How Long Do You Expect To Be a Nurse?

[SilverBells]

Just curious, how long you expect your nursing career to last? 

When I became a nurse almost 7 years ago, I did so with the intent that I would be a nurse for rest of my working career.  Lately, I've been questioning whether or not that will still be the case.  I'm at the age where I still have 30+ more years of working, so obviously a retirement is not an option at this point.  With that said, I've been stressed lately and am unsure whether or not I can actually make it through another 30 years of nursing, or even want to.   I'm not ready to make any fast career changes simply because I've had a few stressful moments recently, but I'm wondering whether I will keep my goal of remaining a nurse for my entire working career. 

How about the rest of you? How long do you expect your nursing careers to last? 

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

15 years in and I plan to retire in the nursing field. 

[AdobeRN]

My plan is 13 more years - puts me at a young age of 65 ? but I am the type that can't stand idle time of being at home, so I imagine I will continue to work until I can't.  I am school nurse, really I plan on working until I am told to retire ? I hope to get in a total 25-30 years at my current job.  

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

16 years in with the expectation to go another 30 or so. That’s the beauty of nursing- so much variety and settings that are differently paced than others. I’ve already left direct clinical care for staff development.  Who knows, maybe I’ll move on to something else in those 30 years but I have no intention of starting a new career, unless it’s one of those win a mega jackpot and travel constantly careers. 

[DaniannaRN, ASN, BSN]

I've been an RN for almost 16 years and I'm hoping to get out of it next year when I'm done with my master's degree in health informatics.  I actually never really wanted to be a nurse, I never felt like it was my calling.  But because of personal reasons (family issues) at that time, I couldn't complete the college for the career I always wanted. 

I got out of bedside nursing about 12 years ago but I don't enjoy being a nurse and I can't wait to be finished with my degree so I can finally get out of this field.  

There's nothing wrong with realizing this isn't the career you really wanted.  Many people switch careers throughout their lives.  If you're stressed in nursing, maybe try non-bedside nursing such as insurance companies.  Also look into places where (general) you wouldn't expect nurses to be hired...for example, my state's transportation company (trains/buses) hires nurses for employee health.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Nursing is my 2nd career. I was active military 10 years. I expect to be "in it" for hopefully less than 5 more years....maybe even 3 or 4.  I have been a nurse since 1997.

Depends on how quickly we can pay down the house and other bills as to long how I will continue. I may go PRN and stay around a while. I am healthy and strong and can keep up with the younger crowd in efficiency and speed. In that I am lucky. I am just oh, so tired of all the politics, drama and games. I am getting too old for this stuff I guess.

It's  also  I have a strong desire to be at home with the hubby and flying to visit all my grandkids more often. That's what I aim to do.

[sevensonnets]

I've got a couple more years left in me then I'm hanging it up to head home to Utah. 42 years in critical care sucks all the energy out of you. My sons and the two most beautiful grandsons on the planet are waiting for me. Note to all you young ones out there: you're gonna miss us old nurses when we're gone.

[pinkdoves, BSN]

although at this point in time I really hate nursing, I know I probably will stick within the field. this is because there are so many avenues I can go down anyway--whether it's insurance work, selling medical equipment, etc., I would still use my experience as a nurse

[Hannahbanana, BSN, MSN]

I got my first nursing license mumble-mumblety years ago and have been a nurse ever since. I left hospitals in 1994 for other kinds of work and am occasionally asked how long it's been since I worked as a nurse when I testify in my capacity as an expert witness. I always say, "I'm working as a nurse today, Counselor."

I hear you about ambivalence around "getting out"-- once a nurse, always a nurse is often true. There are SO MANY other ways to do it. Is it scary to leave behind everything you used to do/be? You betcha. When I left what I was sure would be a full career in critical care, I suffered a lot of self-doubt and recriminations. But I just kept putting one foot in front of the other, and here I am, 27 years later, alive and sort of well and still working as a nurse. Just not in a form that some people would recognize; I am happy to educate them.

Now I'm looking at real retirement in a few months. Well, mostly; will still be doing some work, but not as an RN. My license will expire in another year and a half, and I'll see how I feel about renewing it then. Or I might just sign my name Hannahbanana RN (ret).

[direw0lf, BSN]

On 2/7/2021 at 7:29 PM, SilverBells said:

Just curious, how long you expect your nursing career to last? 

When I became a nurse almost 7 years ago, I did so with the intent that I would be a nurse for rest of my working career.  Lately, I've been questioning whether or not that will still be the case.  I'm at the age where I still have 30+ more years of working, so obviously a retirement is not an option at this point.  With that said, I've been stressed lately and am unsure whether or not I can actually make it through another 30 years of nursing, or even want to.   I'm not ready to make any fast career changes simply because I've had a few stressful moments recently, but I'm wondering whether I will keep my goal of remaining a nurse for my entire working career. 

How about the rest of you? How long do you expect your nursing careers to last? 

You know what, I was just thinking about this yesterday!

I was just being silly sort of though and I was thinking "I could go to law school if I wanted why not" 

It was because I was just exploring different nursing careers and saw a legal nurse consultant. But I wasn't seriously considering.

There are so many options in nursing...

I actually would like a RN to MD bridge program. I saw some RN to PharmD bridges. But since you don't want a change in careers, there's plenty to do within nursing too like that legal nurse consultant or clinical research nurse, are 2 that I thought sounded interesting, maybe you'd like to explore them.

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

Late in life nursing career. I have 8 1/2 years left of PSLF which will take me to 66. I am hoping to make it that far and retire. ?

[Danirenee2009, ADN]

This is a very good question that I have been asking myself ALOT recently.    I have been in LTC for 12 years first as an LPN then as an RN.   I tried my hand at the hospital as soon as I received my RN but ended up back in LTC.

This past year has me wondering if this is really what I want to continue to do.   I used to feel very passionate about what I was doing.   Like it was an integral part of who I was.   That feeling of passion has been replaced with a feeling of disgust.   Yes, I still have a love of geriatric nursing but I just don't know how to come to a peaceful place within nursing at the moment.  So to answer the question I just don't know.   

[MPKH, BSN, RN]

Been a nurse since 2011, so I’m hitting up a decade of nursing this year.

I intend to work as a nurse in one capacity or another until I retire, unless something life alternating happens!