How are you spending your retirement?

Nurses Retired

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I don't mean your money! :lol2:

I mean; how do you spend your time? What interests, hobbies etc are you pursuing?

And, do you enjoy being retired?

For the last two years since I was "retired", I have been in a lawsuit with my ex employer, fighting to get approved for Social Security Disability, trying to get decent healthcare with no insurance, so my RA/OA doesnt completely cripple me,waiting to get my cataract surgery on my one good eye and I'm only 55, I wonder what shape I'd have been in if I would've worked 'till 65, I think the healthcare field, specifically long term care might have killed me.

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Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..

If I could have I would have kept on working, because I loved to work. It gave me a sense of someone needing me, and it made me feel really good. Unfortunately for this gal that didn't happen. I think you know the rest of the story. And I am improving I a huffing and a puffing as I waddle my eay around this here place.:D

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Specializes in OB/GYN,L&D,FP office,LTC.

I had to retire two years ago due to medical problems. At first it was a

very big adjustment.I didn't think I could ever be anything but a nurse.

With time I adjusted to my new life. I am finally getting to do some of the things

I always wanted to do.I bought myself the sewing machine of my deams so

I do a lot of sewing.I also wok in the yard and help some with the care

of my grandchildren.I spend a lot of time on the computer but have learned so much.

I do sort of miss nursing,I find that I only remember the good times.I know.I most

will most likely never work again but thats ok.

My health has really goten better since I stopped working...guess I'm doing what's

right for me!

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I'm fascinated, and appalled I must add, to see just how universal financial issues are for us all.

My retirement from nursing sees me studying history part time by distance ed., developing a garden in a new (to me) house working part time outside of nursing and would you believe collecting and restoring dolls.

My nursing social circle has almost vaporised but I made some great new friends at uni who share my love of history.

I've got the radio on at present and there is a heated debate about commonwealth intervention in a struggling rural health system and I think, thank heavens I'm out of it.

Pork barreling seems to be getting in the way of health care.... again... and I'm not sorry to be away from the decision making this nonsense always forces.

cheers

Princenina

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Hi Everyone!

I am a recent transplant from being a California RN to a South Carolina RN. Yes, it is a change. I took my SS early retirement. But I do miss some aspects of nursing as I did it for many years. I did a little teaching in California at a vocational school in a LVN program which I really enjoyed. Now I am going to teach a class for the certification of CNAs. It is about 8 weeks. Twice a week for 21/2 hours. Then 6 full days with them in a very nice skilled nursing facility. I live in the Hilton Head Island area of South Carolina. That will help with the withdrawls and also be worthwhile.

I have found a VIM clinic also on the Island. I am thinking about working 4 hours a week. It is the Volunteers In Medicine clinic. Everything is free for people with no insurance and cannot afford it anyway. Retired Docs and nurses and others. I visited last week and believe me, it is wonderful and very busy. Since I am RN in SC, I think I can do "hands on".

I have been down here for about 18 months. Most hospital positions are 12 hours and pay is poor. Tenent recently bought Coastal Carolina Hospital. They own Hilton Head Hospital as well.

My husband and I travel alot. I love having week ends free and the ability to say no to hours I don't want to work. I like the teaching aspect. I would encourage anyone to do these little courses for adult ed.

I love reading what yall are doing in retirement. But we don't really retire, we love nursing too much even tho sometimes we can't admit it.

