Your degree (or diploma) says that you had what it took to achieve your goal and maintain the standards that followed.

I left nursing a while back, so burned out by personal and professional demands that I just wanted to walk away. Wise counsel urged me to keep the license alive, and I'm glad I did. After a lengthy recuperation, I ended up taking a refresher course and am now coming up on five years of working with moms and babies in a job I love. I'd love to do a mission trip someday. And the cruise ship idea, who knows?

Your license is the real insurance here. Some states do not require current experience or CEUs to renew. Others have options for inactive nurses. Still others take volunteer work as a nurse into consideration.

Contact your BON and find out what's available in your state.

I hope you keep your options open.

Thnaks, This post pretty much covers it does it not.
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Specializes in AA&I, research,peds, radiation oncology.
With the economy as bad as it is, I will keep my license active till they pry it from my old, brittle hands - lol.

Yes, I agree! But as hard as I worked to get my LVN and am working to get my RN, try to pry it away....:cool:

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