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Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..

your message is an inspiration, and comes close to what grace is looking for. several years ago, when i was an active emt, cpr, and basic first aid instructor while i was also a school bus driver, i thought i would retire doing what i was still doing; just a little less. it was also my dream to become a nurse, since i loved to see people be happy and feel good.

then when 1996 came around, things changed. i no longer was going a bus driver, but would still be an emt, and a cpr instructor.

always having in mind that i wanted to live near my oldest daughter where i felt i would thrive and continue working, my sewer suddenly needed repair, my father's well which i was hooked up to went dry, and the well driller having to get to my father's well, had to have the electricity disconnected.

by then the feeling to move had become even stronger, so i began applying for jobs all over the area, and made arrangements to move into the first available 1 bedroom apartment.

i returned home, and told my boss what had happened, and what my plans were, and asked him for a letter of recommendation. i told him that i had no idea how long it was going to take, or even when it was going to take place.

things began moving fast. i received a phone call from my daughter the day after i went home, telling me an apartment had become available. so i told my boss, i sold my place, and by the end of the week i had a moving van loaded, was given a going away party, and a nice check for $350. from him along with a very nice letter of recommendation.

when we learn to look for signs from god, things begin to happen; at least they do for me.

after i settled in my new apt, i began to pursue more work to no avail, and did for a time, become discouraged. however, when i spoke with a friend at church, she said, "why not become an lpn?" i thought; "wow, my dream is coming true!" she gave me all the connections i needed to get into the accelerated program, along with a full scholarship.

i lived off the money i received for my half acre and my trailer, and by may the following year, i was a gpn with an award for perfect attendance in school, and a new record for the school. i had witnessed the birth of 6 babies, (3 of them were a set of triplets) under my belt. i was so elated.

that was june of 1997. by september, i was a full fledged lpn. wanting to keep my perfect attendance record at work, and learning my cholesterol level was too high, i began taking niacin to lower the cholesterol level after i looked for the lowest possible dosage in my drug book.

not long after that, i began to itch uncontrollably, and eventually went into anaphylactic shock. the niacin, which i assumed the amount not used by my body would wash out of my system since it was a water soluable vitamin.

that was the beginning of my disability, and an early retirement from working as a nurse. i was heartbroken, but after a while, i decided to write a book. that book is now being used at our local womens shelter as a tool of empowerment and encouragement for women who feel trapped and have no idea how to make things better for themselves.

i'm currently living in an assisted living home, my health has stabled, and i even had a wonderful afternoon at wallyworld with my grandbabies and my daughter. it was a blast!

so, this is the best of my best, and i can truthfully tell you i have done what i loved, and have loved what i did.:up:

fran :nurse::clown:

bump! i am bumping this thread hoping that you'll get some good responses. i am interested in hearing what people have to say.

i plan to start easing into retirment in about 10 years, maybe a little sooner if i am lucky enough to find a well-paying part time job. my dream is to gradually cut back from full time to part time to nothing over a period of a few years rather than retire all at once.

i imagine myself using that extra time at home to do all the reading and writing that i never get around to doing now when i am still working full time. but i must admit, when i get a little time off now, that's not what i do. i end up just resting and relaxing. i am hoping that if i were working only part time, that i would have the energy and the motivation to do a little work on my writing -- but i don't know for sure if that will happen.

as i said ... i am curious to read about the transition to retirement and hope you get some good responses in this thread.

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Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..

excellent advice here. i began to save 10% of my gross income and sometimes more when i had a larger paycheck 3 years before i moved. i lived on that money and the $7,000 i received from the sale of my place. it was enough to live on while i went to nursing school on a full scholarship. unfortunately, after i graduated, i was forced to go on welfare to pay 2 huge hospital bills. i had only $2,000. left which went for medical bills. i lived on only food stamps for a couple years, because the income i received from social services was only $205. a month. i had help from my church to pay the rest of the rent.

i wouldn't go inside any dept stores, or anything other than food stores, because i'd get depressed. i received $20. from a friend in a card for christmas that year, and since it was a gift, i was allowed to use it. i went to the dollar store and bought family and friends each a gift that year. i thanked my friend for giving me the best christmas gift ever.

however, it eventually worked out, and i now have enough disability income to pay for my room and board here, with a little left over each month.:up:

it just goes to prove that persistence does pay after all.

ok, i have just 3 fridays left to work, 2 weekends and a total of 24 days until i am retired. my wife and i are buying a house in nicaragua to be near her family when it isn't warm here (wisconsin). i plan to spend the first 6 months cleaning and organizing the basement. after that little chore, i think we'll be doing some landscaping around the house and lots of camping in the us. i started planning for retirement when my dad retired. i started saving for retirement as soon as i could after i graduated with my bsn. (mom and dad retired before i graduated from nursing school. talk about planning ahead.;)) i have basically spent the last 30 years working to get to where i am today. advice? start that 401k,403b, 457 and/or ira today!!!! you won't ever have enough extra money to start one, and after a couple of paydays you won't miss the money you're putting into it. i'm serious, start it today! i mean, could you spare 25 cents? 25 cents per hour times 80 hours per 2 weeks equals $520 per year. that's not enough to retire on, but it's a start. then whenever you get a raise put most, if not all of it, into your retirement account. put at least 80% into the stock market, more if you're under 40. if you have the temperment, consider joining the military as a reservist. i'm collecting nearly a grand every month from uncle sam due to my 22 years in the military and it helps. sit down and do the math at 520 per year and 8% return on your money in the stock market. (8% is conservative) and then you'll run to start your account. just remember, no one cares about your retirement as much as you do. as trite as it sounds, no one plans to fail, but many fail to plan. student nurses, yeah you 20 year olds, take this advice to heart and 37 years from now you can be writing this letter. take care everyone. and if anyone has questions, just message me.
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Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..

my hero:d

nurses in my homecare agency retire er "put out to part time pasture" by moving into my central intake dept as last supervisor who just moved in with us stated.

i've been grandmother friendly allowing lunch dates with grandkids in our kitchen. now i'm gread-grandmom friendly as senior rn is 73....great grandchild due next month....... works every friday our busiest day to keep her brain cells sharp.

will probably keep working 2 days/wk post age 65 as long as i can, allowing time to volunteer. unless decide to open needlepoint store as second career. :D

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Ortho/HH/Radiology-Now Retired.

Thanks everyone for your replies. It's interesting to read what others are doing in retirement and also the reasons for retirement.

As is evidenced by some posts, not everyone retires due to age or "just because". Many have been forced into early retirements due to ill health and/or other reasons. That is always sad and unfortunate. Not having choice in our lives is always frustrating and can be quite soul destroying.

I chose early retirement. My Dh was retiring early and so we decided I'd join him. I must admit, some days I've wondered what the heck was I thinking!!! lol Overall however, I'm glad and grateful to not be in the workforce anymore. One of my favourite things about being my own boss is .... being my own boss! lol Oh, that and, no appraisals! Mine or anyone else's! Those were one of my pet peeves at work. I hated doing, or being appraised!

I've said it before and I reiterate it now; nursing served me well. I served it well. We're even if you like. :) It's my time now. I try not to make too many plans or look too far ahead. I live in the now and try to make the most of each and every day. Ever mindful that tomorrow is promised to no-one, yet hopeful for many many tomorrows! :)

Cheers...........

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I would like to say that these are the Golden years, but until I can get to a point where I dont have to rely on family to keep a roof over my head, I cant really say I am enjoying my "retirement".Waiting for SSDI, waiting for empoyment lawsuit, waiting for access to healthcare.Hope for a time that nurses who can no longer work due to medical problems will be treated with dignity and respect.

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I,m loving it! First thing I did prior to setting a date to retire was zero balance everything except of course mortgage. I kept it manageable. Just remember that there is a shortage and we as nurses can work anytime if we need to. What a wonderful profession!!!!!:redbeathe

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I don't mean your money! :lol2:

I mean; how do you spend your time? What interests, hobbies etc are you pursuing?

And, do you enjoy being retired?

got messed up need to answer the latest post, sorry

safta24

by the wy I love being retired too.

do regret though that I couldn't really go bak to work.

too stuck with emphysema.

since I'm here I so want to share the pleasure I got volunteering at

hospitals that is a great satifactory productive outlet.

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